Gratitude.
It is amazing the difference in energy that happens when we shift our attention to gratitude from whatever it was before.
When we're starting from the ego,
The me,
The separate self needing to be fulfilled somehow,
There's a certain wanting and grasping and hoping.
Really just a simple disagreement with reality.
Wanting something to be better,
Wanting something to change,
Wanting more.
And then we shift,
Whether in prayer or in practice or even just a moment of changing our attention to gratitude.
There's a change that happens physically.
Where we move into a receiving mode,
An open mode.
I think it's difficult to be appreciative,
Truly appreciative of what we have and still feel a tense bracing for the bad thing to happen.
So it's kind of like a breath out.
When we let go for a moment,
We get that breath into the belly.
We soften,
Release some of those abdominal muscles.
We bring our attention to what we're grateful for.
It's as though we have to release in order to receive.
And so it's a great way to begin to get in,
To go inward.
Inward and through.
So that it's not going into the ego,
Not going into me.
But going into the greater expanse within that is all and everything.
And finding the myriad things we are grateful for.
Grateful for my life,
Grateful for my body.
Grateful for being here,
Breathing.
Grateful for people in my life.
Grateful for my home.
Grateful for all the things I get to do.
Think about all the problems I get to solve.
I'm mostly grateful for the ability to be here and share this experience.
To open further,
Wider.
For the curiosity that allows me to see beyond my conditioned perceptions,
Feelings,
Thoughts.
So allowing that breath to accept all these gifts.
The breath in,
Dropping into the belly,
Softening,
Opening,
Spreading.
It's a receiving,
A receiving of the gift of air,
Life,
Basic functional elements.
And the other side,
Just letting go,
Letting it go.
Letting the breath go,
Letting a little more tension out of the system.
Letting go of all of that that we've been arguing with reality about.
At least for now,
At least for this moment.
Moving towards a surrendered place.
Where we simply bow our heads,
Open our hands and receive all that we have humbly,
Graciously.
And as we do that,
Being filled,
Just like we're filling our breath,
Filling our abdomen and our chest.
We begin to fill ourselves up with this gratitude,
With this feeling of joyous receptivity.
Noticing all those areas in the body that are tense,
That are resisting this reception of joy.
That want to hold on to grievance.
Want to block us from being fully here.
Want to drag the past into the now.
And even open our gratitude up to these tense areas,
Knowing that the system is doing its best to try to protect us,
Keep us safe.
Directing the breath into these tense areas.
One breath at a time,
One area at a time.
And then with each out breath just releasing a little more tension,
Taking a little step towards the recognition of ultimate safety.
That the deep presence within us is always safe.
Always here.
Has always been,
Always will.
With each out breath another movement towards surrender.
Towards giving up the fight.
All that's here to be received fully.
Just slow,
Gentle,
Full breaths into the belly,
To the chest,
And then releasing it out.
Keeping the attention on the breath,
Noticing the areas of tension in the body,
Directing the breath towards an area.
Opening the receptivity of gratitude for that protection.
Gently releasing.
All that's here to be received fully.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Noticing what comes up as we pay attention to these protected areas.
Allowing any emotion to rise and fall,
Just to be with it all.
With each breath a little bit deeper connection to the deep presence within.
Simply taking it all in.
Resonating with the vibration of gratitude.
Sensing the building of joy.
For all that we have.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Just breath in,
Just noticing the softness,
Noticing the openings,
Feeling into the chest and the heart chakra,
Feeling this widening.
The receptive.
Ability to connect with the world through the body.
And the energies.
Without resistance.
And with the joy in the heart.
Thank you.
And to the bottom of your torso into sits bones and feeling connection deep into the earth.
Opening in the heart,
Grounding in the earth.
And also noticing an opening top of your head.
Grounding to the earth,
Opening in the heart,
Receiving up into the heavens.
Just allowing the information to come in.
Without judgment without discerning without grabbing.
Just letting you know,
Just receiving.
What's there,
What's available with gratitude,
The openness.
And just feeling a deep peace into the body.
And then taking a nice full breath into the belly into the chest.
Letting that go.
Coming back to your body feeling your hands and your feet.
And finally opening your eyes and being aware,
Still aware of the openness.
And just feeling your gratitude for being here.
