Practice Mindfulness On Thanksgiving

Wow, it's nearly the festive season, coming from India where festivals happen every month. Would like to share how I started implementing mindfulness to these occasions. And Thanksgiving day is a perfect occasion to celebrate with family and friends and being thankful for everything we have.
Pay Gratitude.
It is very important to show gratitude for what you have and what you want. What else is the best occasion than Thanksgiving dinner? Do it in the morning and the night of the day.

Transcript

Hi,

Beautiful souls.

This is Sriman Joo from Life is Magical podcast.

Thank you for tuning in and listening to this podcast.

And it's wonderful to connect to you guys and share the things that are resonating with me and knowing that it is helpful for you,

These little tips that have worked for me.

So with that,

As we are closer to the Thanksgiving,

As I am in US now,

And knowing this Harshal Barshal that's happening around,

Trying to meet families,

Trying to get through things,

Preparing food and connecting to people,

There's a lot happening.

And definitely when I step out,

I do notice,

I feel that anxiousness,

The things are they going to be right?

Is everything going to be okay?

The health when we meet together.

So there is a lot of things like,

You know,

But I always emphasize when we are gathering,

Or when we are meeting for a festive like families,

A lot of past comes up as well.

It depends where we are picking up our things and lot has changed between each of the personalities as well.

Like,

You know,

We are not the same two years ago,

Or the people that we are meeting,

They are not going to be the same as some couple of years ago.

So when you are coming in together,

When you practice mindfulness,

We are going to see it as a beautiful way to come in connection.

And I love the idea about Thanksgiving,

A celebration,

A ritual to have it and with my family,

I do have few rituals as well that we do.

Having a gratitude jar or connecting to each of us on the things that we love about,

We want to be encouraged about getting to know us deeply.

So I'm going to share in this podcast few of the mindfulness practices that can help us.

Of course,

It's just not limited to Thanksgiving or Christmas,

It can be utilized anytime as well.

So here are the mindfulness things that we can now observe and begin our process into it.

Yeah.

And Thanksgiving Day is a perfect occasion to celebrate with family,

Friends and being thankful for everything we have.

So the choice is with us,

Do we see the better side or do we see the faulty side?

So for this moment,

Let's pay gratitude.

It is very important to show gratitude for what you have and what you want.

What else is the best occasion than the Thanksgiving dinner or the meeting,

Right?

Do it in the morning or the night of the day.

Of course,

You can do it daily as well.

No matter how successful it went or not,

Things and situations happen for a reason.

But we get to share joys and learn from these experiences.

So make a little note to your members that you are meeting up like,

You know,

A little handmade card.

Thank you.

Just even though thank you for being there.

Thank you for picking up that call.

Thank you for replying to the tags.

Thank you for cooking that meal when I was not well,

Like,

You know,

Thank you for just being there,

Knowing that I needed the space.

So any little gratitude that comes up with the name of the person put it under their plate.

Like what a wonderful way,

Isn't it?

When someone sees it,

They feel great and they are going to give back the same thing because it's a kindness.

It's addiction.

As you do more,

You are spreading more as well.

The next one is,

Of course,

There is going to be so much food.

I can see already in the shops,

People jamming up their places like to get more and more food for the occasion.

So be mindful.

This is very important practice of mindfulness,

As you might have heard about it before.

As it's a festive time,

We take it as a luxury.

But be reasonable to what is being consumed.

Take at least the first three mouthfuls,

Check in what ingredient has it got in?

What color is the food?

How does it smell?

What does the texture feel like?

And then be mindful with all your senses,

Smell,

Touch,

Taste,

Visual.

Of course,

You can hear the sometimes the foods,

But the nuts you can hear definitely.

So do feel that the presence of it and enjoy this occasion.

Just pause and see how beautiful the table is decorated with all the fall colors.

Be as you are doing it.

Maybe you can ask like as a quiz with your kids,

With your family member,

Hey,

Can you guys guess like what is the secret ingredient that I added in this cream cheesecake or in the turkey?

So whatever,

Let it be curious.

So everyone participates in mindful eating as well.

Just not you,

But you're spreading this love to everyone else as well.

And definitely helps us is getting into meditation.

Make a few minutes early just to be in the space for the day.

Set your intentions for the day as you're meeting,

Gathering or you're organizing.

Don't be freaked out like,

Oh my God,

Meditation.

I have got tons of things to do,

But a little practice of it will give us a rather a long curve focused time like,

You know,

Even setting the tone of the day will be great to be happier to create that space and be in the space for at least give it a three minutes and notice how you feel.

And this helps you in expanding it for the day as well.

So just even simple as breathing in and out,

Connecting to your belly and anchoring into that space.

That's it like,

You know,

That will help you to breathe,

Checking on.

Yeah.

And then the prayer did not be religious.

This can be like anything.

Again,

Our extension of gratitude.

So thank you,

Universe,

Angels,

Some Lord,

Source,

Whatever you feel like referring to for the wonderful life that has been given to us.

Bless us and everyone around us.

Thank you for caring,

Giving us what's right,

Giving it simple,

Like,

You know,

Using your words of prayers helps to open your heart.

So you're really in the moment of the table,

The people in the room,

And that helps you to raise your frequencies like,

You know,

And as you raise your frequencies,

You are also helping others to raise their frequencies.

And that's the most important thing.

And listen,

If you're catching up with your friends and family after a long time,

Give time to them and listen.

And when you do that,

You will feel like,

You know,

I don't need to jump in conclusions.

I don't need to be judgmental.

Observe,

Take time to respond.

And just listening to non-judgmental places is the important thing.

And you will notice the relation is moving so smoothly,

So deeply,

And they can feel the space that you have created as well.

And this definitely helps us to be less stressed about the family politics.

I always try to listen from a different angle,

Like a perspective change,

Like seeing the other side of the coin.

So give it a try with that.

So practice kindness as well.

Something that I have already said before,

And why don't you take that little card or sticky note even will do like,

You know,

And it would be a great surprise,

Definitely like,

You know,

Involve kids if you have got them,

Ask them to do coloring,

Sketching,

Like leave these notes around the room like Easter hunt,

Why not leave these kindness notes around the rooms as well.

So it is a little surprise.

So it's going to be a little surprise for who is there in your home or the womb that you are going up to as well.

And cleaning up,

Of course,

Like,

You know,

Everyone enjoys the food and everything there is that dirty dishes is the pain,

Right?

But as Thich Nhat Hanh,

The mindfulness teacher says,

There are two ways to wash the dishes.

The first is to wash the dishes in order to have a clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes and ask for help if you need to.

Don't carry on all the things you have to do,

Like,

You know,

Or if you are visiting someone,

Be the offering to help them with cleaning the dishes because I feel it's such a beautiful service to do it for the guests or for the people that we are around.

Like,

It's not to be something that disgusting.

It is actually such a beautiful feel and a flow of things like,

You know,

Noticing how your mind is getting into the rhythm of it as well.

Here and here is a game that you can play is create a memory rather than just celebrating these occasions.

Create a memory for yourself and your family.

Bring in a new ritual on this day,

Put it on your creative hats,

Like,

You know,

When you go back to your places or when everyone leaves,

You have some great memories to cherish with.

Maybe have some board games if you have never done it or writing those little love notes to each other if you have never done it,

Like,

You know,

And show up and say three things that you really admire about these personalities that you are surrounded about.

Yeah.

So create really a little memory for yourself and for others as well.

And Thanksgiving,

What else?

Like,

You know,

Forgiveness is the most other important thing.

Like,

We only can forgive ourselves,

Forgive and release the space to create the love around you.

Forgive but not forget it definitely like,

You know,

You're doing good for yourself,

Being yourself and creating a new wonderful space.

And be thankful for what you have,

You end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have,

You will never ever have enough.

So remember that like,

You know,

So you are coming from this beautiful space of creating,

Connecting and being here with everyone else to make those little memories and enjoy.

So I'm not going to go along on this.

I'm sure you know most of it.

I just want to brush it up for you guys,

For myself too and have a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the festival.

So if you have heard to me till the end,

Thank you guys for staying up and please don't forget to leave a message or a review that will help it to be identified by others and please do share with your family and friends.

And also do check out the next upcoming in person events that I have with Kakao.

I'm just loving this Kakao and how it has been my heart opener,

Healer,

Plant medicine.

So I'm going to do actually a next podcast on that.

So thank you guys.

Have a safe Thanksgiving.

Enjoy.

Lots of love.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you for this beautiful reminder to be in the moment, showing love and gratitude for my family 💗💗💗