The last few months have been challenging. I don’t think I’m the only one to experience this. The news has been filled with the toxic battle for president of the United States as well as all the other seemingly ever-increasing problems in the world. Whether it be climate change, war, terrorism, poverty, corruption or the like, it’s hard not to get down, frustrated or angry. So, going on a meditation retreat right before the election seemed like a good way to get away from the negativity. I didn’t realize that practicing gratitude would be an intricate part of my experience.

It was my first time doing something like this. I was somewhat skeptical but motivated by the glowing recommendation of a friend. The location wasn’t far away but even so, there was no reception or readily available internet connection – a very good thing (check out this article for the value of being unplugged). For the three nights and four days up there I immersed myself in new meditation practices that I had never experienced, discussed philosophy, life, personal insights, walked in nature, ate very plain but nourishing food and was whisked away from the buzz of modern mainstream society.

Beyond Practicing Gratitude and Meditation, I Partook in a Strange Short Term Diet

I’m not sure if the food assisted my mental state but it was very restrictive and not something I would likely embrace for the long haul. Cutting out sugar and natural sweeteners (honey, stevia, maple syrup, etc.), alcohol, soy sauce, and processed food for 5 days in advance, throughout and for 5 days after has been fairly easy for me. However, eliminating salt, spices, seafood, red meat, all vinegar, garlic, onions, fermented foods, caffeine, and dairy, is a lot harder. I will say that my taste buds have changed and I’ve been appreciating salad and eggs plain. I might even not fully reintroduce some of these things.

The experience was great. My meditation practice, which I have been very inconsistent about, has deepened and been given a new energy. I attribute this to the synergy between intention, meditation and practicing gratitude throughout the experience. (Read this for more on the value of meditation).

I have used a gratitude journal for a while now but lately, it hasn’t helped me stay positive and focused while being immersed in so much angst rising up in the world.  The difference here was that my gratitude was no longer an intellectual practice but came from the heart. Let me restate that clearly, a gratitude practice that moves from the head to the heart is a powerful tool and has the potential to make seismic shifts in our lives.

A gratitude practice that moves from the head to the heart is a powerful tool and has the potential to make seismic shifts in our lives. 

Just intellectualizing what you’re grateful for is nice.  It’s like making a list is a good reminder when you look at it but feeling your gratitude, that is powerful. For me, it has opened my heart to appreciate myself, my family, my work and the world I live in. To be grateful for the world we live in with all its ills, is a huge step in empowerment. Instead of the outside world continuously imprinting on us and dictating our moods and thoughts, we can shine our light outward from a place of resolute positivity.

Instead of the outside world continuously imprinting on us and dictating our moods and thoughts, we can shine our light outward from a place of resolute positivity. 

Finding a path to the feeling of gratitude has the ability to give us some control in a world that can easily toss us around like a leaf in the wind.

Practicing Gratitude with the Heart

It’s not easy to help someone move out of their head by describing what to do. Often language is the exact obstacle that interferes with our ability to feel something rather than intellectualize it.  What works for one might not work for another.

At one point, I found putting a hand on my heart and allowing my thoughts to blur out of definition helped me move to feel the gratitude rather than think about it. I really don’t know if this will work for you.

Here are some suggestions to play with but the bottom line is you need to find your own way.  (Isn’t that always the crux of anything great?)

• Meditate first, so you are relaxed and your mind is not racing with an agenda
• Contemplate things from your life that have overwhelmed you with emotion
• Let go of mental explanations and try to embody the five senses in your contemplation
• Surround yourself with emotional sounds (music), beautiful sights (artwork), and nostalgia-producing scents (fragrances from nature or essential oils)
• Sip on a soothing tea that brings full-body comfort
• Be relaxed in body – get a massage, take a bath, do yoga, practice breathwork, etc.

If you utilize these and have a true desire to open your heart, practicing gratitude with feeling, then, sooner or later, I have confidence your process will slide down from the computer-like intellect into the center of intuition, the heart.  When you intuit your points of gratitude, a shift will take place and the world can change before your eyes.

It doesn’t cost anything and it’s worth a try. For me, it enabled a 180-degree shift in my view of the state of the world, brought me hope for the future, eased my doubt and fear and has elevated my interaction with the people in my life.

I’d be grateful if you’d give it a try.