Mindful Gratitude Practice
In order to begin this Mindfulness Exercise of Gratitude Practice, take a moment to pause and reflect. Take a few slow, deep breaths, and clear some of the clutter from your mind. Now, please bring kind and loving awareness to the following questions:
- What made you choose this particular topic? What drew you to it? What do you hope to gain from it?
- How do you feel when reflecting on the topic of gratitude? Tune into what’s going on in your body. Zero in on our belly, chest, and head. How do each of these parts feel individually? How do you feel as a whole?
- When you reflect on these visceral, somatic feelings, what emotions do you find you’re associating with them? Are these emotions positive or negative? Can they be categorized clearly, or are they more complex? How do you feel about these emotions themselves? How is the way that you feel above those emotions different from the emotions themselves?
- Examine any stories that you currently believe as related to this particular topic. What impact are these stories having on your life? What effect, positive or negative, might they have on your practicing this mindfulness exercise now?
- Now, take a moment to reflect back on everything that’s just passed through your mind. Acknowledge the centering, the distracting, the positive, the negative: everything. Now, consider the consoling, humbling, and inspiring fact that many other people feel much the same way that you do about this topic. How does this awareness make you feel?
- Consider what it will be like when you’ve completed this particular mindfulness exercise. How will your increased awareness surrounding gratitude make you feel? What impact do you think it might have upon your life?
- Finally, consider how you might be able to apply increased mindfulness to the concept of gratitude in your daily life.
