Gratitude Is Powerful Medicine
On this day where gratitude is in the spotlight, I want to express my sincere appreciation for allowing me to be part of your wellness journey over the years. Nothing gives me greater joy than guiding you to feel empowered in your health and life.
Gratitide is indeed one powerful human emotion. Both ancient wisdom teachings and now the fields of positive psychology and neuroscience understand the extent of its healing effects on our mental and physical being.
In the past few decades, study after study has established an overwhelming connection between gratitude in all its forms and our health and happiness.
Here are just some of the fascinating findings:
Keeping a gratitude journal causes less stress, improves the quality of sleep, and builds emotional awareness (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005.)
Participants in a study who felt grateful showed a marked reduction in the level of cortisol, the stress hormone. They had better cardiac functioning and were more resilient to emotional setbacks and negative experiences. (McCraty & Childre, 2004)
Counting Blessings vs Burdens (Emmons & McCullough, 2003), a study conducted on evaluating the effect of gratitude on physical wellbeing, indicated that 16% of the patients who kept a gratitude journal reported reduced pain symptoms.
People who express and feel gratitude have a higher volume of gray matter in the right inferior temporal gyrus and the neural changes are longlasting. (Zahn et al., 2014).
A study conducted on individuals seeking mental health guidance revealed that participants of the group who wrote letters of gratitude besides their regular counseling sessions, felt better and recovered sooner (Wong et al., 2018).
I know from my own journey, even when I’m struggling and in a difficult place, focusing my attention on what I am grateful for has made all the difference in helping me find balance and clarity in my situation.
I place my hands on my heart, go within and affiirm:
I have nourishing food, water and a loving place to call home. I am blessed.
My children are healthy and growing into wonderful human beings. I am so grateful.
I have friends and family who support me. I am grateful fpr their love.
I am thankful for my health and understand that it is a precious gift.
I am grateful for the healing power of being in nature.
I realize that this one brief life is a divine invitation to explore, create and experience boundless joy and I am thankful for it.
I hope you take the time today to send some gratitude and love to yourself, your body for all it does for you, and to those who you love and appreciate!
HAPPY THANKS GIVING!
