Hello. I have been reflecting on the concept of gratefulness for a while now. I think many expressions of faith and spirituality seem to have gratefulness as a core value which allows us time to give thanks and be grateful for the positive things and experiences in our lives from day to day.
One practice I came across a few years ago, whilst working with a diverse range of churches (and therefore theologies) in inner city London, was the Daily Examen which Ignatius Loyola promoted in his spiritual exercises. This is a simple practice which can be carried out once or twice a day and involves contemplating on two questions. For example, "what am I most grateful for today?" and "what am I least grateful for today?" or they can be framed in slightly different ways such as "what has given me life today?" and "what has drained life today?". By doing this and noticing and accepting emotions that crop up without trying to change how we feel, enables us to identify our blessings, i.e. what we are truly grateful for and draw towards more of the 'life-giving' elements in our lives. In turn this helps us to discern whether we are on the 'right path' and can make changes accordingly. It is like a divine inner compass.
Last year, after having received reiki treatment which helped me recover from the effects of an illness, I decided to attend an introductory reiki course. Reiki is a natural form of energy healing which was re-discovered in Japan in the early 20th century.
Reiki practitioners are taught 5 simple principles which guide daily living, one of which is "show gratitude to every living". I love this principle because it teaches me about the connectedness of all living things on our planet, that every creature has its place and purpose, and through our connectedness we are blessed.
So let us find a moment to be grateful for the wonders, blessings and miracles that are there in our daily lives.
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| Ignatius Loyola |
Last year, after having received reiki treatment which helped me recover from the effects of an illness, I decided to attend an introductory reiki course. Reiki is a natural form of energy healing which was re-discovered in Japan in the early 20th century.
Reiki practitioners are taught 5 simple principles which guide daily living, one of which is "show gratitude to every living". I love this principle because it teaches me about the connectedness of all living things on our planet, that every creature has its place and purpose, and through our connectedness we are blessed.
So let us find a moment to be grateful for the wonders, blessings and miracles that are there in our daily lives.
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