Gratitude Practice

The second installment in our Mindfulnessandme series.

In the rush of cosmopolitan life, we often forget to consider our connection to the world around us. In doing so, we forget to give thanks. Whether it’s for a roof over our head, for the bodies we inhabit, or for the people around us, let’s experience gratitude and deepen our connection to one another.

What is Gratitude and Gratitude Practice?

Gratitude is a deep appreciation for all things. It is a feeling of thankfulness that can overwhelm the self when we pause and consider our connectiveness. Gratitude Practice is the focus of that appreciation and love into ritual and awareness. Gratitude then becomes something we we intentionally do in our lives, and in turn may help us deepen our connection to all things around us. The beauty of gratitude is that we can practice it in a number of ways.

Gratitude can be practiced in the heart, or the mind. It can be written down. It can be given to another through words or a gift. There is no right or wrong way to experience or practice gratitude. Turthfully, your gratitude thrives when you make it your own - you’re more likely to continue it as a part of your lifestyle.

Gratitude for the Earth

A common practice in traditional and classical South Asian dance styles involves touching the ground and thanking Mother Earth for allowing you to dance on her. You touch the earth with your hand before stamping upon it. In this way, we show reverence for Mother Earth first, and the way she allows us to dance and live on her land.

We’re not all classical dancers, but we can show reverence for Mother Earth in much the same way. As you wake up in the morning, no matter where you are, experience Gratitude for the Earth in all of her glory. Notice any weather patterns of the day, and the season that you are in. Experience the temperature of the air around you, and know that Mother Earth is cyclical, with every moment being related to the one before it and after it.

If you’re Hindu, you may want to try the practice below. As you get up in the morning, you place one hand and one foot on the floor as you repeat the following shlok for Prithvi Mata (Mother Earth). When I was working on memorizing it, I wrote it on a sticky note that I kept at my bedside:

Samudra-Vasane Devi, Parvata-Stana-{Mandite/Mandale} |
Vishnu-Patni Namastubhyam, Pada-Sparsham Kshamasva Me ||

O ocean-draped mother earth O the one adorned with mountains as breasts |
O consort of Vishnu, forgive me for stepping on you ||

If you are not Hindu, but are religious or spiritual, you can even try to look to your own culture for your Earthly Gratitude practice. Share your practice with me in the comments if you have one or do something specific :)

When we further our connection to the Earth through gratitude, we may be able to be more loving towards her in other aspects of our life. We may choose to walk somewhere rather than drive if we can help it. We may remember re-usable bags more often. Maybe we choose a product with recyclable packaging and no artificial ingredients. There’s a variety of ways we can incorporate gratitude for the Earth into our lifestyles

Gratitude for People and Food

Every time I visit India to see my Grandma, my Baa, I am privy to her Gratitude Practice for Lord Krishna, who she lovingly calls her Kanaya. Before my Grandmother eats, she offers her meal to Krishna, and takes her first few bites only after that. It’s very common to see a plate of food left by a Hindu altar, stove, or picture for the Gods or your ancestors.

You can incorporate Gratitude practice into your lifestyle when eating as well.

When you sit down to have a meal, try to ensure that you do not have any other distractions around you, like television or your phone. The body likes to focus on one thing at a time, even if you feel that you’re a great multi-tasker! This is especially important when eating, because our body can then put all of its energy towards digestion when we begin eating.

Grab your food, and sit down to eat. Before you begin, take a look at your meal in silence. Notice the colours, the textures, and ingredients in your meal. What did it take to get these items to your plate? You can ask yourself some of the questions below:

• What is your meal made out of? Can you discern its parts?

• Who would have picked or harvested any or some of the ingredients in your meal? Where are they located? Is this place near you, or far from you?

• If any animal or animal by-product is involved in your meal, can you express and feel gratitude for them?

Let’s thank any of the farmers, harvesters, caretakers, factory workers, drivers, grocery store clerks, and anyone else involved in the process of getting these ingredients and this meal onto your plate.

Let’s thank the sun and the Earth for helping to grow and provide for any of the meals on your plate.

Lastly, before you eat, dedicate your meal to someone, just like my Grandma does. You can choose a person, a spiritual being, even a pet or maybe your ancestors. If you have a prayer or saying that you’d like to recite, this is also a good time to do so.

Bon Appetit. Be sure to chew slowly and thoroughly.

Gratitude before Bed

As your day ends, give yourself time to unwind and relax. Try to limit your use of electronics before bed as you give your nervous system time to relax. Still having a hard time detaching? Using Flux, Twilight, or other blue light filters to alter your screen light to orange/red can potentially help you get to sleep easier. Blue light inhibits our production of melatonin since it mimics sunlight. Red/orange light is better for us once the sun has set. You can read more here.

Once you’ve gotten into bed, take a few minutes to sit down and think about your day, and anything you may have to be grateful for. Maybe it was a kind interaction with someone. Maybe it’s your health. Perhaps it was the weather, or the comfort of your bed. Are you grateful for something you were able to do for yourself? For another? Let these thoughts of gratitude flow through you with your breath as your night winds down.

Thank the universe for another day, and continue your gratitude practice on waking. How do you show gratitude?