Gratitude is a sense of deep thankfulness for the things in your life. These things may be physical (like the daring red dress in my closet I rarely wear but makes me grin with foolish pleasure every time I see it), or nonphysical (like the love of family and friends).
Gratitude is a voluntary feeling that is simultaneously grounding and opening. It never makes us feel beholden, for gratitude opens us to the light vibration of love.
Sometimes we hurt ourselves and our sense of self-worth by using the word 'gratitude' as a weapon with each other. We turn its power inward against ourselves or others:
"You should be grateful for what you have!"
"You ungrateful wretch!"
While the intention may be to remind ourselves of the great abundance around us, a true sense of gratitude can not be forced. It is something our heart must open to. This kind of “forced gratitude” creates resistance rather than connection. It clouds the beauty of gratitude by turning it into an obligation, when, in reality, gratitude is the natural result of feeling connected, seen for who you are, and feeling at one with the flow of love.
We invite gratitude when we slow down, breathe, meditate, and reflect on our lives—even on the places where we feel pain or fear. By being fully present with our authentic feelings, our hearts eventually return to a state of gratitude.
When we connect with gratitude, our fear disappears because we feel the fullness of our own heart. We know on a deeply intuitive level that we will continue to be filled, because the universe is ever-flowing, abundant by nature, if we simply allow ourselves to receive.
Gratitude in the Face of Challenges
You don't have to be grateful! Did you know that? Life’s challenges don’t require you to plaster on a smile or pretend everything is fine. Gratitude doesn’t deny hardship; it transforms it.
When frustration or grief bubbles up, honor your feelings. It's okay to throw up your hands in frustration. It is good to be honest about your feelings, and honor that they are here to show you where you are and where you may want to go.
Feeling a lack of gratitude can often be our first indicator that something isn't working for us. When we are lacking in gratitude, our heart remains tight like a closed bud. We may still be in a space of longing, hungry for more than we are receiving.
In these moments, returning to an active mindfulness practice helps us to unearth what our inner wisdom is really telling us about a situation. Let your true feelings out. Speak, shout, write a letter to the universe, or do whatever is necessary to get clear about what you really feel.
Once you're done railing against the universe, sit and breathe. Notice if there are changes you want to create based on your realizations. Then feel into your heart and ask, “What can I open to in this moment?”
Gratitude, even for the smallest things, is always there, waiting to bloom like a lotus flower rising up from muddy water. As you sit in mindful self awareness, see if the lotus of your heart can open in gratitude for even just one thing.
A Gratitude Practice
Gratitude is a practice that gets stronger the more you invite the mindset of thankfulness into your life. Think of gratitude as your personal healing tool, helping to transform your life on multiple levels.
Science tells us that practicing gratitude lowers stress, improves health, and increases overall happiness. Energetically, gratitude helps us shift out of scarcity and fear into a state of alignment where we feel empowered to receive.
In Reiki, gratitude plays a central role. Each time we pause to offer gratitude for the breath that sustains us and the healing energy flowing through our hands, we anchor ourselves in the present moment. Gratitude opens the healing container for energy to flow.
From this grounded space, Reiki can flow more freely, amplifying its benefits.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or out of balance, try this simple gratitude practice:
Pause and Breathe. Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe deeply. Place your hands on your heart and feel its steady rhythm for the next minute. Don't let go of your heart until you have a strong sense of your heartbeat.
Name Three Blessings. Gently bring to mind three things you are grateful for right now. They can be as small as the warmth of your tea or as profound as a loved one’s laughter.
Feel It Fully. Let yourself sit with the feeling of gratitude, allowing it to expand in your heart. Can you allow that feeling to expand through your shoulders and into the back of your head? What about all the way down through your feet? Notice how your body begins to relax and open.
The Abundance of a Grateful Heart
Gratitude is a gift that keeps on giving. As Cheryl Richardson beautifully says, “A grateful heart is like a magnet drawing toward it a wealth of abundance.”
Energetically, gratitude acts as a bridge between scarcity and abundance. When we cultivate a grateful heart, we attune ourselves to the flow of energy and life around us.
Imagine walking through your day with a heart attuned to gratitude, receiving all of life’s gifts with ease and grace. Imagine the ripple effect this energy could have on your well-being, and on everyone you touch.
Gratitude doesn’t just bring abundance; it reminds you that you’ve been swimming in it all along. We are always surrounded by prosperity and abundance-- but the grateful heart is able to open, and thus receive it.
If this article sparked something in you, let’s explore how gratitude and Reiki can transform your life. Join me in one of my upcoming Reiki classes or schedule a private session to deepen your practice and reconnect with your heart. Learn More Here.
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