Gratitude and Meditation
While trying to walk the path of gratitude isn't always easy, especially in the beginning, it can be incredibly frustrating when you see other people behaving selfishly; seems so many people are walking around with hearts and pockets filled with greed. It seems there is this false sense of entitlement running rampant in so many minds these days, especially in that of children. There is this duality that begins to form because my very first sentence said pure gratitude isn't always easy as an adult, and then we complain that these traits are in our children. So the real question is, why is gratitude so difficult? Why is it so hard to see how many blessings we have? Why do we so easily overlook the importance of being verbally, mentally, emotionally, and physically thankful? It doesn't really seem as though it should be so hard, yet for some reason those same negative traits keep on wanting to pop up again and again. I guess this is where the ego takes hold, deceives us, and does everything it can to keep its claws dug in.
It would appear so many have fallen victim to delusion and illusion as to what it is we need in order to be happy/thankful. How many have forgotten that joy and satisfaction can only come from within? Happiness/Gratitude is not a destination but rather a state of mind-- a way to live. What should we be teaching ourselves and our children? What is the lesson to take away?
It all starts with the breath!
We must pause ourselves, even for just two minutes, and practice being thankful and grateful for our current ability to BREATHE! When we start fostering these positive feelings for the breath alone, suddenly it will become much easier to see the abundance of so many other aspects of our lives to be truly grateful for-- sight, vision, touch, the ability to dream, dance, sing, that we have a blanket and pillow at night, that our pets show us affection, how it feels to laugh, etc.... when we close our eyes, slowly breathe, AND think of such things, not only are we shifting our awareness/raising vibration, we are meditating! And the blessings and positive vibes are greatly multiplied as we begin to magnetize ourselves to receive even more in our lives to be grateful for!
(Adults and children) Try to increase two minutes into 5, then 10, for as long as you comfortably can and watch the seeds begin to sprout into a beautiful garden.
