"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was 'thank you,' that would suffice." -Meister Eckhart
One of the most powerful emotional states that can be experienced is that of gratitude. A strong feeling of gratitude is the same vibration as love. While gratitude often wells up within us unexpectedly when someone offers a kind gesture, a few loving words, or an act of kindness, gratitude can also be consciously created through practice. The idea of a gratitude practice may seem counter-intuitive to some people on the spiritual path, as though you are forcing yourself to do something that doesn't initially feel natural. The reason for this is that, although love truly is our natural state, most of us have been conditioned to repress this natural expression for so long, to the point where the repression actually feels familiar, and therefore natural. Because the mind can grow accustomed to many unnatural things, which over time begin to feel “natural,” it often actually requires practice to return to this more authentic way of being.
Although being effusive with your love through a gratitude practice may initially feel awkward, over time, you will begin to remember this innately loving part of yourself more fully. The more you practice being grateful for everything in your life (the “good,” the “bad,” and everything in between) the easier it becomes to view yourself and others with compassion and love. A little gratitude goes a long way, inviting abundance into your life in numerous forms. I like to practice gratitude for about ten minutes at a time, either after my morning meditation, or in the evening before bed.
Begin by closing your eyes and relaxing your body as you take deep slow breaths. Feel the air moving in and out of your lungs, letting go of any tension or stress that you may be holding. Now focus on a person in your life whom you are grateful for. See this person in your mind's eye. See them smiling, being happy, and begin feeling your natural appreciation for who they are and what they mean to you. Let these positive feelings grow simply by staying present with them. Focus on this feeling of gratitude for as long as feels natural. If focusing on a person seems too difficult, then perhaps try focusing on a favorite pet from your life.
As the image of this person fades, then, focus your mind on something or someone else that you are grateful for. It can be anything—a person, place, animal, the natural world, or an experience. In your mind’s eye see yourself truly appreciating the thing that you are grateful for. If it is a place, such as a special location on the earth, see yourself being in this location, feeling so joyful and grateful to be there. If it is a person or pet, see their happy smiling face, imagining yourself giving them a hug. See the textures, feel the energy, and let yourself deeply experience what you are grateful for.
The idea is to really allow yourself to generate the positive feelings of love and appreciation through visualization while doing this practice. See how much positive feeling you can generate through focusing your attention on each thing in your life that you appreciate. This is a powerful practice that can bring you into a very joyful and loving state in a matter of minutes. You may be brought to tears of joy, in which case, let the tears and emotion flow. It may also help to bring one hand to your heart while bowing your head to your heart during the practice.
I also really enjoy singing my gratitude, as it is a fun and effortless way to reinforce these positive emotions throughout the day. Singing (or saying) the words “thank you” out loud while holding the image of the people, places, and things that you are grateful for, generates powerfully positive and loving feelings. When I do my practice I see myself saying thank you to everything that I am grateful for, deeply feeling the energy of appreciation as I do so. Then, as I go about my day, I sing my “thank you” song as a reminder of these positive feelings. It takes practice to really stay focused on thoughts of gratitude, so keep at it. You may find it too difficult to generate gratitude, if that is the case, you may have unresolved emotional trauma, and need to address that first.
It is really amazing to use a gratitude practice to increase your feelings of well-being and positivity, noticing how it can shift your perceptions of the world for the better. Try it for yourself to see how powerful it can be. What you may also notice is that the practice builds momentum over time. You may not see any big shift right away, but over time you will be amazed at how this simple practice can open your heart to the abundance of love and light all around you. I often guide my holistic counseling clients through these practices of gratitude as a way to begin changing their lives from the inside out.