Embodied Gratitude: a feast for the senses
Happy Wednesday Everyone!
We are in the thick of giving this week (or trying to figure out what to give). This holiday season, give The Gift of Gratitude to your loved ones. Share with them the transformational effects of a daily gratitude practice. And when you do, I’ll gift you with this 3-part course as well! To read more about this course and the benefits of a gratitude practice, you can scroll down but first, I’d like to share a bit about what I mean by embodied gratitude.
I talk a lot about embodiment - deeply feeling the experience of the moment - moving beyond the narrative in our head and into the bodily experience of what's actually happening. One of the ways I do this is by consciously engaging my senses - paying attention to what I’m tasting, hearing, seeing, feeling and smelling. This sensory attention helps us to be more present, which in turn, takes us out of our constant worrying about the past and the future and into what’s right in front of us (which is often both beautiful and easy to miss).
Here’s an example from some journaling I did this morning:
In this moment, I’m feeling so grateful for simple comforts and the nourishing quality of warmth. I’m loving the smell of our Douglas fir Christmas tree, a smell which carries with it, a host of sweet childhood memories of bundling up to pick a tree in the cold Chicago winter, a smell that is wrapped up in a child’s excitement around all things Christmas. In this moment, I’m grateful for the taste of my warm tea with its hints of licorice, lemon balm and elderberry that I found at my new favorite local herb store in the Avenues. I’m grateful for the light on the Oquirrh mountain range that I am lucky enough to witness from this cozy spot on my bed where the textures of my soft sheets, down comforter and fleecy bathrobe are both warming and comforting me. And in the midst of a pandemic, where everything happens under one roof - work, school, play, meals - all four of us busily and often very noisily sharing space, I am grateful for the sounds of silence in a still sleepy house and the quiet opportunity to both ponder and feel my gratitude.
Do you notice how this “embodied gratitude” brings me right into the bodily feeling of it all. It takes me beyond acknowledgement and right into the center of the experience of gratitude. And the effects and benefits of this are numerous.
Here are just three of the ways that a regular gratitude practice can benefit your brain, body and mind:
Gratitude helps turn down the sympathetic or fight/flight/freeze response helping us to reduce stress and anxiety, regulate our emotions and sleep better.
Gratitude strengthens the neural networks that light up when we socialize and experience pleasure. This helps us connect deeply with others and find more enjoyment in our experiences.
Gratitude is connected to the area of the brain that governs altruism. This increases empathy and perspective taking, encouraging us to “pay it forward”, give back and care for others without getting burned out.
We’re not grateful because we’re happy, we’re happy because we’re grateful!
But it takes practice. And that’s where this gift comes in.
This simple course teaches you to:
Pay attention to the beautiful moments in your day that often go unnoticed
Acknowledge your own gifts and grow a deeper appreciation for yourself
Connect deeply with the people in your life, even if they are physically out of reach these days
You’ll receive three different gratitude practices, each complete with:
A guided audio meditation
A video lesson
A journaling exercise
A poem or inspiration
A bonus resource
The entire course is pre-recorded so you can practice anytime you like. You and your gift recipient will have access to The Gift of Gratitude beginning December 21 (you'll find an email reminder with a link that morning).
And best of all, when you purchase one for a loved one, you’ll receive one too - it’s my gift to YOU!
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season.
With so much love - and of course gratitude,
Rachel