Last week I briefly introduced the three attributes of Gratitude, Compassion and Humility, and discussed how they represent a powerful trio in support of your mindful meditative practice (see Gratitude, Compassion & Humility: An Introduction).
This week we’ll look a little more closely at the attribute of Gratitude. As previously mentioned, Gratitude can be practiced at anytime, but is especially helpful in the midst of as well as the aftermath of upsetting or challenging circumstances.
Gateways to Gratitude
In the face of distractions or upset, the expression or practice of Gratitude can help build your awareness and enable you to create a “gateway” back to the present moment. When you make an intentional decision to walk through that gateway, you are meditating. Once through it, mindfulness offers the opportunity to think differently about your circumstances.
As I am sure you are well aware, current events are extremely stressful, pushing us to the very limits of our ability to cope. However, somewhat counterintuitively, this source of extreme discomfort, also presents profound opportunities for cultivating Gratitude, which will stand you in good stead regardless of the circumstances.
A Simple Gratitude Practice
With Quieting Breath (see “Daily Grind Got You Down?”) you learned about the importance of Pausing to take a breath during your day as a means of shifting your mindset in a positive way. And in “The Busy Mind: Meditation Friend or Foe?” you learned how to utilize the breath to maintain your focus while meditating.
Building from that, you can start to cultivate a very simple Gratitude practice with the following affirmation:
- On the in breath say: “Grateful for the breath.”
- On the out breath say: “Breath is life.”
There are of course many, many other ways to express and practice Gratitude, and we’ll explore them as we proceed along this journey, but for now, this is a quick and easy way to get started and then build and sustain it as a habit.
If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how it works for you and if you Notice any changes as a result. Just hit "Reply" to let me know!
In Mindful Closing…
Similar to the breath, Gratitude can help you find your way back to the present moment when you get distracted or upset. In fact, think of expressing Gratitude as the equivalent of taking a mental breath.
Gratitude also offers you a way to reframe or gain clarity about your circumstances
- Are things really as bad, annoying, or frustrating as you first thought? Maybe not.
- Are there other things for which you can be thankful, even in the midst of something really terrible? Possibly, if you take a moment to Pause and think about it.
Either way, expressing and practicing Gratitude puts YOU in the driver’s seat and YOU get to choose what the narrative can be going forward, rather than letting circumstances dictate that for you. This sense of agency is just another way to gain that state of relief or peace often sought through meditation.
Next week, we’ll look at the attribute of Compassion.
Until then, remember to take a moment to Pause, Breathe and Be Still!
Sincerely,
Jill
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