Every Monday morning, I make a post about “Gratitude Mondays” on my Facebook page. I post an update asking folks to comment about what they are grateful for today. It’s good practice, and the comments are always interesting and heartwarming.
I started this a while ago because…well…people hate Mondays! And that’s not a healthy way to start the day. It’s much better to start the day, and the week, with gratitude.
The longer I teach, the more I think that gratitude is the big secret of life. I teach gratitude meditations in a wide variety of classes — classes that focus on health, classes that focus on prosperity, and classes that focus on happiness.
In other words — if you want health, wealth, or happiness, then gratitude is something that you should practice daily.
In my classes, I often teach a simple gratitude meditation. You can try it yourself:
- Stand upright. Relax from head to toe. (Try my free qigong lesson if you don’t know how.)
- Think of something or someone that sparks a feeling of gratitude in your.
- Feel the gratitude in your body and breathe gratefully.
If you don’t feel it, then you’re not doing it right. For those having trouble with gratitude, here are some tricks that I teach my students.
Tips for Mastering Gratitude:
- Start with physical objects. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Is there a gadget, or piece of equipment, that you’re grateful for? What objects do you own now that, just a few years ago, were only a dream?
- Then move on to people. Who are you grateful for? A family member? A dear friend? A teacher (like, perhaps, your qigong or tai chi teacher). Consider also the barista who makes your coffee, the techie who fixes your computer, and the farmer who grows your food.
- Finally, move on to opportunities. This is large, wide category. For example — feel grateful for the opportunity to use the Internet, which billions don’t have. Or the opportunity to learn something new. Or the opportunity to connect with friends and family over the holidays. Get creative.
Starting with objects, and then moving to people, and then finishing with opportunities will give you some structure for your gratitude practice. Remember — gratitude should become a daily practice, not just something that you do once in a while. Eventually, once you become skillful at practicing gratitude, you can maintain a feeling of gratitude throughout the entire day.
And if that doesn’t stop you from hating Mondays, then I don’t know what will! From the heart, Sifu Anthony
Grateful for your gentle teachings, offered so freely…