I think many of us can identify the calmness and peace that comes with having the thought of thankfulness. If any of you have read my recent client manual or seen any research on what happens to the body when we experience stress versus when we cultivate peace and calm, you would put 2 and 2 together and know that anything bringing peace is going to have the power to heal. This is something we intuitively understand but the science is building to show this as well.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, the Japanese scientist and water researcher, discovered that vibrations affect the molecular structure of water. In his years of water research, through high speed photography of thousands of water crystals, Dr Emoto has shown the most “beautiful” (symmetric and well organized) crystals are those formed after the water is exposed to the words ‘love and gratitude.’ When water was exposed to words of “anger and hate”, the water crystals became asymmetric and disorganized. The fact that the human body is made of 70% water, one would consider how our thoughts can have profound implications on our health.
The wonderful thing about this feeling of gratitude is that it can be cultivated quite easily. One can do 15 minutes a day of gratitude practice and experience immediate benefits. The long-staying results though comes like anything does…. with consistent daily practice. That’s the kicker, right? Many of us will start a practice for a week or so and then see it flicker out. Here’s some steps to help build a daily “consistent” practice of gratitude that has good potential to last.
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Start small, 5 minutes. Success will lead to you trying again and not being overwhelmed. Set a timer and resist doing more.
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Link your practice to something else you already do daily, like a morning cup of coffee or brushing your teeth.
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Do it right before or after this already daily routine.
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During this 5 minutes jot down 3 things that make you feel gratitude.
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Do this for a month.
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Bump up to 10 minutes the next month.
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Bump up to 15 minutes the third month, this time add a nice sitting posture and a minute of quiet after.
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Continue to build as you feel so, adding other health routines like yoga or breathwork if desired.