“Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Let the grateful heart sweep through the day that it may recognize in every hour some sweet blessing.” – Henry Ward Beecher
“La Vie Est Belle” – Life is Beautiful! Having a daily self-care ritual is one of the fastest ways to begin the process of co-creation and manifestation, but learning to deeply tune in to your sense of gratitude, to shift from those moments of contrast and frustration or even self-recrimination is as essential as breathing to the learning to shape your own reality.
We have all have moments; even days when it can be easy to feel discouraged or to get wrapped up in the “contrast” – what may feel like the negative aspects of your circumstance. There are times or events that may get us down or makes us feel unhappy. I sometimes find myself reacting to the negative emotions and moods of those closest to me, which is a lot like tumbling off the top of a mountain to suddenly finding myself in a puddle of mud at the bottom of the trail. I can move from having 180 degree views; feeling on top of the world to dark depression in a short period of time, which is awful – but I have learned that tuning back into and staying as close as possible to that high-flying state of gratitude and joy helps not only to keep me in a happy, abundant place but also lifts those around me to a better mindset and higher frequency of being. “To see, to taste, to touch – to know that it is real, alive; this glorious, unconditional reality of ours. This is a true gift and our greatest calling – to feel the truth of the joy it is just to be alive.”
Exercise:
Gratitude journal: list 5 things you are grateful for each morning. Feel free to get creative in this. Doodle, sketch, whatever inspires you, but try to engage your creative and emotional muscle as you write:
“I sit writing, bathed in the beauty of this moment as small ripples break the cool surface of the adobe-hued swimming pool I sit beside; aquamarine and turquoise where the sun reflects off of the walls and floor of the depths below. The deep-throated call of a pair of curious, black-coated Great-tailed Grackles, the soft coo of Collared doves and the warble of a Northern Mockingbird sound from the verdant fronds of overhanging palms. Soft spring breezes caress my skin as my fingers warm from a fragrant, pink-hued cup of tea; ripe summer scents of tart strawberry, sweet mango, and astringent Ceylon wafting upward like incense. This is heaven, condensed in a crystalline drop of time. ”
How could I not be grateful for the moment, given the feel of all of my senses that have been incorporated into my entry? But on a day when the time is limited, it might look more like this:
5. The experience of writing next to the cool, turquoise pool of my Airbnb.
4. Hot tea ripe with flavors of strawberry and mango feels like summer.
3. Call of Mockingbirds, doves, and Grackles from tall palms overhanging pool.
2. Feel of the spring breeze, warmth, and aroma of my tea.
1. Feeling of integration of all of my senses in this beautiful moment.
Though that particular moment was especially poignant, a typical morning entry listing favorite moments from the previous day might look more this:
5. Romp with through green fields with dogs in the afternoon sunlight.
4. Iridescent rainbow where the sun met misting rainclouds
3. Good coffee prepared by my husband
2. Family game night of “Jenga” and “Shanghai Rummy”
1. Pad Kee Mao and curry from my favorite Thai restaurant
These entries are still creative and reminiscent of what I was experiencing in that moment, but not quite so poetic or long-winded. The point is of this exercise to access both left and right-brain functions and grasp the feel of the experience you are grateful for, so find your own unique voice and expression.
Exercise 2:
Physical gratitude! True gratitude begets more things to be grateful for, but sometimes it takes a bit for our bodies to catch up with our minds – and vice-versa. These two simple exercises can facilitate the union of both a little faster. They should not take more than five minutes or so each.
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, preferably somewhere outdoors, and barefoot if possible. Feel your feet really rooted into the earth, or carpet, or wherever you happen to be standing. Toes rooted, sides of the feet and heels attached to the ground. Feel the sense of energy that happens as your really connect with your feet and the ground, that energy traveling up through your thighs, pelvis, stomach, spine, all the way through the crown of your head. Really lengthen through the spine. Your spine is an energetic superhighway for the rest of your body – each transmission that leaves your brain must pass through the spine to find it’s way to the rest of your body. As you practice this exercise consistently, you should experience that energy more fully, making movement more ease-full and enjoyable.
- Now spread your arms wide, lifting your chest and dropping your shoulder blades a little farther down the spine. Feel that sense of expansion filling your chest and heart center, breathing deeply into both the front and back of the lungs and the diaphragm. This should feel good!
Inhale through your nose and drop your mouth open as you exhale. Feel the space around you. Feel the sense of expansion and energy in your body. From this place, find something that you are extra grateful for in this moment. Something that is a real blessing, or some things that are blessings. My family is always foremost in my mind and heart, but there are many other things personal to me that I use in this exercise. If you are in a place that you are able to speak or even shout out loud, feel into the incredible good of that/those blessings, and say: I am blessed! Shout it out, if that feels good! Regardless of where you are in your life and circumstance, there is good to be found, and you truly are blessed.
- Alternately, lie on your back or sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. If you have back issues, put a pillow under your legs, behind the knees if you are reclined or just under your tailbone if you prefer to be seated. Let your limbs relax, become liquid like. Breath deep, through the nose, and let the depth of the breath take your body deeper into softness. Allow your mind to follow your breath, becoming quiet and soft. Feel into the good of the body, feeling gratitude for this moment – for the breath expanding the lungs and diaphragm, for the muscles of the body that provides movement or yielding each moment, for the skeletal structure that provides support for the soft tissue – muscles, ligaments and tendons, fascia. We are amazing machines, incredibly made. Just stay in that feeling for a few minutes, fully experiencing that velvety sense of softness and good within the body and breath. Breathe in good, breathe out anything that doesn’t serve. Slowly bringing a sense of energy back through the spine and into the limbs, bring the feet up towards the hips if you are reclined and move the knees a little side to side, continuing to bask in the good of the moment with gratitude. When you are ready, roll to the side and push yourself up to a sitting position, palms together at the center of the chest. Repeat as often as necessary or desired. Namaste, friends. Much love!
This Blessed Sacred Life 