Practicing gratitude, how and why? A powerful magic formula to practice every day: say thank you, for more happiness in your life! As much for parents as to teach children, it is a positive emotion that brings well-being, more positivity, and activates… the law of attraction!
In Japan, this is what is practiced when you go to a shinto shrine to pray. I will talk about this in another post, as there is a very special ritual to perform.
What is gratitude?
First of all, gratitude is a positive emotion. When we feel gratitude, we increase our sense of well-being. Practising it is simply to thank every day for everything: the universe, the living, people, yourself, everything that happens in your life and what you have, what you have achieved… A way of celebrating what is!
Indeed, it is a way of diverting your attention from the negative, from judging thoughts about yourself, from comparison. Or from discouragement, from what we have or don’t have. But also from what is wrong, what we don’t have, what we haven’t achieved.
Or to detach ourselves from too much focus on the past or the future. This is all well and good, and important for planning and achieving your goals. But not all the time! It is good to learn to turn off the left brain to enjoy what is, not to live in permanent projection.
And this, in order to simply “be there” and remember it.
The magic of the “nothing”
Amongst other things, this is what I teach you in Reiki training, but also in therapy and coaching sessions. Because for the time being, it’s more what we call “mindset” and mental reprogramming. In other words, it’s more of a therapy focused on your brain functioning and behaviour. And this work is essential for entrepreneurs, but also for anyone who has personal projects to carry out.
Action: the final step
We think that action creates, but action is the final step that manifests all that you have already created. Who said life was hard? A nice belief to dismantle! Everything is already created beforehand, with your personal development work, your dreams, your thoughts, visualisation. And gratitude… because you attract more easily what you think is possible and what you think you already have!
In kinesiology, the kinesthetique education branch and the brain gym make you work on exactly that. Whether it is through the body for movement re-education, or through the mind for past or future situations. Like memories of family conflicts that are at the origin of behaviours that hold us back today. Or stress due to a public presentation, an exam…
By the way, in Reiki I also work on situations, with a slightly different approach, but it is complementary. Energetics and healing is a bit broader than what we are actually told. Because it’s about spirituality, and that doesn’t go without personal development, to tell the truth.
It is in the nothingness, in the contemplation, in the creative dream that the magic happens.
The relationship with time
Constantly looking at the past or the future makes us miss the journey of the present moment... to the great misunderstanding of many “aboriginal” first peoples. For example in Australia, although things have evolved through difficult history which I won’t go into today, there is something that remains… the famous “take it easy mate”! “Not too fast mate, it’s hot, take advantage and have a beer”. I’m caricaturing, but if like me you lived in the outback, you know what I mean. I have to admit that it did me a world of good and helped me to find my “yin” for the moment.
You can also find this attitude in the islands. I found a lot of this attitude in Polynesia, and this ability to enjoy life now. To even forget the time… I missed the beginning of a polynesian dance show because my friend wanted to finish my hair repeating “don’t worry, there is time”. Or almost missing my flight back to Tahiti because my other friend was hesitating about her outfit. There’s no judgement here, although it can be frustrating in these situations. But it’s another way of working. And then, I also have a particular relationship with time since I often travel between dimensions… and time is not really linear for me.
Why practice gratitude?
Focus on the here and now
Practicing gratitude will help you refocus on the here and now, and focus on all that is good.
If, when you have a difficult moment in your life, you give thanks for even one small thing that goes. You will see that you will feel a little better. It also helps to achieve resilience, acceptance of what is. To learn from it later on, when the emotional storm is over.
For example, just knowing that you have a home, that you have someone with you, that you are alive. Or seeing that beautiful bird and a flower gives you a moment of happiness. And for a moment, you change your outlook on life.
So expressing gratitude stimulates pleasant and positive feelings.
Oxytocin and happiness
Practice gratitude allows the release of oxytocin, the happiness hormone! It improves your well-being, your optimism, your physical capacities and your emotional health. So why deprive yourself of it?
Briefly, this hormone is linked to bonding, security and love. It comes into play at several moments: when we are touched with love, including during intimate relationships, but also with regard to a loved one. But also at birth: this hormone is involved in the birth process and in lactation. It accentuates the bond between mother and baby: attachment, encouraging vigilance – surveillance. And this is true for all mammals. Because let’s not forget that the purpose of life is to maintain survival!
I see every day that a simple welcoming and positive attitude helps other people a lot. When I say “thank you for sharing” for example, and I say it in alignment with my heart. And instantly, something happens, something settles. Sometimes it even provokes a feeling of surprise in the other person, to whom we have perhaps not often said thank you. This fills a gap in recognition, and does so much good to the little child in you.
The feeling of well-being is thus associated with what surrounds us, because neuronal connections are made. Of course, if you are prone to anxiety or depression, this is not going to cure you… but it will help you to find some courage to continue on your way.
Practicing gratitude, activating the law of attraction
Gratitude also opens the door to the incredible law of attraction.
Your thoughts, your dreams, your visualizations create your reality! Of course it is more complex than that, because for this your higher consciousness must be aligned with your lower consciousness. And it is always your higher consciousness, which you do not always suspect, that wins! For it holds all your true desires, your truth, the truth of your soul at the heart of the true being.
Believe it or not, but I did this ritual to attract love… not knowing that Naoshi was doing the same on his side. And our paths crossed thanks to fairy attraction 🧚
I use it every day, and instead of being too much in action, I let the force work for me. Let’s go back to simplicity, to the minimalism of actions. Like the feline at total rest, which gathers its strength only to pounce. In this way, it optimises its potential and saves itself. Let things come to us. Gratitude _/|\_
So, did I convince you to try? Let’s get started!
How to practice gratitude?
Protocole to practice gratitude
- 🙏 Go to a quiet place
- 🙏 Take a deep breath
- 🙏 Breathe out all tension at once
- 🙏 Put your hands in gassho (prayer)
- 🙏 Say “thank you”, connect to the vibration of this word
- 🙏 Focus your attention on the outside: the universe, life, others
Thing about :
- 🙏 Everything you have
- 🙏 Everything you would like, as if you already had it
The gratitude booklet
Or, you make it a habit to be grateful by keeping a gratitude book. I advise you to do this every day in the morning. Because it will help you have a better day!
To begin with, I invite you to play this music in the background to help you relax.
You can write down everything positive you experienced in your previous day in this notebook. Everything you are happy about today, even the smallest things. Because I know that when you’re not doing well, you see everything in black. But often it’s the little things that make the difference and bring a little bit of light each day! If you suffer from anxiety, read my article on how to overcome anxiety, and how to deal with a panic attack.
Depression is complex, and it is not just a psychological “illness”, but there are many elements behind it that need to be unlocked gradually. But beware, a therapist does not “cure” depression, he accompanies you and it is a collaborative journey together!
It would also be beneficial to make an appointment for a general physical and psycho-emotional health check-up, as well as an energy assessment with reiki therapy and shiatsu massage. But not only that, as I also use sonotherapy, which already helps you to relax!
Think about trying our sound meditations, we advise to do them at the new moon, and according to the Chinese seasons. But it’s kind of whenever you want, according to your needs!
Be ready to receive ! Happy gratitude meditation 🧘
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