As we are getting to our fourth and final Gateway to Love for the month of February, I realize that there are many more than four Gateways to Love. There are probably hundreds of them! What matters is that we at least take one, which is not so easy to do in our modern world.
The distractions of our high-paced world are quite damaging for our real life relationships. It is difficult for us to break through our habits of distraction and absent-mindedness, especially when we know there is an online world at our fingertips. It seems like we have become addicted to our distractions and become afraid of spending time with actual human beings, which is one of the truest acts of love.
Gratitude, especially when expressed to another real life human being, is a wonderful and highly effective way to break through all this, and connect to the Love that is always waiting at the core of our being.
Here is a powerful gratitude exercise that includes reflecting, writing, sensing and experiencing it in the body, and actually expressing it:
Just slip away somewhere quiet (or put on some headphones with soothing music if a serene space isn’t available to you) — bringing paper, a pen and a willing heart.
1) For two minutes, please close your eyes while meditating on the following:
I’m deeply grateful for: ______________________________.
What does gratitude feel like in my body? Where does it reside? What are the associated sensations? Does gratitude have a color or texture?
2) Next, take 5-10-minutes, and write in stream-of-consciousness style about all your blessings, and the feelings and sensations that go with them. Don’t edit yourself – let go and express your gratitude straight from the heart. Nothing is too small to appreciate. Try to keep your pen to the paper for the entire period, even if you have to repeat words.
3) Finally write a letter of gratitude to someone you care about, and then read it to him or her. We strongly recommend that you do this in person, but it can also work over Skype or phone, if need be.
4) You may also want to jot down how you felt after expressing gratitude to another, as this has been shown to increase levels of energy, optimism and empathy. The joy generated from deeply sharing gratitude with another can be truly contagious — and a great reminder of the ways you can lovingly touch other lives.
At Celebration of Being we are immensely grateful for all the ways YOU, dear reader, are participating with us. Be it by participating in or staffing our rite of passage workshops, partaking in our Transformational Leadership Training, through individual coaching, checking us out through our one day events and parties, or by reading these blogs.
We would love to hear how this gratitude exercise goes for you – please leave us a comment below sharing what opened up for you during the meditation.
We are so appreciative of your seeking heart, your curious mind, your trust in us, and your willingness to journey into the deeper terrains within yourself. Thank you!
Much love,
Britta