It’s the big Thanksgiving meal and everyone is gathered around the spread of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy just like every other year. And it’s time to GIVE THANKS. That’s what it’s all about, right?
But just like everything else of importance the gratitude tends to get lost in the hustle and bustle. Between the family drama and the stress of producing an elaborate spread of traditional dishes we can loose sight of our natural appreciation for life and its boundless blessings.
Reducing gratitude to the obligatory prayer that’s spoken over the annual feast robs us of the true essence of being alive.
In fact, if we don’t allow gratitude to infect our souls and rattle our bones on a regular basis we’re only going through the motions of life…skimming the surface, missing the point.
Without genuine gratitude our spirits atrophy and we become jaded. From this space of spiritual listlessness it’s difficult to do anything of true meaning…to activate positive change in a world desperate for healing, to raise empowered intelligent passionate children or to respond to the call of the Great Mystery with integrity.
At its best, Thanksgiving is an opportunity and a reminder to tap into the great well of genuine gratitude that yearns to spill forth from you. Why not go for the best this year?
Here are some fun practices to release your own genuine flow of gratitude…
Loose everything…
seriously. Let it all go. Your identity, status, accomplishments, your ideas of how the world works and what gratitude is. Let yourself off the hook of having to hold anything up, just for a moment, at least. Don’t try to be thankful for what you have and who you are. Forget about all the “blessings” you have in your life or how “lucky” you are. Throw it all out the window of your mind and just relax in the emptiness.
Telescope Your Perspective…
From this place of emptiness, from the lack of attachment to identity, allow yourself to zoom in. Bring your attention to something very small and observable. Hone in on an ant, a tiny pebble or a dewdrop. Marvel at this detail for a moment and appreciate it for the role it plays in the world…allow your imagination to wander. How far has this ant traveled? How old is it? How has its presence benefited other life forms?
Then, from there, zoom out and take a moment to appreciate the BIGness we reside in. Take in the hugeness of the sky and feel the expanse of the Earth extending beneath you…consider the oceans and the forests, the mountains and the deserts…consider the sun and myriad stars in the cosmos. Take a deep breath and feel gratitude for all of the factors (big and small) that combine to make that breath possible for you.
Abide in Presence…
Spend some time paying attention…to all the little details and nuances of your experience. Stay “close to the bone” and really try to stick to your own experience…to your senses and your feelings…don’t let yourself get distracted by everything that’s going on around you or the prefab stories your mind may have made up about the situation you’re in. Instead, notice what’s really going on there.
When you’re tuned in at this level the gratitude flows effortlessly.
Enjoy!
Note* These practices tend to be most fun and effective in a beautiful natural place. Get yourself outside over the holidays for some special time with Creation and play with letting the gratitude flow.
