Gratitude

Gratitude to me is a spiritual practice, as well as a tool for my own personal growth and development. Often we see it come to our awareness around the Holidays, when in reality it lives within us every single day of our lives. To be grateful is to be in relationship with ourselves, those around us, and the world itself.

A relationship between gratitude and ourselves begins with our bodies. How are you grateful to your body for holding you, maintaining you, keeping you going? 
For example, when was the last time you placed your hands on your body? Let's take a minute to tap our bodies, to wake it up, to connect with it. As we tap I invite you to say thank you to each organ, or as many as we can list. This is a practice that takes only a couple of minutes.

Another way to create a relationship with Gratitude and ourselves is in a spiritual way. As we connect with what we have faith in, how often are we grateful for the support and guidance that is received? Also, one that may not be the most popular choice, when was the last time we practiced gratitude when situations both personal and around us are not pleasant or unexpected? While there is a process of uncomfortable emotions and feelings, perspective plays a role in this process. For example, a few years back I went through Bell's Palsy. This is a very difficult experience for me, however, I am forever grateful because there was so much that came with it. Awareness of the need for self care, self expression and so much more. 
Living in a culture of independence, this experience taught me how to be grateful for those around me. To be held in a way where I was able to take my time to recover, is a reason to be grateful. The awareness of the difficulty of accepting help, never mind asking for help, gave me the opportunity to view those around me from a whole different perspective and with gratitude. 
The world around us holds an endless supply of opportunities for relationships and gratitude. For example, the land we are on. Not only can we be grateful for the resources it supplies us with, but also for the foundation it provides. Gratitude to the spirits of the land! Gratitude to the elements that surround us, are part of us and who we would not be able to survive without. The waters of this planet, as well as the water that helps maintain our body's flowing. The earth in which we stand, live off and are rooted in. The air, which allows us to breathe, to exist. The air which I find uplifting and an amazing aid to shift energy. The fire of the sun and that which lives within each and everyone of us. For this I am grateful!
Finally, I would like to express acknowledgement and gratitude for those who were here before me and those yet to come. Ashé