Starting in a State of Gratitude

Starting in Gratitude

Starting your day off right.

Be Grateful. Take a moment — whether it's when you first wake up or as you drink your morning brew — to be grateful. Starting your day in gratitude will not only increase your mood but it will help you prioritize your day. There are so many things to be grateful for: Home, Friends, Family, Pets — just to name a few. Once you think about one or two things to be grateful for, move those thoughts into your heart. Take a few breaths there, focusing on them. How do they make you feel — Happy, Connected, at Peace? Whatever comes up, be present with the feelings. Infuse them into your being and into your day.

Use the 5 Senses

Being in a state of gratitude can come in different forms for each of us. Using the 5 senses can help you experience wholeness in your gratitude practice. What does gratitude sound like? Taste like? Smell like? Feel like for you? Here's an example:

• Gratitude smells like spring flowers
• Gratitude sounds like children laughing
• Gratitude tastes like fresh baked cookies
• Gratitude feels like a warm summer day

Getting your whole being involved in the process helps you to be fully present in the moment.

Practice Makes Perfect

Every day is a chance for a new experience. At first, you may have many things to be grateful for. Other days it could be just one. There is no right or wrong way to be grateful — it is unique to you. Some days are hard, others easy. No matter what is going on, there is always something to be grateful for. Having a consistent practice of gratitude will increase peace and happiness throughout your day. After a while it will become easy. You will wake up thinking: "I'm grateful for being alive today." "I'm grateful for my breath." "I'm grateful for my family coming to visit today." Then whatever happens during your day, you can draw back to this moment of peaceful presence.

In Closing

At Kind Way, we are so very grateful for you — meeting you exactly where you are. Our Companions and Doulas are trained in the art of presence, helping you live a life of wholeness and peace.

"Gratefulness for what is there is one of the most powerful tools for creating what is not yet there. What does gratefulness mean? It means you appreciate what is. You value, you give attention to, you honor whatever is here at this moment."