Reduce Stress Through Meditation

There’s nothing like economic calamity to focus the mind. But instead of obsessing over your job security or declining 401(k) balance, try diminishing your stress with a new assist from a very old tool: meditation.

Stretching back thousands of years to ancient spiritual traditions, meditation has been attracting a growing following of secular practitioners in recent years. While it’s still not exactly mainstream, data released in December by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, show that 9.4 percent of adults surveyed in 2007 had tried meditation at least once during the previous 12 months, a significant increase from 7.6 percent in 2002. And 1 percent of children had zoned in, too.

Your choices are extensive—mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, and the latest trend, compassion meditation, are three of many approaches, each with a slightly different intent. Compassion meditation aims to foster a feeling of lovingkindness toward others, for example, while mindfulness meditation focuses on awareness and acceptance of the present moment.

Whatever the variation, certain basic elements are common to all forms of meditation. Comfortably seated, lying down, or even walking around, you focus your mind on your breath, a word, a mantra, an object—something specific—possibly for a few minutes but perhaps much longer, gently pushing away distracting thoughts. As you learn to stay focused, you experience a sense of calm. Your body relaxes. Your breathing slows. Your heart rate drops.

Many of those who practice meditation turn to it to help them deal with emotional stumbling blocks like stress and anxiety. It can also be used to change unhealthful eating habits
or to battle substance abuse. And studies continue to add to the ways in which meditation might be able to play a therapeutic role—for example, it has been shown to bolster HIV patients’ immune systems, ease chronic pain, and reduce blood pressure.

Gene control. New research has been taking these discoveries to a deeper level, revealing how meditation and other relaxation techniques work in cells, turning on and off genes that are associated with inflammation, cell aging, and free radicals, all of which are associated with damage to cells and tissues. French philosopher René Descartes famously believed that the mind and body were separate entities, but emerging evidence is proving him wrong.

“What this shows is that you can actually change the brain with the mind,” says Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a coauthor of a study demonstrating such genetic changes that was published in July in the online journal PLoS One.

Meditation’s psychological and physical effects both are tied to the “fight or flight” response. When we are under stress, the brain sends hormones and other substances racing through our system to ready us for action. We become hyperalert, our heart rate and breathing speed up, our muscles tense, and our digestive processes shut down. While modern Americans are less likely to face physical danger than were our prehistoric, mastodon-hunting ancestors, there’s no shortage of other sources of stress. High-pressure, overbusy lives, coupled with the unrelenting economic uncertainty of much of the past year, can put the body in a constant state of hypervigilance. That’s not good. An ongoing state of revved-up alertness can damage tissues and organs, suppress the immune system, and cause anxiety and depression.

Mental workout. The calm that meditation engenders produces physical and emotional changes that represent the flip side of fight-or-flight. For those with overtaxed lives, a bonus of meditation is that a little of it apparently goes a long way. One study of individuals who were new to meditating showed measurable brain and behavior differences after just two weeks of daily 30-minute sessions, says Richard Davidson, director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But meditation is like any other workout: To reap the benefits, don’t stop. “This is mental exercise,” says Davidson. “If one wants [benefits] to continue, you have to continue.

A New Way to Solve Financial Problems

Americans are now climbing higher and higher into debt, especially after last years fallout.  It can be almost like drowning to some. We’re told to invest wisely, or consolidate our debt, or seek other outside help in order to get our financial affairs in order. But what if that’s the wrong approach? What if it’s not outside, but inside that we need to be looking?

Could meditation help people solve their debt problems?



It can be a great challenge to break out of the little box we put ourselves, filled up with worries about work, family, and money, amongst many others. What do we do about these worries? We look outside for help. We look to financial planners when money becomes unmanageable. We look to antidepressants or organizational seminars when work becomes unmanageable. That seems to be the Western way.

However, in those situations, we are treating the symptoms, not necessarily the problem itself.

Even if you can get out of debt, a lack of understanding about your money habits could land you right back into hot water with your bill collectors.

Meditation is about bringing yourself out of the stresses of daily life and taking pleasure in the here and now. However, it’s also about clarity and coming to a deeper understanding about yourself. Once you have a better understanding of yourself and why you do things, you can fix the source of the problem, rather than just focusing on the symptoms.



Will you gain clear insight on the source of all your financial problems after your first 20-minute meditation session? Not likely. The Buddha himself meditated for 49 days straight before he achieved ultimate enlightenment. Although that’s not in the cards for most of us, taking just 10 or 20 minutes each day to meditate can make quite a bit of difference, both in stress level and in self-awareness.

The first step is to find a 10-minute or 20-minute block each day that you can have complete solitude. It may be in the morning before you jump in the shower. It may be your afternoon break at work. It may be while your kids are at after-school activities. It doesn’t matter. Just find yourself a time, and find yourself a place with good memories or good vibes.

Once you’ve got your time and place, the only thing that remains is to meditate.

New Findings Identified on Mind-Body Connection

Researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA)  have provided the results of a new study revealing fresh insights into the mind-body connection, by finding how chronic emotional stress ages the immune system.

Researchers have found that the stress hormone cortisol suppresses immune cells’ ability to activate enzymes that keep the cells young by preserving their ability to continue dividing. Every cell apparently contains a tiny clock called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides and according to the researchers, short telomeres are linked to a range of human diseases, including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging.


Many studies have already shown that the enzyme telomerase keeps immune cells young by preserving their telomere length and researchers insist that their latest study may help understand why the cells of persons under chronic stress have shorter telomeres. 

The findings show how stress makes people more susceptible to illness.

”When the body is under stress, it boosts production of cortisol to support a “fight or flight” response,” says Rita Effros, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a member of the Jonsson Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute and UCLA AIDS Institute.

”If the hormone remains elevated in the bloodstream for long periods of time, though, it wears down the immune system. We are testing therapeutic ways of enhancing telomerase levels to help the immune system ward off cortisol”s effect. If we”re successful, one day a pill may exist to strengthen the immune system’s ability to weather chronic emotional stress,” the researcher adds.



We think a daily meditation practice is that magic pill and it’s free.

 

 

Money Meditation – The Key Affirmations for our Times

We have collected some key affirmations for our times. We found when recorded with some great music this meditation turns out wonderful. Upload your recorded meditation and start meditating to your own voice. We suggest to record yourself reading the below affirmations in regards to abundance, wealth, and money with some type of music that you resonate with. It will be just below a 10 minute meditation.

Meditate for 40 days straight without skipping a single day (otherwise you have to start all over).

Enjoy.

Namaste

MONEY MEDITATION AFFIRMATIONS

•    I awake each morning feeling refreshed with energy and joy.
•    Every experience is perfect for my growth.
•    Gratitude keeps me connected with my Source.
•    I feel and see all of life experiences as an opportunity to improve my given gifts to enhance the good qualities of life.
•    I have absolute certainty in my ability to generate any amount of income I choose.
•    I know I have an unlimited capacity to create whatever I want.
•    I am confident in my ability to handle anything that comes my way.
•    I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
•    I am patient with the step by step process I am following to meet my goals.
•    I am living my life in balance, professionally, spiritually, and emotionally.
•    My body is a magnificent instrument. I honor it and it supports me perfectly with infinite strength, beauty and grace.
•    I am honest, and inspire honesty in those around me.
•    I am attracting people who are safe and respectful.
•    I inspire abundance and growth in those around me.
•    I am grateful and joyous about every experience life has to offer me.
•    I live in the present with passion and purpose.
•    I am always connected with the divine love of the Universe.  My inner vision is clear and focused.
•    Everything and everyone around me supports me in achieving my goals and dreams.
•    I bring inspiration, power, vision, direction and clarity of those who work with me.
•    I am appreciated for the work I do.
•    I use my creative ability to turn my ideas into money.
•    I am committed to creating success for others and myself. I picture it perfectly.
•    I trust my ever increasing ability to receive abundance, wealth, and prosperity into my life.
•    I am continually being guided by the divine to my highest good.
•    I draw in universal energy and light.  I am brilliant and filled with radiant light.
•    I relax into the infinite and wise purpose of the universe.
•    I have faith that the divine is guiding me through this time.
•    I listen to my intuitive voice.  I have total faith in my intuition.
•    I take time to connect to my higher power every day.
•    I focus on what I love and thus draw it to me.
•    I live in an abundant universe. I always have everything I need.
•    I create money and abundance through joy, aliveness and self-love.
•    I know the essence of what I want and I get it.
•    The things I can create are even better than I imagine them to be.
•    I am increasingly magnetic to money, prosperity and abundance.
•    Good things come to me easily.
•    I give myself permission to have what I want.
•    I am a genius and I use my wisdom daily.
•    Money is flowing to me from both expected and unexpected sources.
•    I consistently attract all the right people to help me grow my business.
•    I easily achieve all my goals and dreams.
•    I am totally confident.
•    I am an excellent businessperson.
•    I use my wealth and prosperity very wisely.
•    I deserve happiness abundance and prosperity.
•    I have complete freedom over my time.
•    I am inquisitive, creative, fun-loving, and adventurous.
•    I have tremendous energy and focus for achieving all my business goals.
•    I meditate daily and stay in constant sync with the vibration of abundance and success.
•    I visualize all that I desire and I have complete control over manifesting it.
•    I am a successful multi billionaire.
•    I have all the talent, intelligence, and money I need to create this new masterpiece.
•    Day by day, in every way, I am better and better.
•    I am the source of my abundance.
•    I am a success and I feel successful!
•    I am a success in all that I do.
•    Love, joy and peace are all that I know.
•    I move with ease, peace and confidence throughout my day honoring myself, and following Spirit.
•    I live each day with passion and purpose.
•    I am always in the right place at the right time.
•    I feel happy and at peace with myself.

Expressing Yourself Through Words – Words Have Power

Words that express victimization and therefore are not allowed.

(Marshal Rosenberg)

Abandoned	Bullied	Interrupted	Patronized	Unappreciated
Abused	Cheated	Intimidated	Pressured	Unheard
Attacked	Coerced	Let down	Provoked	Unseen
Betrayed	Co-opted	Manipulated	Put down	Unsupported
Boxed-in	Cornered	Misunderstood	Rejected	Unwanted
Abandoned	Diminished	Neglected	Taken for granted	Used
Abused	Distrusted	Overworked	Threatened

Words that express how we are likely to feel when our needs are being met

Absorbed	Composed	Excited	Inquisitive	Perky	Thankful
Affectionate	Concerned	Exhilarated	Inspired	Pleasant	Thrilled
Alert	Confident	Expansive	Intense	Pleased	Touched
Alive	Contented	Expectant	Interested	Proud	Tranquil
Amazed	Cool	Exultant	Intrigued	Quiet	Trusting
Amused	Curious	Fascinated	Invigorated	Radiant	Upbeat
Animated	Dazzled	Free	Involved	Rapturous	Warm
Appreciated	Delighted	Friendly	Joyful	Refreshed	Wide-awake
Ardent	Eager	Fulfilled	Jubilant	Relaxed	Wonderful
Aroused	Ebullient	Glad	Keyed-up	Relieved	Zestful
Astonished	Ecstatic	Gleeful	Loving	Satisfied
Blissful	Effervescent	Glorious	Mellow	Secure
Breathless	Elated	Glowing	Merry	Sensitive
Buoyant	Enchanted	Good Humor	Mirthful	Serene
Calm	Encouraged	Grateful	Moved	Spellbound
Carefree	Energetic	Gratified	Optimistic	Splendid
Cheerful	Engrossed	Happy	Overjoyed	Stimulated
Comfortable	Enlivened	Helpful	Overwhelmed	Surprised
Complacent	Enthusiastic	Hopeful	Peaceful	Tender

Words that express how we are likely to feel when our needs are NOT being met

Afraid	Cool	Embarrassed	Impatient	Overwhelmed	Tepid
Aggravated	Cross	Embittered	Indifferent	Panicky	Terrified
Agitated	Dejected	Exasperated	Intense	Passive	Tired
Alarmed	Depressed	Exhausted	Irate	Perplexed	Troubled
Aloof	Despaired	Fatigued	Irked	Pessimistic	Uncomfortable
Angry	Despondent	Fearful	Irritated	Puzzled	Unconcerned
Anguished	Detached	Fidgety	Jealous	Rancorous	Uneasy
Annoyed	Disaffected	Forlorn	Jittery	Reluctant	Unglued
Anxious	Disappointed	Frightened	Keyed-up	Repelled	Unhappy
Apathetic	Discouraged	Frustrated	Lazy	Resentful	Unnerved
Apprehensive	Disenchanted	Furious	Leery	Restless	Unsteady
Aroused	Disgruntled	Gloomy	Lethargic	Sad	Upset
Ashamed	Disgusted	Guilty	Listless	Scared	Uptight
Beat	Disheartened	Harried	Lonely	Sensitive	Vexed
Bewildered	Dismayed	Heavy	Mad	Shaky	Weary
Bitter	Displeased	Helpless	Mean	Shocked	Wistful
Blah	Disquieted	Hesitant	Miserable	Skeptical	Withdrawn
Bored	Distressed	Horrible	Mopey	Sleepy	Suspicious
Brokenhearted	Disturbed	Horrified	Morose	Sorrowful	Tepid
Chagrined	Downcast	Hostile	Mournful	Sorry	Terrified
Cold	Downhearted	Hot	Nervous	Spiritless	Tired
Concerned	Dull	Humdrum	Nettled	Startled	Troubled
Confused	Edgy	Hurt	Surprised	Suspicious

Insights on Sex and Spirituality

1.    Sexual energy is the primal and creative energy of the universe.  All things that are alive come from sexual energy.  In animals and other life forms, sexual energy expresses itself as biological creativity.  In humans, sexual energy can be creative at all levels – physical, emotional and spiritual.  In any situation, where we feel attraction, arousal, awakening, alertness, passion, interest, inspiration, excitement, creativity, enthusiasm, in each of these situations, sexual energy is at work.  When ever we feel these states of awareness, we must put our attention on the energy that we are experiencing, nourishing it with our attention, experiencing it with joy and keeping it alive in our awareness.

2.    Sexual desire is sacred and chaste.  The suppression of sexual energy is false, ugly and unchaste.

3.    During sexual union, there is union between flesh and spirit.

4.    Bliss, carefreeness and playfulness are the essence of sex.

5.    To improve your sexual experiences, get rid of your expectations.
Expectations are primarily in three areas: 1) Performance, exemplified in the question, “How am I doing?”  2) Feeling, exemplified in the question, “How am I feeling?” 3) Security, exemplified in the question, “Do you love me?”

6.    In sex, as in all areas of life, resistance is born of fear.  All resistance is mental.  It implies judgment against what is being felt.  Sex becomes a problem when it gets mixed with hidden emotions such as shame, guilt and anger.

7.    Sexual intimacy is the road to the taste or experience of true freedom, because it is the one area of life in which we can become completely uninhibited and free.

8.    Sexual fulfillment occurs when the experience comes from playfulness instead of need.  Frequently people bring their conflicts and needs into the sexual experience.  When sex is used to fulfill needs, it leads to addiction.  When sex comes from playfulness, the result is ecstasy.

9.    All problems related to sex, neurosis, deviancy, sexual misbehavior, violence, abuse, can be traced to resistance, to suppression and repression, not to the sexual urges themselves.  If we are allowed to discover our urges, desires and emotions, without outside inhibition, they won’t go to extremes.  Extremism, in any form, is a reaction to repression, inhibition and suppression.  Aggression and violence are the shadow energies of fear and impotence.

10.    Sex is a means of escaping our little self or ego.  It is many peoples’ only experience of meditation.

11.    Meaningful sex has to be value based.  Values are personal. Each situation that has sexual energy in it, involves the whole human being and their entire value system.  My values may be different from yours, and I have no right to be the moral judge of anyone’s values.  It is important, however, to have core values, and respect them.  Without values, we become spiritually bankrupt.  Sexual experience will never cause problems and will always be joyful, if lovers share the same values.

In summary, true intimacy is union between flesh and flesh, between subtle body and subtle body, between soul and soul. Sexual energy is sacred energy.  When we have restored the sexual experience to the realm of the sacred, our world will be chaste and divine, holy and healed.

Meditation. It’s Better than a Facelift.

When people ask Patricia Wheat, an award-winning facialist, why her skin looks even better than before, she tells them, “I haven’t changed a thing, except now I meditate every day.” Women and men come to see Patricia for help maintaining their youthful skin – she’s one of the best in the business. And they depend on her to make the best facial products available to them.

In February, she learned to meditate with me. And it shows. Her clients want to know what she’s done. She says she feels better, looks better, and has even lost weight effortlessly, and she attributes it to her daily practice of meditation.

Patricia sees plenty of people who have had ‘some work done’ in her Sedona Arizona-based facial studio, About Face. Everyone wants to look and feel younger and better. Cosmetic surgery is becoming a perfectly acceptable method toward this goal. In an effort to look better, Last year alone, Americans underwent an estimated 11.7 million surgical and nonsurgical operations according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Supposedly, when we look better, we feel better. But I don’t know if that is true. In 2006, physicians handed out an astonishing 227 million prescriptions for antidepressants in the United States! That’s up 30 million from 2002, and the number is growing rapidly. Mood elevators and antidepressants are prescribed even more often than drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches.

But does this combo platter really work? Do surgery and medication help us to truly sustain our youthfulness and the sense of happiness and contentment that we are looking for?

Perhaps. And perhaps there is a different route to looking and feeling better.  And a way to truly prevent aging. And it doesn’t involve the pharmaceutical or medical industries. Patricia Wheat knows it involves sitting still. She takes time out for a time in for herself. She leaves her clients, and unplugs from the world of stimulus for a half hour or so twice a day. She now meditates. And meditation is quickly becoming mainstream.

Like athletes or musicians, people who practice meditation can enhance their ability to concentrate – or even lower their blood pressure. But now new studies show that meditation can help people to retrain their brain so they can feel more content, and studies also show that people can create more youth hormone just by meditating. Sounds simple! It is.

Recently, a University of Wisconsin study revealed that after eight weeks of daily meditation, the brain can actually rewire itself, and the circuits that control levels of happiness can be altered. This is remarkable: it might be possible to train the brain to be better at feeling certain emotions, such as compassion.

Dr. Richard Davidson, the researcher who conducted these studies, stated, “By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that.”

Neuroscientist, Dr. Sara Lazar, of Harvard University who conducts research as Mass General Hospital, used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the brains of individuals who have meditated for years to those who have never meditated. Her research suggests that daily meditation can alter the physical structure of the brain and may even slow brain deterioration related to aging. It can even be responsible for the ways the brain responds to stress.

A lot of this research on the flexibility and the regeneration of the brain has been compiled and published by Wall Street Journal science columnist, Sharon Begley. In her book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves, Begley cites cutting-edge experiments showing that in fact new neurons and neuronal pathways can be created in the brain every day, even in people in their 70s.

This book outlines the exploration of the ways the mind can change the brain and features Tibetan Buddhist monks and their meditation practice. The forward is written by the Dalai Lama himself.

The Dalai Lama is happy to encourage participation in these research projects. He wants to promote meditation to those who are not necessarily religious, “It is the best method to deal with (negative) emotions,” he said to HDTV reporter Dan Rather in a recent interview, “Not for the next life, not for heaven, but for day to day’s well-being.”

Other research studies tout the benefits of meditation and youthfulness. In the early 80′s a published study showed meditators who had been meditating daily for at least five years were physiologically 12 years younger than their chronological age: their blood pressure was lower, their vision was better and they could hear more clearly. And those who had only just recently begun practicing meditation were physiologically five years younger than their chronological age.

Research has also proven that meditators, as they age, secrete more of the youth-related hormone DHEA than non-meditators. Women and men in their mid forties had, on average, respectively, 47% and 23% more DHEA than non-meditators – DHEA helps decrease stress, heighten memory, preserve sexual function, and control weight. Low levels of DHEA have been linked with a variety of diseases and with increased mortality.

In a related study, Dr. James W. Anderson from the University of Kentucky, said meditation has been linked to lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney failure. As a result, those who practice meditation may also be able to avoid the possible side effects of using anti-hypertension drugs.

So, what keeps people from meditating? First, it is rarely prescribed by a physician, though with the research findings popularized, that might change. Second, people don’t really understand it. They are concerned they might have to become a Buddhist or Hindu, or change what they eat or what they wear. When in fact, all they have to do is set aside a little time each day to sit still, in silence, with their focus inward.

There are many different variations of silent meditation, but the approach is similar: in order to meditate, one must sit still and bring his or her attention and focus to an object of meditation. This can differ – the focus can be on a certain sound, your breath, a feeling such as compassion, a thought, a word, an image of a saint or deity, or even a candle flame. It is a habit that must be cultivated, and as we train the mind to focus, we can literally change the brain and in turn the body. Sounds simple? It is.

Live by the Gratitude Attitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,

and confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
~Melody Beattie

Generating the Gratitude Attitude

Wise men and women throughout the ages have encouraged us to feel grateful for what we have. Why? To put it simply, gratitude makes us feel good. When you’re feeling grateful, your mind is clear, you have a dearer relationship to the universe and its creator, and you become more aware of the big picture. With gratitude in the forefront of your awareness, it is difficult to see the world as something to be dealt with; rather, it becomes your friend, your ally and your supporter.

Gratitude practices can be a powerfully transformative and can improve our emotional and physical well-being. “Practicing gratitude helps people extract the most out of life. People can also experience an overall shift to a more benevolent view of the world. I think it’s kind of a spiritual shift for some people because it makes them more aware of life as a gift,” says psychologist Dr. Robert Emmons of U.C. Davis.

Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami and Dr. Emmons have been conducting an ongoing Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness. They found that people who keep weekly gratitude journals feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future in comparison with those who didn’t keep gratitude journals. They also noticed that these people report fewer physical symptoms, exercise more, feel more connected to others, and are more likely to reach their goals. They have also found some similar qualities in grateful people’s dispositions:

Grateful People:

* Report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.

* Have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others. People in their social networks rate grateful people as more generous and more helpful (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002).

* Who regularly attend religious services and engage in spiritual activities such as prayer or reading spiritual material are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002).

* Place less importance on material goods; are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; are less envious of wealthy persons; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.

So how can we to cultivate this attitude?

I don’t always remember to take the time to be grateful for the blessings in my life. So, I went looking for ways to increase my attitude of gratitude. I have discovered a few daily practices for gratitude. I encourage you to try them too until they become a habit:

Keep a gratitude journal

Every evening before meditation or before bed, spend a few minutes writing the answers to the following questions… Ask, then listen for the answers and write them down. You can’t do it wrong. Here are the questions: What have I received today? What have I given today?

The answers don’t have to be poetic, but the act of writing them down will bring your attention to how you are being supported in life. I notice that when I list everything I received and then everything I gave each day, the giving column is always shorter than the receiving column. “As we become aware that we’ve received so much more than we’ve given, not only does that cultivate gratitude, it also cultivates often a sense of wanting to give something back to the world.” says Gregg Krech, author of Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self Reflection.

Remember all things

In his book, The Wisdom of Wallace Wattles, which inspired the movie, The Secret, Dr. Wattles, says, “It is necessary to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you; and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

When eating bamboo sprouts,

remember the man who planted them.
~Chinese Proverb

Thich Nhat Hanh illustrates interconnectedness in his book, Peace is Every Step. He writes, “If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. …… If we look into this sheet of paper even more deeply, we can see the sunshine in it. Without sunshine, the forest cannot grow. In fact, nothing can grow without sunshine. And so, we know that the sunshine is also in this sheet of paper. And if we continue to look, we can see the logger who cut the tree and brought it to the mill to be transformed into paper. And we see wheat. We know the logger cannot exist without his daily bread, and therefore the wheat that became his bread is also in this sheet of paper. The logger’s father and mother are in it too. When we look in this way, we see that without all of these things, this sheet of paper cannot exist. Looking even more deeply, we can see ourselves in this sheet of paper too. We cannot just be by ourselves alone. We have to inter-be with every other thing. This sheet of paper is, because everything else is.”

Make ‘thank you’ your mantra

A myriad of ways exist to communicate thanks. You can express your gratitude inside with quiet feelings from your heart, or you can express your thanks in the outer world through acts of conscious kindness toward others, or a simple thank you note. Outward demonstrations of gratitude can become your means to an authentic connection with another person. Your kindness invites people to fulfill your wishes more readily, and to do so with kindness in return. The encounter replenishes your shared spirit. A heartfelt “thank you’ creates a momentary bond and the accumulation of these fleeting moments builds permanent links until one day you have an abundance of loving, helpful and supportive people in your life. You are no longer alone within your heart, or lonely in your outer world. Giving can be as rewarding as receiving.

Keep coming back to present moment awareness

Every moment offers an opportunity for thanks. And every “thank-you” can return you to the present moment. “On the first day of spring, I was raking the gravel off the grass. It was hard, and I was starting to complain to myself,” said Nancy Hathaway, a Buddhist teacher. “When I caught myself thinking and complaining, I switched over to ‘thank you.’ I remembered I really wanted to rake, and I wanted springtime. Gratitude practice for me is about letting go of thinking and welcoming in the present moment.” Accepting this moment as it is, and knowing that everything is happening for your evolution is a great practice too. “Faith is born of gratitude,” says Dr. Wattles, “ The grateful mind continually expects good things, and expectation becomes faith.”

Create a thanksgiving ritual

Every moment, every morning, evening, and every meal is an opportunity to say thank you. A formal prayer isn’t required – easily bring your attention on what you’re grateful for in the moment, it can be a touchstone to the miracles of life that might have gone unnoticed. At our group meditations, before we eat, I often say thank you to the universe, the creator, and its every thing that had to come into being to create the moment. I also express gratitude for the abundance that is present in our lives. That makes me feels good. Here is a sweet thanksgiving prayer:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Keep up the gratitude practice even when you don’t feel particularly grateful

When life is difficult and when you feel sorrow, great anxiety, or if you are dealing with a difficult relationship, choosing to be grateful can transform your perspective, even for a few moments, to one of appreciation and contentment for all that is: both the wonderful and the frustrating. Scientists have found that feeling grateful produces the endorphins in your brain, the same chemicals that reduce stress, lessen pain, and improve your immune functions. Being grateful puts you in a totally different mindset and energy level, and enables you to reestablish your connection to your source, your spirit. It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy or in fear at the same time. The negativity and anger you had felt begins to dissipate. Peace and possibility envelope you. You can take a deep breath. The struggle stops and your heart calms. An attitude of gratitude trumps all negative emotions every time.

Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance, says “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

This is the power of gratitude. Each time you say “thank you”, you replenish your trust in the loving power of the universe, acknowledge the infinite abundance available to you, and your right and willingness to share in that wealth. My hope is that each one of us can embrace every experience of our lives as a magnificent gift. And thank you.

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