The Simplest Medicine

There is one consistent and reliable practice that will always stop me from a downward spiral and set my day in a fresh direction. It is gratitude. I remember being told the importance of thankfulness when I was growing up, but I didn’t really experience it’s healing benefit until I was an adult. There are many spiritual teachers who place high value on the ability to remain in the present. I believe gratitude is the key that unlocks that door. It is a beacon that draws us away from anxiety – future based thoughts, away from mournful – past based thoughts and gently places us firmly in the present embracing all that enriches and brings meaning to our lives right now.

I believe there are different types of gratitude, that which comes from your head and that which comes from your heart. It is the heart oriented gratitude that is most transformational and healing on both the emotional and physical level. Finding or if need be, creating quiet moments throughout the day to pause, close my eyes and bring forward something I am deeply appreciative of creates a palpable shift. Sometimes it is my children, sometimes a friend or loved one, my profession, my home, even the food on my plate. If I allow myself to completely receive the emotion of abundance and occasional humility that washes over me, I’ll feel my face and shoulders soften and my breathing change.

In a state of stress, where many of us live most of the time, our muscles tighten, our digestion changes, our hormones change, we can create inflammation and even our brain function changes. Practicing gratitude takes you out of that response. It returns your nervous system to where it will function optimally, so that you can respond rather than react in life and have much greater health.

Studies have shown that people who actively engage in a daily gratitude practice, whether it be just a few moments of acknowledgement or a journaling activity have stronger immune systems, reduced inflammation, reduced perception of pain, lower blood pressure, reduced anxiety and improved mood to name a few. Sounds good to me, how about you?

So how does it work?

Here are a few simple ideas:

Have a set gratitude meditation time every day. This could be early in the morning to set your day on the right track, middle of the day to check in with how your feeling or end of the day to aid relaxation and restful sleep.
Write in a gratitude journal every day.
Write a thank you note every day or if that seems too ambitious, write one on certain days of the week.
Enlist a partner, someone to check in with every day where the conversation is anchored on gratitude over complaining.
Read an article on the benefits of gratitude every day
Get your gratitude going…

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