Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash
After leading the “40 Days to Personal Revolution” program, which completed earlier this month, I promised myself to create action steps that will up-level my teaching and my personal growth.
And one of my action steps is to delve more into the world of meditation.
What I took away from the 40 Days as a facilitator is that I can lead meditations and I want to do more of it.
What was holding me back was that I didn’t have a teacher training in meditation nor is my meditation perfect.
I know I don’t have to prove anything to anyone and Baron says anything is possible. And when I created the 6 meditation podcasts for my participants, I know I can. But being a typical paper-chaser, or rather being in a society where people tend to look at your credentials - I want to find out more.
So I signed up for a 21-Days Meditation Experience, guided by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra, which started on 25th March 2019.
The theme of Grace & Gratitude is weaved throughout the 20 mins audio recording, meditation and journal prompts.
The experience made me question what gratitude really means to me and what it can be for me. Although it’s only my 6th Day, it has made a difference in my gratitude practice.
Gratitude is derived from the word gratia (meaning grace, graciousness or gratefulness). Gratitude is the experience counting one’s blessing; saying thanks.
Most gratitude practices typically start with a question of:
What are 3 things that you can be grateful for today?
Shamefully I admit that my gratitude practice is NA-DAH! I usually do it according to the winds of my own “grace”. I found it after I found myself writing the same thing until it doesn’t seem to mean much so I stopped writing.
Deepak shared a new way of offering gratitude, which is profound and surprisingly simple.
And I implore you to try this out.
Step 1:
You start with the same gratitude question:
What are 3 things that you can be grateful for today?
They don’t have to be the most important thing; whatever you are grateful for in your heart.
Step 2:
Take the first thing, and if it’s not in front of you, visualise it in your mind.
Say thanks to it. You can the say the words “thank you” if you feel comfortable.
The real key is to bring feelings and emotions. Allow the feeling of gratitude to come from your heart. It feels like a warm gentle sensation which brings about a smile.
Imagine whatever you are grateful for - a person, a thing, special moments or memories, nature - is “aware” of your thanks.
“See” if it’s smiling back at you, shimmering with the same warm feeling.
Your thanks have been received and welcome.
Step 3:
After a moment, go to the 2nd thing - say thanks to it and see it receives your thanks.
Step 4:
Go onto the 3rd thing and repeat again.
Coincidentally, I tried something similar last year, whilst decluttering, courtesy of Marie Kondo, who encouraged her clients to greet their house every time they return home.
I felt silly doing it. I couldn’t feel it. I am grateful for the shelter and comfort it gives me but to “physically” say thank you?
I tried it again today, and when I “saw” my house smiling back at me, there is indeed a warm glow, which makes me smile even more. Now I get you - Marie Kondo and you - Mr Deepak Chopra.
Boom! Nuff’ said!
“When you give gratitude your utmost attention and your intention - you create a new energy of flow.”
The idea is to start an inner conversation with gratitude and feel gratitude through the mind and body.
In other words, when you give thanks for good things in your life, visualise those good things smiling back at you.
In having that internal dialogue, you will change the pathways in your brain. These new pathways change your perception. They allow you to pay attention to the good things you are grateful for and in return grace welcomes you.
You really have to try this and experience your gratitude practice at a whole new level.
Start paying attention and be intentional in your day to day. Take a moment for each thing you are thankful for. Feel the emotion. Don’t have the passing thought. Allow grace to flow back to your life.
What are 3 things that you can be grateful for today?