“We can only be said to be alive when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
- Thornton Wilder
The feeling of being FULL... remembering the fullness that always lives within us, the infinite capacity of our heart... remembering that we have plenty to give, and recommitting to share the fullness which we are.
From fullness, comes fullness, and aliveness.
This week is a time of gratitude, but also reflection. A time to slow down a bit, listen deeper and honor feelings sometimes so profound they can only be expressed in silence, with the head bowed.
I come back to a simple contemplative practice which I teach in my classes sometimes. This Gratitude-Forgives-Guidance meditation helps open the heart energy, enlivens our innate fullness, and brings more clarity within and without.
You could spend one minute on each to open your day silently, or you could go deeper with it devoting 5 to 10 minutes to each part. Either way, if you do this practice consistently you will feel it in your life.
1. Gratitude:
Offer thanks every day, not just by mere words, but from the heart.
2. Forgiveness:
Part 1: Ask for forgiveness - there might be specific instances that come to mind, or not - but know that often we are not even aware that something we did or said has affected others. Think “I am sorry”, mean it from your heart.
Part 2: Offer forgiveness - this is a process that needs time. Letting go, clearing the space between us and others. Some people may not deserve our closeness again but understanding removes the biding effect and leads to forgiveness.
3. Guidance:
This doesn’t require a belief in a higher power, but rather just sincere words “spoken” from the heart. “Please guide me, give me clarity of mind so I can see what I’m doing, give me inner strength to carry through.”
If you have more time, once you spent a few minutes with each part, continue to sit for a few more minutes. Let your breath be easy and relax any effort to breathe. If your mind wanders, just simply and kindly guide it back to your breath. Just be.
When you need to, lie down and rest.
I would like to leave you with a few words from “Meditation on Gratitude and Joy” by Jack Kornfield:
“With gratitude I remember the people, animals, plants, insects,
creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all
whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day.
With gratitude I remember the care and labor of a thousand
generations of elders and ancestors who came before me…
I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given...
May your happiness increase.
May you not be separated from great happiness.
May your good fortune and the causes for your joy and happiness increase.“
May we know the fullness and wholeness of ourselves and our loved ones this Thanksgiving.
With Gratitude,
Oana.
