Muse

Gratitude is heart energy. When you connect with a feeling of gratitude your chest softens and expands as your heart chakra radiates this energy.

We've all had those moments–listening to music, seeing something beautiful, experiencing an act of kindness–when the feeling of gratitude bursts forth as the heart center surrenders its guard and makes room for the fullness of this beautiful energy.

When you allow the wave of gratitude to swell, it will connect you to the pulse of the universe.

Choosing to be grateful is often hard. It is pretty common–and much easier–to be attached to negativity ("it's easy to be hard"). But, you have a choice: what you think directly affects how you feel (see "Change Your Mind" Muse Post.)

Gratitude is ever-present. And you can consciously choose to cultivate it anywhere, anytime.

Learning to discipline the mind is a rewarding practice. Applying this skill to the cultivation of gratitude will bring you greater peace and ease.

Here is a gratitude practice adapted from the work of Tom Kenyon:

1. Get into a comfortable position and engage your breath. Do a quick body scan and breathe into any places you are holding tension. Relax.
2. Get grounded. The practice will have a much greater effect if you are able to ground the energy of gratitude all the way down into your root chakra. (For a grounding exercise see the Muse post "Getting Grounded, Staying Grounded."
3. Now it's time to conjure up the experience of gratitude. Go through a list of all the things for which you are grateful until you find something that sparks a feeling of gratitude (even if it's just a little). Sometimes this can take some time. Stick to it! (When I'm having trouble feeling grateful, thinking of my dog always does the trick.) When you've connected with something you feel grateful for you are ready for the next step.
4. Bring your attention to your heart organ, and feel this gratitude. Imagine that the pulse of your heart is sending the energy of gratitude throughout your entire body. Allow your body to be bathed in this healing energy and breathe deeply into the experience.

Gratitude practice requires a commitment to making change. These days it is easy to believe there is nothing on earth to be grateful for.

With effort and time you will always find something.

An attitude of gratitude is to be shared. Please pass it along to everyone you know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be Well,

Rebecca

"Zinnia" photo image by Jennifer Hopkins ( http://jenhopkins.com/about/artwork-2/ ) with a Creative Commons license.