Reverse Gratitude

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues

but the parent of all others.” Cicero

Your thoughts produce emotions in response to sensory information, memories, or anticipation of future events which in turn trigger a physical response.

Thoughts about public speaking for example, can produce a dry throat, sweating palms, and a racing heart in some people while others look forward to addressing a large group of people; feeling relaxed, excited and positive anticipation when they think about the future event.

Positively reframing memories and current events promotes hope for the future. There are several methods that can be implemented and one that I use and share during seminars is called “Reverse Gratitude.”

Reverse Gratitude
Instead of thinking about 3 things every day that you are grateful for, pause and consider different aspects of your life, whether it is possessions or relationships, and think about how you would feel if a particular object or person was no longer in your life.

It is especially useful when struggling to come up with reasons to give thanks or express appreciation, particularly when the mind is drawn to past conversations or comparisons that cultivate a cycle of negative feelings.

This helps to highlight what you actually have need of, what you value, and releases the full range of genuinely grateful feelings to events that brought you to where you are now, to lovingly appreciate what you have in life, and to live in hopeful anticipation about what the future holds.

Affirmation

May you and I be happy

May you and I be well

May you and I be at peace

Gratitude and Attitude

 The vastness of the Himalayas

“When you truly feel equal love for all beings, when your heart has expanded so much that it embraces the whole of creation, you will certainly not feel like giving up this or that. You will simply drop off from secular life as a ripe fruit drops from the branch of a tree. You will feel that the whole world is your home.”

Ramana Maharshi

Deep down, we all share the same common desires to have adequate shelter, food, and freedom from harm. This truth affirms our need to share in our commonality as fellow human beings and thereby work together to create a better society that brings about the internal and external peace that we seek.

We know we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we know we should feel compassion for all living things, and we know we should respect the challenges that we face without judgment, knowing that we are all at different stages on the journey of life.

The basics of life keep us busy and it’s often a challenge to remain calm and in control while balancing obligations to family and work. Challenges are everywhere, from the mundane to the major ones and living your life to its highest and greatest can seem especially difficult particularly when someone says or does something thoughtless to you or a loved one.

Having a life that’s overflowing with happiness, contentment, meaning, and purpose occurs when you take a moment to identify your priorities and look closely at what you are doing and whether it serves you best. It does take effort, but so does the alternative.

Share what you know and are grateful for with everyone.
Remember, what you give, you WILL receive back.

The following is a popular technique that I teach during workshops.
The next time that you are at the grocery store, try liking your surroundings and the people who are in the store too. Don’t focus on the way the other shoppers dress or style their hair.
Project feelings of happiness to them and to the world.
Notice what is good in your environment.
Appreciate what you have.
Smile. (Don't grin. Your smile is sufficient.)

Continue this method with family members and yourself. When folding laundry, take each person’s clothing and think about whom that item belongs to. Send that individual loving, happy thoughts. Think about some quality that you appreciate in this person. Do the same with your own items. What features and talents do you like about yourself?

Be grateful for all that you have every day.
Say thank you, until you mean it.
And if you say it long enough, you will believe it.

Here is a sample of what I am grateful for. These are not reserved for any one day. I am grateful each and every day and I wish everyone a life of love and light.

I am grateful for the love of family
I am grateful for the love of friends, old and new
I am grateful for the wonderful life that exists for me


In America, we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday November 25th. For all who are celebrating it, I wish you a peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving.

Gratitude: Guided Meditation

Water everywhere! Swans are enjoying the water.

Gratitude

This week I was reminded of the wonderful power of gratitude and I wanted to share the story with you today, especially as it is a special time of year in both the Jewish and Christian calendars.

Here in New England we’ve had a lot of rain over the past two weeks that has broken meteorological records and submerged roads, houses, and caused bridges to crumble under its mighty force.

In my yoga studio, I have an automatic sump pump installed and since the rain started falling it has been working overtime.

Usually it switches on for a minute and is a gentle soothing trickle, however the last few days have poured a lot of water from the sky and the pump was quite audible on several occasions.

Most of my students have been attending classes at my studio for months and even years and have learned to filter out distractions and focus on the peace within. Their peaceful composure and ability to stay “in the Flow” is a credit to their dedication to practicing all the aspects of TriYoga.

This week though, I was reminded about an incident that occurred about ten years ago. I attended a workshop held by another teacher and at the end of the session one attendee complained to the instructor about the noise in the next room; the footsteps, the doors opening and closing, and the conversations.

To me the noise was very minor and no more distracting than cars outside in the street, planes flying overhead, and the chirping of birds in the trees.
In rented space it is often challenging to have the perfect environment which is one reason why I created my own studio, but few things in life are ever truly perfect.

Perfection lies within.

Anyway, the attendee who was complaining did not see that the problem lay within their very own self, rather than externally. As yogi’s we learn to live in the world free from distractions and to maintain single-pointed focus.

Which brings me back to this week.

I was delighted that my students were able to filter the external noise; some students even thought it was soothing and a deliberate choice on my behalf to enhance the water element theme of the class!
However it was a particular comment by one student, and echoed by the class, that I want to share with you.

Remember, there has been and still is a major amount of flooding throughout New England and residents (including my students) have had boilers, washing machines, computers, and basements ruined, to name but a few items and have spent hours salvaging what they can.

At the end of class, one student said:
“Thank you Margaret, for having the sump pump and giving us a warm dry studio that we can come to, to practice our yoga. We need to be here.”

That was such a wonderful thing to say and a reflection on the inner peace and transformation that is possible for all of us, despite our own problems and the difficulties that we see around us.

Practicing gratitude, following the peace within, and focusing on what is good and beautiful and right with the world rather than what is wrong and being unhappy enables each one of us to remain strong and be a force of light when problems do occur.

Gratitude remains a powerful tool to remain contented and happy. If you are new to the practice of meditation you will discover that it will help realign yourself with light and love and relinquish the hold of emotional irritation, unhappiness and even anger.

It does not mean looking at the world through-rose-colored glasses, but about releasing fear, fault-finding, and doubt.

Instead of looking at a rose and focusing on the thorns, be grateful that thorns have roses.

Guided Meditation
See this earlier posting on How To Meditate


Sitting in a comfortable position, allow the eyes to gently close.

Slowly inhale, filling your lungs completely with air.
Exhale slowly.
And continue, slowing the breath down.
Follow the breath from the tip of the nose to the base of the lungs, and slowly release the air.

Draw the navel in with each exhalation to assist with removing the impurities that are carried with the breath.

Release attachment to thoughts and emotions, focusing on your breath.

Continue as you allow the body to relax and the mind to be quiet and still.

Draw light in a column through the body in front of the spine.
Exhale, and see yourself surrounded by the light.
Continue for 5 slow and steady breaths.


Now, with each inhalation draw awareness to the heart center.

See light emanate from this sacred space.

As you exhale, allow the light to cleanse you and remove impurities, both physical and subtle.

Feel yourself glowing with the pure light that both fills you and surrounds you.

See the light flow effortlessly from your heart center.

Bathe in the light, feel it cleanse and renew you.

SAY WHAT YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR

In the beginning it may be challenging but like all things, with practice it get SO MUCH EASIER and you find that you have zero problems finding subjects to be genuinely grateful for.

Continue to bathe in the light. Feel the warm embrace of peace and light.

When you feel that your meditation session is over, slowly allow your eyes to open.

Demonstrate gratitude through prayers, through acts of kindness, and by monitoring your thoughts and subsequent actions to ensure that you are truly thoughtful with every word and action.

Grazie

Merci

Thank You

No matter how you say it, giving thanks and showing your gratitude is a positive emotion that unlocks the fullness of your energy.
As opportunities open themselves up to you, you will be able to recognize them and act upon them. You have the power to influence your thoughts.

Gratitude
Meditation is often described as a mirror to your Self, revealing to yourself the reality of how you are really doing in living your life with purpose. You will know that all is well when peace flows through you and stays with you for longer periods until your whole life is peaceful.

Think gratitude, give gratitude, receive thanks and love.

Peace

Gratitude and Opportunities

Meditation opens the door to your wisdom mind.

There are so many open doors yet people don't walk through them, so many paths, yet people don’t follow them,

so many opportunities, yet people don’t take them.  by Margaret Stockley

Discernment
Meditation is more than a method of attaining relaxation or a peaceful feeling. As you maintain a regular practice you are drawn ever closer to the source of Love where you experience and abide in Bliss. Along this exclusive meditation path that is yours to follow, you discover possibilities to help you grow, prosper, and be happy.

In addition to being an incredible personal tool, meditation assists you in looking directly at what you believe about yourself and the world around you. By looking inwards, you discern and review what you may hold as unshakable truths and change your opinions one by one so that they are more in line with what you determine to be your purpose in life.

Each one of us has this enquiring mind yet many of us don’t use it.

Uniqueness
In nature, a flowering plant can produce several blooms and when inspected closely, you discover that each one is different in small ways. Their subtle variations are what make each petal, leaf, and scent special. Humans are like these flowers in that each person has a uniqueness that sets them apart from one another. This realization of how distinctly extraordinary and special we all are is the first step in accepting yourself first, then others without apprehension or bias.

The extension of this means that you learn to honor those people who are close to you, then friends, neighbors, and even strangers. You no longer react to rude people with a quick retort or gesture. Through meditation, you identify and stay connected to the source of peace, joy, and abundant happiness that resides within you because you recognize the sanctity of the Divine that is in each of us and endeavor to touch every living being with the loving energy that flows through you.

Self-Talk
Make it your priority to leave the past where it belongs. Every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation about your beliefs which may in fact stem from out-moded events or conversations. Meditation helps you to ascertain which thoughts and habits, if any, are limiting your ability to create the circumstances within your life that you want.

Over time, you cultivate calmness not only when meditating, but when you are living your daily life. Negativity is breathed away, and the more it happens, the more the mind desires to stay happy.

Progress along your life’s path is not dependant upon how good you have been up to this moment in time. What matters is how you proceed from this point on in turning your life around from uncertainty to sensational and in sharing your awesome dreams with others.

Surrender
While meditation is a solitary experience, you realize that each and every one of us is connected to the same source, even though some of us haven’t tapped into this universal wisdom mind of unending power, perception, and understanding.

You uncover your purpose and see that you can’t fulfill it without the assistance of others because the purpose of each one of us involves helping and sharing our distinctive gifts with others.

Meditation taps into the ultimate source of discernment and wisdom and permits you to recognize when you need to seek the advice and knowledge of others, find comfort and guidance through prayer, and tap into the well of tranquility of meditation.

When life is drifting along happily, many people choose to give thanks to the Divine. However, when things don’t turn out quite the way we want them to, how many people turn to the source of all that is good and ask for guidance?

More to the point, what do YOU do?

D you seek guidance from a Higher source or do you say,

“I’ll do it. If I simply do this, then that, all will turn out just fine.”

And does it?

Meditation maintains connection to the source of the guidance that each one of us needs. It’s not about being detached from your life and letting it drift on by. It’s about going right to the TOP of the advice chain.

This surrender to the Divine guidance is hard for many people to do, but once you try it, and reap the rewards, it becomes easier to see that it’s not the little you that has the answers, but YOU who receives the answers from the Divine.

Gratitude
Meditation is often described as a mirror to your Self, revealing to yourself the reality of how you are really doing in living your life with purpose. You will know that all is well when peace flows through you and stays with you for longer periods until your whole life is peaceful.

With your eyes open to see and your ears open to hear, you walk through the open doors, follow the right path, and put to good use the many opportunities available to you.

Discernment, Surrender, Purpose; these all accompany the wisdom and peace that you receive through meditation.

Share what you know and are grateful for with everyone.
Remember, what you give, you WILL receive back.

I meditate daily, teach specific methods during yoga classes and professional workshops and know I am living my purpose by teaching others and sharing what I know.  I am grateful for the opportunity and for the peace it brings to others.

In America, we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday November 26th. For those of you who live here, I wish you a peaceful Thanksgiving.

Here is a sample of what I am grateful for. These are not reserved for this one day. I am grateful each and every day and I wish everyone a life of love and light.

I am grateful for the love of family
I am grateful for the love of friends, old and new
I am grateful for the wonderful life that exists for me

Gratitude

What are YOU grateful for?

Today is Info Friday where I highlight anything that is relevant to meditation. I’m not involved in any of these products or areas. They are simply something that I thought was interesting and thought you might enjoy too.

I came across Joy Bing Fleming’s gratitude blog several months ago and was immediately delighted to see that someone else was sharing their positive feelings and attitude with the universe. Every day, Joy and her partner Keith post several statements and affirmations about why they are grateful. It’s a simple expression of love, hope, and thankfulness for the smallest moments and the largest events that occur daily in an individual’s life.

While acknowledging that life does not flow as smoothly as you had planned when curve balls head your way, there is always something that you can be grateful for. Joy and Keith’s blog is a quick pick-me-up and will provide you with inspiration if you have encountered a tough day.

Joy says that “When you think about what you’re grateful for, that re-directs your thoughts to something positive. This will make you feel better, and it will bring more wonderful things into your life.”

You can check out their Gratitude Blog at the following link and post comments too. -
power of gratitude

Joy and Keith are also active on FaceBook and have started a Life Passion Group:
“Making you aware of the power to create your life as you desire.”
Life Passion


This is a global community to help like-minded people come together to be positive, exchange ideas, be a source of inspiration and many, many more motivational topics.
They have a weekly newsletter packed with tips to help you to create the life that you want through positive steps and affirmations.
They are constantly adding content and it is worth checking out to see if it is something that speaks to you, and if you can use some of the tools in your life.

I hope that you will find Joy and Keith’s blog inspirational and uplifting and look at your own life and discover something to be grateful for today and every day.

Write to me on my blog and let me know what you or someone you know is doing to create positive change, whether it’s through art, writing books, blogging, or any other manner that helps other people live a happy and rewarding life.

Om Shanti Peace