The Gratitude holiday, Thanksgiving, is upon us.  Time for giving thanks.  But just in case you are feeling a little low on appreciation, let’s make sure we are filled to the brim with gratitude before giving thanks.  Don’t you just love the feeling of appreciation and gratitude?  It really is an attitude, or state of being that feels warm and loving.  So why do we need to be reminded with a holiday?  I’m proposing that we live every day as a day of Thanksgiving as a mindfulness practice.

As a life coach for women, I truly recognize the duty and service that women offer to the world.  They give endlessly to everyone – their children, spouses, parents, extended families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and organizations, too.  Women are Divinely designed to give.  And we are also designed to give thanks.  But sometimes, because of all the giving, we can become so worn out, it’s can be hard to feel that warm, loving sense of gratitude.  Instead, we may be feeling worried about someone or a situation, and not sure how to help.

If you are having trouble feeling grateful in the midst of all the cooking, cleaning, planning, and caring for others, here are some mindfulness practices to reconnect you with your grateful heart, your divine right to an attitude of gratitude, no matter what is happening around you.

First, we want to give ourselves permission to BE grateful for no reason whatsoever.  That’s right, just be grateful because you choose to be.  Whenever we try to attach the feeling of appreciation and gratitude to an event, it loses it’s spaciousness and expansiveness.  The real sense of gratitude is a warm feeling in the heart, an acceptance and love for all that is – regardless of what you perceive as good or bad in the outside world.  So for example, we may have many problems or none at all, but we can recognize the experience of appreciation for a cold drink of water or a breath of fresh air.  It’s the practice of BEING that we are grateful for.  The moments when we can feel truly alive and present, without judgment or concerns.  So at any moment you can give this to yourself.  At any moment you can enter the state of being by just appreciating a single breath or noticing the freedom of a movement, feeling the energy within your body.

Usually, we are prone to feel grateful when we are out in nature.  We see the beauty and it transports us into a state of just being and appreciating.  Give this to yourself every day.  Revel in the sunrise or sunset, feel the sun on your back, or the breeze in your hair, whatever is present is a reason to feel appreciation.  When I engaged as a life coach for women I often suggest a visit to a beautiful spot in nature, which can bring you back to the grateful state effortlessly.

So many times, we feel anything but grateful because of some challenge we face.  An illness, financial worries, relationship problems.  By switching your focus to the mindfulness practice of being grateful for the very simplest of experiences, you can cultivate and reconnect with a grateful heart.  Being here and now, take a long slow breath in and out, simply noticing the air movement and the relaxation that comes with a relaxing breath.  Focus your attention on your heart and begin to breath in and out of the heart area.   Allow yourself to feel the aliveness in your heart and imagine great warmth and light there.   As you do, bring to mind something that you feel true appreciation and gratitude for.  It could be someone you love, or something natural like your favorite place in the mountains or beach.  When you experience that feeling of appreciation, keep expanding it and nurturing it until it is full and rich and wonderful in the heart area.  This is an attitude of gratitude – no matter what is going on in the world.  Give this to yourself.  Revel in the feeling.  You will begin to feel so full and blessed, that you will know you have much to give and much to give thanks for.

Blessings for a Thanksgiving of Mindfulness Practices for Gratitude!

Wishing you a Mindful Mother’s Day! Whether you are spending time with your Mother, with your children, with your spouse, with your friends, with your pets, at work, time alone, or all of the above, you may find the following meditation practice helpful in experiencing greater joy and peace, no matter what your mothering experiences have been. This practice can be particularly helpful for those who have some pain associated with motherhood, perhaps loss of a mother or loss of a child, or painful relationship issues.

This is the practice of Metta, which means Lovingkindness. What better way to describe the qualities of true mother-nature? Loving…kind…nurturing. To begin the meditation, take several slow deep breaths and let go of mental and physical tension on each outbreath. Make a conscious choice to set aside judgments, release all past stories about being a mother or having a mother and embrace the qualities of this meditation, even if it is just for now.

This abbreviated version of the original Metta meditation is simple, sweet, and powerful. We start by mothering ourselves, blessing ourselves with lovingkindness so that we have lovingkindness to share.

Slowly and peacefully, say silently or out loud:

May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be free.
Read more of Mother’s Day Mindfulness Meditation

Having trouble finding the perfect item for someone special? Need a thoughtful hostess gift? Looking for a way to share cheer at the office without exchanging one more round of Santa mugs and reindeer ornaments? Read more of Mindful Holiday Giving

Maybe you saw it on Oprah? It is part of an international project called Complaint Free Living. I’m finding it requires a high degree of mindfulness!

The process is simple: You put a bracelet on one wrist and wear it there until you complain about something. When that happens, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist. Remember, gossip and criticism are forms of complaining! Each and every time it happens, you switch the bracelet. The goal is to keep the bracelet on the same wrist for 21 days in a row.

Read more of My newest mindfulness secret is a purple bracelet

“What you get by reaching your destination is not as important as what you become while reaching your destination.”

This quote from Dr. Robert Anthony is a good reminder that each moment is a precious opportunity to be completely mindful and present to the unfolding or our essence.  Perhaps the moments of “becoming” are actually the destination?  As Eckhart Tolle says – our primary goal is to be present to evolving consciousness, and everything else is secondary.

Quote I recently heard – “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, we will know peace.”  I would add – “When we know and PRACTICE love as the only true power, we will know peace.”

Hard times can bring out the worst in people, but I think more often it brings out the best.  When we truly look at our own fears and struggles, we can’t help but see the struggles of those around us.  Over and over, I hear from clients and friends that they hope this economic crisis will bring us closer together as families, communities and as a nation.

Beth Israel Hospital in Boston is taking this idea to a new level:  Rather than laying off staff to protect the hospital’s bottom line, the CEO, Paul Levy, proposes to trim the salaries and benefits of the higher-paid staff to protect the jobs of the “lower” ranks.  He sees that the janitors play as important a role in the function of the hospital and in the well-being of the patients and their families as the surgeons do.  He sees that the people most at-risk in this economy are already struggling to get by – they are the immigrants and the under-educated who have served us well in a service-based economy.  Now he sees that it is his turn to serve them.  Read more of A Hospital CEO “First Does No Harm”

Today is Martin Luther King Day and the Obama team encourages us to celebrate with COMMUNITY SERVICE.  Just visit www.usaservice.org and find out what’s happening in your area.  I was amazed at all the events in my own community, something for everyone!

I’m glad you’ve found my blog!  Here you’ll find inspiration and guidance for everyday mindfulness.  As a life coach, I work with clients to develop positive patterns of thought so they can get the results they want out of their lives.  My goal here is to provide readers with some of the same tools.  This blog will help you create a life that matches your inner truth, goes beyond ego struggles, and rests more peacefully in the present moment.  I’ll address relationship issues, spirituality, a mindful approach to social and environmental issues, career issues, health and wellness and simply staying present in your daily life.  Enjoy!