The practice of giving thanks
There is more than one way to meditate. In this article BWG’s yoga expert shares a meditation of gratitude with us.
Article by Lena Kalchenko (click here to know more about Lena)
Hopefully this meditation will leave you feeling full and at peace with all that is right now. Using this meditation as a daily practice may bring you great comfort and restored appreciation of the daily gifts we so often take for granted. Bless your gifts, your comforts and the people you meet each day – and watch the magic that follows.
It can be done every morning before you leave your bed.
All of your thoughts create your future. Every thought you think is creating your future. And it is through our daily practice of choosing what to think that we can become the creators of our very own lives. For this it is important to start each morning meditation by releasing any fear or anxiety. And if you are doing it while still in bed, make sure your body is relaxed. And then simply remind yourself it’s going to be the best day of your life. It’s a new day and a new beginning. And you are surrounded by miracles.
The truth is we can be very forgetful and instead of being grateful and thankful we take so many things for granted. Too often we focus on things we do not have. But what blesses our lives and our future in the long term is to be thankful for what we do have now.
How about the first miracle?
You can simply start by appreciating the bed you slept in that kept you warm and comfy (remember some people do not have this luxury) and then move to the rest of the furniture, saying a special thank you to your favourite piece which I’m sure we all have. Think of the electric light in your home and all the things you can use the electricity for. How amazing is it to have?!
What about the bathroom? The hot and cold water which we get by just turning a small knob. That is another miracle that you can be grateful for.
Bless your phone that keeps you connected to people. Bless the air you breathe, bless the sun and the rain and the wind that clears the sky and the beauty of the moon light.
And how about all the types of clothing we have access to whether it’s warm or cold?
Here is another way to be thankful.
Why stop in giving thanks? Your very own body is one of the greatest miracles! The way your body breathes by itself. It just happens, there’s an intelligence that takes care of it for you and you do not even have to think about it. The very same intelligence takes care of every single process happening inside your body which allows you to walk, to speak, to hold things and of course, to love.
Thank your body!
Let your mind go through the various relationships you have in your life. Bless them, each one of them is an invaluable teacher. Think of someone who maybe hurt you in the past, send love and forgiveness to them. By doing that from your heart you are guaranteed to receive more blessings than you can ever imagine.
Maybe by now you may be thinking of other things to be grateful for...
The benefits of gratitude meditation are many. Amongst them are:
Increased happiness,
decreased depression,
better quality sleep,
it may help us to overcome obstacles and hardships in a healthy, positive way.
Tomorrow when your alarm goes off, what will you do? Will you grab your phone, or start thinking about your to-do list, or will you give it a few minutes, close your eyes, quiet your mind and say "I am grateful for yet another beautiful day?"
The choice is yours.
