The energy of gratitude is like a big magnet. When we live from this state of being, looking out at the world through eyes of gratitude, we automatically attract to ourselves more to be grateful for.
When I first moved to Sedona nine years ago I started going to the Unity Church here as a way of meeting people and finding community. One of the things I did was attend a gratitude circle–at 8 am on Saturday morning! Yikes. I must really have been hungry and eager to commit to that! Actually it has turned out to be one of the most pivotal experiences of my journey of awakening and transformation.
I learned what the energy of gratitude feels like.
I learned what it feels like to drop your energy and attention out of the head and into the heart.
We would always begin by closing our eyes and focusing our attention on the center of the chest–the heart chakra– and just breathe in and out of the center of the chest. With soft music playing in the background, I learned how good it feels to do this. You might want to pause reading and try it–you can actually feel the energy there. As you breathe the feeling grows. You know the phrase–heart warming? Well, that’s the feeling.
Then we would begin sharing something we were grateful for that week. It was amazing how we could all somehow relate to what each one was sharing, even if the particular circumstances didn’t directly relate to our own lives. The feeling was there. And I discovered how good gratitude feels.
The big take away from this group has remained over the years: the ability to drop instantly into the feeling of gratitude in the body, without needing to even think of something to be grateful for–it’s an energy, a big, powerful field we can step into at any time.
Also what I learned is that the energy of gratitude is like a big magnet. When we live from this state of being, looking out at the world through eyes of gratitude, we automatically attract to ourselves more to be grateful for.
This is true of anything. The feeling we walk around in all day attracts more like that feeling. So if you walk around feeling glum, you will get more to be glum about.
So if you want to try it, begin by focusing your attention in the middle of your chest and take a couple of breaths. Then think of something that simply makes you smile–a memory, something or someone you are grateful for or that you appreciate. Doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it makes you smile. Then just notice the feeling that memory stirs up in your body. As you focus on that bodily sensation, you’ll find it grows. Memorize that yummy feeling; breathe into it and let it fill you. The more you do this, the more you can call up that feeling at any time. Don’t be surprised if you find that people you pass in the grocery store or on the street smiling at you. And don’t be surprised when magical things start showing up in your life!
Today I am grateful for the work I am privileged to do that changes lives. I feel grateful for all of you that I’ve come in contact with and how my life has been enriched by that contact.
So receive this as my little Thanksgiving gift. May you be amazed by the magic of gratitude.
Great blessings to you and to those you love,
Meredith
