The alchemy of gratitude.
Honouring the journey up until this very moment.
Honouring all of the experiences and chapters that have shaped you into who you are right now in this moment.
Take a slow deep breath and let your shoulders drop as you exhale.
Unclench your fingers and soften your forehead.
Now take a deeper breath in and see if you can hold that breath just for a moment and then really let the sigh out this time.
And again draw that breath in a little deeper pushing into the capacity of your lungs,
Your ribcage.
Hold it just for a moment and then really let it go.
Notice your heart gently beating in your chest.
It has never missed a day.
It has carried you through every chapter of your story,
Every joy,
Every loss and before we go any further in this journey your heart is already something to be grateful for.
Your breath is something to be grateful for.
Now bring into your mind something that has remained steady for you,
A person who maybe stood beside you,
Your own resilience,
Your own spiritual practice or perhaps your body that woke each morning up until now.
And see that clearly,
Feel it,
Feel the support of it,
That steadiness,
That honoring what has stayed.
For quite often we focus on what has been released or what we have let go on but just for now honor what has stayed and whisper inwardly thank you for staying,
Thank you for holding me,
Thank you for not leaving.
Feel the warmth spread through your chest,
Let the warmth grow,
Spreading down,
Imagining your roots,
That warmth flowing down your spine,
Through your legs and through the roots and down to the earth.
You are supported and you are held and even when you didn't see it,
The energy was there,
The support was there.
Now holding gratitude for something that may have challenged you,
Maybe it was something that has been difficult,
I'm not asking of you to go to something that was really traumatic,
But something that shaped you,
That tested you.
Notice your body's response to this energy,
You're not trying to re-enter the pain or the hardship,
Stay with your breath,
You are simply witnessing it from where you are now.
Ask yourself,
What did this awaken in me?
What strength did this ask of me?
What did I learn about myself?
Maybe it taught you boundaries,
Maybe it taught you self-respect,
Maybe it taught you self-worth,
Maybe it taught you that you can survive more than you thought,
Maybe it taught you softness,
And that is the alchemy.
It's not erasing something,
But it is changing it.
Acknowledging what has shaped you or refined you,
Contributed to who you are right now in this moment.
Now holding gratitude for who you have become,
Imagine meeting yourself from one year ago,
See that version of you,
Feel that version of you.
One year ago,
What were you carrying?
One year ago,
What were you hoping for?
What were you afraid of?
And now see yourself today,
The subtle differences,
The deeper awareness,
The steadier energy,
And the lessons that have been integrated.
Come face to face with your past self,
Place your hands gently on their shoulders,
And say to them,
I'm proud of you,
You did so well,
You kept going,
You are not the same person,
You are expanded,
Not perfect,
But wiser,
And to yourself now in this moment,
Say,
I honor my growth,
I honor my resilience,
I honor my becoming,
And let your heart expand into this,
Let your heart expand into a golden light glowing in the center of your chest,
And this is gratitude,
Not forced,
Not a performance,
Not loud or shouting,
A steady glow,
A steady glow in your chest,
And with each inhale,
The light brightens,
And with each exhale,
It spreads through your body,
Through your ribs,
And your shoulders,
Down your spine,
Into the belly,
Let it move into places that once held resentment,
Into places that once held regret,
Into places that held sadness,
This gratitude is not denying the past,
It is simply transforming your relationship to it,
And you are not excusing what hurt,
You are gently reclaiming your power,
From it,
Let the light do its work,
Everything that has happened up until this point,
Every joy,
Every ending,
Every lesson,
Has refined you and transformed you,
When you are here now,
Wiser,
Softer,
Stronger,
More conscious,
And as you smile and whisper to yourself,
My journey is,
And was,
And will be alchemy,
I am the gold,
I am the gold,
And that golden glow spreading in you and around you,
Take a deep breath,
And take a soft breath out,
Gratitude is not about pretending everything was perfect,
It's about recognising that everything that contributed to who you are right now,
You are not behind and you are not broken,
You are refined,
And that is the alchemy,
Namaste.
