Gratitude – Day 5

By Ally | Gratitude

Mar 12

Welcome and Namaste 🙂 

Today's topic is Gratitude. This Gratitude Meditation is meant to lead you into a state of FEELING gratitude deeply in your body.

What is Gratitude Meditation?

Gratitude meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on expressing gratitude for the things in your life.

Did you know that gratitude has many physical benefits, along with social and mental health benefits? Here are a few... 

Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains in their bodies and report feeling healthier, according to a study published in Personality and Individual Differences. Other studies show that, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.

Grateful people get better and deeper sleep. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 5 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you can improve the quality of your sleep over time! 

Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of difficult emotions, from jealousy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases wellbeing and reduces depression. 

Gratitude increases mental strength. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it also plays a major role in overcoming trauma. A study published in Behavior Research and Therapy found that Vietnam War veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of PTSD. Another study found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the attacks on the World Trade Centre on September 11.

Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for —even during the worst times—fosters resilience.

While some people might think of meditation along the lines of sitting in a dark room and clearing your mind, gratitude meditation can be practiced in many different settings.

For example, one might practice gratitude meditation while they wait for their morning tea, a few moments in the bath, or walking outside in nature. The options for mindfulness and noticing or cultivating gratitude are endless!

“Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of gratitude for the blessings of their life. Native American elders begin each ceremony with grateful prayers to mother earth and father sky, to the four directions, to the animal, plant, and mineral brothers and sisters who share our earth and support our life. In Tibet, the monks and nuns even offer prayers of gratitude for the suffering they have been given” - Jack Kornfield

I hope that you find today's exploration helpful in your meditation journey.

Please let me know in the comments below how this practice made you feel.

I'd love for you to let me know if you've heard of the negativity bias in the brain before? 

You might write a list of 5 things you are grateful for today! I'd love to hear what you are grateful for.

Scroll down to join in with your reflection in the comments section! 

Would you like to join the challenge? Sign Up Below!

Would you like to join my next Online Journey of the Self? 

Check out my next Online Community Experience this Spring Equinox.

Share about your experience in the challenge on instagram! #meditatewithally

Follow

About the Author

Ally Boothroyd is a yoga educator and meditation teacher with a passion for yoga nidra and the healing power of conscious rest. She is the founder of Sarovara Yoga, a yoga space and women's retreat centre in Ontario, Canada. A sanctuary on the water where she fosters local community and supports health, personal growth, emotional resiliency, authenticity, awareness, and awakening. Ally also leads Retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings in Nosara, Costa Rica

  • Paula Lush says:

    Beautiful morning to you Ally😊
    This was a wonderful meditation. So many things I am grateful for.

    I am grateful for this meditation challenge ( it is furthering my appreciation of the benefits of meditation)

    I am grateful for the spirit of my mother ( who sends me gentle signals of guidance from the spirit world)

    I am grateful for the love from my family & friends

    I am grateful for the challenges given me ( both pleasurable and difficult)

    I am grateful for all that gives ease in my life ( things we take for granted).

    Thank you for this, my day just got brighter💕
    🙏Namate

  • Lisa says:

    Gratitude is my favorite!! Thank you!

  • Julie says:

    This was a very timely and grounding meditation for me. I am grateful for the smell of fresh sheets off the line, sunny days and hearing the birds singing that tell us spring is coming, the sap that runs from the trees so we can make maple syrup, being able to step outside and feel the warm sun on my skin, and I am grateful for my happy healthy family and friends and of course yoga and meditation. 😊

    • Ally says:

      That’s wonderful Julie. So beautiful to read about what you are grateful for. It’s heartwarming! 🙂 I’m also feeling really grateful for all things spring.

  • Wendy says:

    Good morning Ally. Thank you for another beautiful meditation practice.
    Gratitude is something we may recognize too seldom, so thank you for reminding us of all of our blessings.
    I am grateful for the steady beat of my heart since I had a heart attack in January. I’m also grateful for my caregivers during that time and the continuing caregivers I’m experiencing now.
    I am grateful for the roof over my head, the food that is so plentiful in our part of the world and the ability to always be warm enough.
    I’m grateful for my loving husband, family and circle of friends.
    And finally, I’m grateful for the ability to experience yoga, pilates, meditation and all means of healthy living.
    Namaste

  • joanne says:

    Thank you ally for this morning’s meditation practice.I am overwhelmed with emotion and felt my heart was bursting out of my chest.I had tears flowing down my cheeks, and could feel my mouth smiling at times during practice. This meditation today felt powerful and deep.I have too many things to write down about what I am grateful for but I am so happy that I have made this connection with you.Thank you thank you , have a beautiful day.

    • Ally says:

      Awe Joanne, this is truly such a heartfelt and beautiful reflection. I’m so glad you had such a powerful experience of gratitude. We truly need this in the world right now. Thank you for practicing with me. 🙂

  • Donna says:

    Thank you so much. Recovering from a heart surgery, I am so grateful for my surgeon who has dedicated his life to saving others. I am also so much more grateful for family and people who come into my life daily. I am grateful for the sun and all of nature. I am grateful for you!

    • Ally says:

      So wonderful Donna. Absolutely beautiful to read about what you are grateful for. It’s heartwarming! 🙂 Thank you for practicing with me!

  • Sonja says:

    Thank you Ally. Love this practice. I do it daily. A few things in my journal today were the robin I saw, the hyacinth on our kitchen table and a rest day.

    • Ally says:

      I love that you have a gratitude journal Sonja. So beautiful to read about what you are grateful for. All I can feel as I read through all these comments is:
      Heartwarming! 🙂

  • Karen says:

    Today I am grateful for you ally
    The meditation
    The birds singing their evening songs.
    The gorgeous food iv ate today.
    The daffodils in the garden.
    Thank you

    • Ally says:

      Awe, that’s so wonderful Karen. So beautiful to read about what you are grateful for. It’s heartwarming! 🙂 Thank you for meditating with me.

  • Gavin says:

    I feel great- ful! I focused on the gratitude for my mother’s support. Our relationship could use some lovin. Thanks for another good day ally.

    • Ally says:

      That’s beautiful Gavin, I’m happy to read it!! Thank you for meditating with me 🙂 I love that even though we don’t always get to practice together in person, we can meditate together through the magic of the internet. How cool is that? I’m grateful for that today!

  • Tara Lee says:

    Lovely meditation today Ally. I dropped in really quickly and maintained awareness. Peaceful state is an understatement. Your voice in particular was enchanting to me, as were the chickadees. To answer your question, I have not heard of negative bias before. My gratitude list of 5: I am grateful for my family, I am grateful for my feel in life, I am grateful for yoga and my commitment, I am grateful for every experience I have encountered, I am grateful for you Ally.
    Namaste

    • Ally says:

      Ah, yes! The negativity bias. Such a strong survival mechanism in our brains. We EASILY retain scary/bad negative scenarios/situations and think of them frequently (to protect ourselves from not being in danger again) yet positivity, although it helps us THRIVE, we don’t necessarily need it to SURVIVE so it’s not something the brain is wired to focus on. It takes extra effort to wire that into our experience 🙂 So beautiful to read about what you are grateful for. It’s heartwarming! 🙂 Thank you for practicing with me Xo

  • Susie says:

    Hi Ally,
    I forgot to write my reflection from yesterday meditation. It was really nice timing to practice gratitude with all that’s happening. My gratitude list of 5 after yesterday’s practice:
    1)The warm colours in the sky at sunset last night
    2)The sound of the birds in your meditation
    3) You and your meditations
    4) the feeling of my coziest socks
    5) kisses from my dog

    🙂

  • Teghan G says:

    Thank you for this practise. I used to keep a gratitude journal & I haven’t gone back to it in a while so this was a good reminder! Today I am feeling grateful for: my furbabies (two pups & a hedgehog), my family who I spent time with this weekend, that I’m able to work from home for the next little while, my home, and my daily rituals. I feel very lucky & grateful ❤️

  • Judi says:

    Ally

    This was such a powerful meditation for me. I moved my hands from my heart to my lap and soon had to turn my palms up to hold the large pulsating gift of energy between them. It was big, round, spongy, warm & expanding. My heart, arms, legs, hands all tingling with delight & deep gratitude. I’ve never felt anything like it, in fact it’s still flowing now.

    I am so grateful for Facebook presenting this challenge to me and introducing me to you.

    Grateful to a dear friend who taught me the fundamentals of meditation when I needed them most.

    I’m grateful for a warm, safe space to be as we face this pandemic.

    Filled with gratitude for my life partner and how he helps me through each day.

    And very grateful for my four legged family members who show love & gratitude so freely every day.

    Still vibrating with gratitude
    Judi

  • >