Welcome Spiritual Warrior, to this week’s edition of The Source in which we explore parts of our lives we may not have recognized as deserving of gratitude!!!
How do we cultivate an attitude of gratitude? How does it work? Every morning I begin my meditation practice with a few minutes of gratitude. It happens the moment I wake up – BEFORE I even open my eyes!! As I slowly become conscious or aware that I am no longer sleeping, I silently ask myself, “What am I grateful for?”
And this is the important part — I don’t answer. I just repeat that question over and over 50 times like a mantra. Then I sit for a minute and just fill my mind and my heart with everything I am grateful for. Experiences, opportunities, people, the miracles that unfold each day – both profound and mundane.
Then I open my eyes, RPM (rise, pee, meditate), and I have ten minutes of gratitude rippling through me before I’ve even brushed my teeth!!! Remember that where attention goes, energy flows. [tweet_dis]Whatever we place our awareness on blooms and blossoms and grows… and what we drift our awareness away from withers, diminishes and dies.[/tweet_dis]
And by placing my awareness on gratitude before I have even absorbed one ray of sunlight, gratitude becomes the trajectory of my morning, my day, and my week! Every seed I plant throughout the day is planted in the fertile soil of gratitude.
Some of the greatest heart-based teachers such as Osho, David Simon, and Pema Chodron have stressed that enlightenment cannot be achieved by meditation alone. If our heart is heavy, that heaviness will stand in the way of bliss. If our heart is heavy, then our meditation will be more of an intellectual exercise and we want to move out of our head and into our heart.
Starting our day with gratitude ensures that we move through the day with grace and ease. And that’s the space that I choose to live my life from. I am not always so graceful or so easy, but my morning gratitude practice starts me off on a sweet, forgiving, compassionate, grateful path. It’s up to me to stay on it or find my way back when I’ve strayed throughout the day.
What a magnificent journey to be on! I invite you to join me every morning as we start the day in gratitude. It doesn’t guarantee that the day will unfold perfectly or as predicted, but it does guarantee that as each moment unfurls its miracle, I am right there – only a few heartbeats away starting from a space of gratitude.
Peace. -davidji
Join Me in the Heart of the California Redwood Forest at 1400 Multiversity in August
The giant redwood forests hold so much sacred power, so much divine energy for inspiring transformation. And it’s the perfect location for my upcoming 5-day workshop at 1400 Multiversity in Scotts Valley, California.
Now is the time to plant the seeds of our evolution!!! Our intentions are those seeds, which determine the vibration of our existence – the fabric of our lives. So what seeds shall we plant?
During these five days, you will access the stillness and silence that rest within, lock down a lasting meditation practice, and release aspects of your life that no longer serve you, and awaken your power to set the intentions of your dream life. As you immerse in this insightful and inspirational workshop and commune with like-minded individuals, you will learn:
- Tools to experience greater clarity to make decisions for your highest good
- To tap the confidence within and find your inner voice in critical moments
- Skills to communicate more consciously in relationship conflict
- Time-tested practices to help you release stress and anxiety when you feel that weight on your chest.
You will leave this experience able to integrate meditation, mindfulness, conscious choice-making, and ancient wisdom into your actual contemporary life and experiences. Your newfound practice will help you gain clarity on what it is you truly want in life as you master techniques to manifest your dreams and desires to live a purpose-driven life.
- Master the art of getting clear on your life’s purpose and manifesting the outcomes that your heart desires.
- Begin to meditate or take your meditation practice to the next level and experience positive benefits in all areas of your life.
- Tap your inner resources of confidence, clarity, and insight to make wise decisions as you follow your intuitive knowing and lead from love in your life.
Accommodations for this 5-day immersion are available on the 1440 Multiversity Campus. Click here for details.
About 1440 Multiversity
1440 Multiversity is a new school in Santa Cruz County, California that offers teachable skills for better living. It’s a place where you can choose your path to a better life—on purpose, with practice. Learn more here >>