The harvest season is upon us. The rich bounty of fall is a natural time to soak up the golden Light within nature, and feel gratitude for the abundance of beauty and blessings in our world.
In various ways over the past several weeks I’ve been reflecting on the value I receive from focusing on Gratitude as an ongoing practice in my daily life. I’m inspired to share with you today the simple and profound ways that we can all use the energy of Gratitude to strengthen our inner balance and bring more ease and joy into our lives.
First, I’ll define what I mean by ‘Gratitude practice’.
Gratitude is the heart-centered state of being grateful. This state of ‘being’ is an internal experience of thankfulness that flows naturally from our hearts. Appreciation is the response we feel to an experience, object or person. Appreciation is heart-opening and the feeling can be used intentionally to move within to a state of Gratitude and heart-centered balance.
Gratitude as a practice involves the intentional choice, in any moment, to move into your heart by focusing on the feeling of appreciation or the state of gratitude. With practice, this habit builds a strong muscle of heart-centeredness to which we can return again and again. Focus on Gratitude is one of the easiest ways to strengthen our inner balance.
There is so much to say here! The simple practice of choosing gratitude in the present moment has become one of the most important habits I have found for building inner peace and expanding my Light.
The Transforming Power of Gratitude
I love using cards as a way to dialogue with my Spirit and Source, especially when I feel inspired to receive creative focus and clarity on an important topic.
The Body – Source – Spirit Spread
Questions:
- “What can we learn today about the value of Gratitude practice?”
- “How can we use Gratitude practice to amplify our Light?”
I LOVE the message I received! I’ve been working with this spread for a couple of weeks now. I’ve received a great deal of value, and I’m excited to offer it to you here. For those who are curious, I used the Osho deck for this reading.
How Gratitude Heals
The first card, in the position of Theme, is the King of Cups, Healing. This card shows the integrated quality of emotional balance and transformation that we can experience by living in gratitude from our hearts.
The image shows an illuminated heart center radiating golden light. The hands represent the healing power of Light that flows throughout our body. This encourages us that the experience of choosing Gratitude as a heart practice strengthens our heart center and our natural ability to return to balance through the power of our Light.
Summary: The value of Gratitude practice is enormous. It supports us by opening our hearts and strengthening our connection to Source Light so that we can heal and transform.
Special Note: This card literally fell from the deck as I was shuffling for the spread. In this way Spirit offers a clear response to the overall theme of our inquiry.
Practical Touchstones: The Three-Card Spread
Each of the following cards offers a tangible point of focus for our inquiry on Gratitude practice.
The card in the position of BODY is the 8 of Cups, “Letting Go”. This represents your ability to allow your emotions to flow freely, processing them as they arise, while you remain firmly in the present moment. Like the plant, you are growing from within.
In the position of Body, this represents the opportunity to thrive by “letting go” of the past and allowing the energies of life to flow like water and nurture you. The green plant is thriving. The moment is Now. Life force energy, like Water (feelings & emotions), is flowing freely.
Summary: Gratitude practice helps to bring our focus back within, to experience the beauty of whatever is happening in the moment. When we do, the flow of life will support us.
The central card, in the position of Source Light, is “New Vision” (XII). This is the Major Arcana card traditionally known as the Hanged Man.
This card represents a new birth and expansion into new awareness and new multidimenional abilities. The figure is transcending beyond earthbound limitations (shown by the lower figure on the ground), growing wings and opening into a whole new experience of Being. Infinite creative possibilities abound.
Summary: Opening your heart to Source Light through the simple practice of Gratitude will expand your consciousness in new and powerful ways. You can experience infinite creative potential (New Vision) in each and every intrinsic moment, no matter how ordinary it may be.
The card in the position of Spirit, is the Prince of Cups, “Trust”. The Princes of tarot are the warriors of the deck, and thus the Prince of Cups is the fearless Warrior of the Heart.
The Prince of Cups claims freedom through the power of his strong heart. The warrior’s power of Trust is shown here by the feeling of freedom we can experience as we learn to live from our hearts, let go of our fear and fly.
Summary: This card expresses the way Gratitude practice makes your heart strong so you can Trust in your Spirit to lead. In this way we transform limitations and experience life as a joyful adventure, where even challenges are filled with freedom and ease.
Tried and True Ways to Amplify Your Light
When we speak of “gratitude practice” we mean developing the habit of intentionally choosing gratitude and appreciation, moment to moment, in order to restore inner balance and increase our connection to our Spirits and Source Light.
During times of stress or other imbalance it can be hard to shift. In these moments you can shift your focus and transcend difficulty by using an “appreciation touchstone”.
An appreciation touchstone is an experience you easily remember that fills you with love and appreciation, such as laughter with friends, the peace of a favorite place in nature, a puppy’s joyful exuberance, or a baby’s radiant smile.
Have these touchstones at the ready when you need to shift. It’s amazing how well they work. Bringing in the feeling from one of these moments can help you move back to your heart and from there you can shift to the state of gratitude and allow it to flow.
Gratitude is a living practice that is available in every moment. Simply open your heart, move to gratitude and then allow that state of being to flow into whatever is happening in the present moment. Whether you’re walking in your neighborhood, chatting with a friend, or sweeping the kitchen floor, choosing to take a breath and move to gratitude will bring a new quality of Light into every moment.
Today and every day may you experience the beauty of this remarkable world. May we expand together and continually increase our ability to live from our Hearts and experience the unstoppable power of our Light.
Together we Fly!
All my Love,
Beth
