Holding Gratitude

I get into bed after pushing my dog Gigi over a little so there is room for me to lay my head on my pillow, and pull the covers over my body. My husband is fast asleep and I look over our king-size bed to see Bella, our other furry friend, smashed up against him, snoring. Bella’s under the covers, with only her head popping out from the warm, soft down comforter.

The sight is heart-warming and also a bit crazy. I raise an eyebrow, and a smile comes over me. 

The call-and-response snoring continues between Bella and Scott. Meanwhile Gigi pushes her body against my stomach area as I wrestle for a little more room.

The silence is present, the snoring is present, and I feel warmth, calmness. I feel grateful.

In this moment, all is okay. The upheaval in the world, the unrest, the unknown nature of the coronavirus pandemic, has dropped away.

Prayers of thankfulness come flooding through me.

I breathe.

And I breathe again.

What moments in your day stir up a feeling of thankfulness?

I’ve found that a daily gratitude practice is a powerful way to build thankfulness in my body. When I do a gratitude practice in the morning, it sets the tone for my whole day.

Here are some practices that I’ve landed on to help me take in the good and feel love and warmth during this difficult time.

• Take a few minutes at the beginning of your day—before you even get out of bed--and hold gratitude in your heart. Bring to mind all the things you are grateful for in your life. Feel the thankfulness in your body.

• Stand and hold your arms and hands in a prayer position.  Say, “Thank you,” as you breathe in and breathe out. Feel the weight of your body being held by the floor. Feel your breath come in and out of your body.

• Try the following gratitude meditation early in the morning:

  Allow your body to soften and just let yourself be.

  Allow your awareness to move to your breath.

  Aware of your in-breath. Aware of your out-breath.

  Notice how your body expands on the in-breath and recedes on the out-breath.

  Open to these statements of gratitude. Say them out loud or silently. 

I am grateful to be alive. 

I am grateful for my body, my breath, my health. 

I am grateful for my family and friends.

I am grateful for my food and the home that I live in. 

I am grateful for this new day—for the chance to start anew, with an open mind and heart and spirit.

Continue breathing in and breathing out.

I am grateful for all I have learned up to this moment, including the challenges in my life that have opened my heart.

I am grateful for all the support from the seen and unseen world. I am not alone. 

I am grateful for nature, for the flowering trees, bushes, flowers, mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans that soothe my soul. 

I am grateful for love, laughter, the many small wonders in my daily life.

I am grateful for all the living creatures big and small in this world. I am grateful for all the immense beauty that is ever present. 

Now you can name silently or out loud whatever else may come to mind that you are grateful for.

Breathing in and breathing out.

I breathe in love, feeling it come through my body, and breathe out any unrest. 

I feel warmth and gratitude in my heart. 

I am grateful for life.

Breathing in and breathing out.

Gratitude is one of the highest vibrational energies. Feeling gratitude in your body—maybe in your gut or your chest area—for even a few minutes supports your immune system, and uplifts your body, mind, and spirit.

As you hold gratitude in your heart, the world expands and your heart opens.

Whether you find moments of gratitude in the flow of daily living or you create them through a gratitude practice, may you savor them in your heart and soul.

To access a recorded version of this post’s gratitude meditation, click here.