5 Reasons to Practice Gratitude


5 Reasons to Practice Gratitude

By Silvia Mordini
Starting today, here are 5 reasons why you should make active gratitude part of your daily practice. 

Love yourself, love your day, love your life! 
1. Gratitude is being thankful.

Every day, I practice some form of gratitude meditation. It’s simple, start off by saying to yourself, I am grateful for… and then as part of a stream of consciousness, don’t edit your reasons. It has taken me years to find ease in this flow. 

I used to over-think it, or rank some things as less or more meaningful than others. Finally, I realized through spiritual practice that gratitude is a constant state of being. It is a way of seeing the world and ranking is not necessary. All things matter equally when practicing gratitude. 

2. Gratitude increases our appreciation for life.

So many days, it starts by being grateful for breath. This awareness that just by breathing, we have won the lotto today! To remember that not everyone in the world was chosen to breathe on this day is a very powerful eye opener.  

When I was at the Chicago Field Museum, I stopped by the Man’s Evolution section and read, “In the last 24 hours, 33 species have become extinct.” Hmmm, it doesn’t take much to appreciate that we are still promoting our legacy. But for many species, each and every day the experience of breath ends.

3. Gratitude is a form of acceptance. 

The more gratitude we experience for others' happiness, the more our gratitude grows. Stephen Levine writes, “As gratitude is cultivated, we experience an increase in our sympathetic joy, our happiness at another’s happiness (this growing sense of gratitude for whatever happiness, great or small, that comes to those around us).”  

Through gratitude, we accept the good in all. 

4. Gratitude is a return to balance.

It brings balance to those parts of us that are disconnected, or attached to suffering. Gratitude changes our attitude and helps us to stop feeling victimized by life. This is Yoga Sutras Chapter 2.33: “When presented with negative thoughts or feelings, cultivate an opposite, elevated attitude. This is Pratipaksha Bhavana.” 

If you are feeling down, hopeless, worried, or doubtful, you can bring the seesaw of your life back into balance by practicing gratitude.

5. Gratitude is love. 

Just like our breath loves us unconditionally, unconditional gratitude inspires love.  It softens us when we’ve been hurt or lost trust to let love in again. Love expressed as gratitude demonstrates itself in small acts of kindness and connects us to each other. Gratitude and love work together to promote positive healthy relationships because they attract more of each other. Love is gratitude; gratitude is love.

Try this easy-to-remember breath meditation: 

Inhale: I welcome happiness
Exhale: I am so grateful
Inhale:  I welcome inspiration
Exhale:  I am so grateful
Inhale:  I welcome love
Exhale:  I am so grateful

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Ways Your Pumpkin Can Make You Prettier

Image
Pumpkins are more than a delicious flavor for lattes and baked goods. They're packed with vitamins and antioxidants that nourish your skin, body, and hair—making the seasonally appropriate squash just the ingredient your fall beauty DIY needs. Get your pumpkin fix, minus the calories, with these recipes. Click through to see four pumpkin-inspired DIYs for your hair, skin, and body. 1  of  4 1. It Can Give You Shinier Hair PHOTO:  Hello Natural Pumpkin is rich in potassium and vitamin A, making it especially great for restoring damaged, dry hair (especially when it’s combined with ultra-moisturizing honey). You'll need: 2 cups cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon unflavored yogurt  Puree the pumpkin and yogurt, then mix in the coconut oil and honey. Evenly cover your hair from roots to ends, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse out the mixture, and then shampoo to ensure no residue is left.  ...
Read more

How Air Pollution Is Damaging Your Health

Image
Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances ...
Read more

Most Popular Anti-Aging Skin Care Ingredients

Image
Now I look for these ingredients in my skincare to test and review. They are very important for great skin. And I have learned so much about ingredients and what to look for in a great product. This is a list so you can understand the ingredients to look for. Watch for my reviews and you will see all these ingredients are in the products I test. Anti-aging skin care…it seems as though every magazine you read or every site you go to on the Internet is talking about it. After all, isn’t that why you came to my blog? Today, there are some “hot” product ingredients that you will hear mentioned, but what do they actually do? I have put together some of the more popular ingredients below so you can be a bit more informed as you read down the product labels of your favorite anti-aging skin care products. • Alpha Hydroxy Acid  – this ingredient is very popular in products offering exfoliation and/or chemical peels. These acids can be natural or synthetic and are very potent. In fa...
Read more