GratiTuesday – Gratitude for Meditation
Marking this particular GratiTuesday with personal gratitude for my meditation practice, as well as my practice of teaching meditation, or facilitating guided meditations for corporate clients and private students of all ages. In addition, dispelling popular misconceptions about ‘what meditation is and is not’ is also fun for me.
Likewise, introducing the practice of meditation to those who have never tried it, or those who – having tried and predictably failed to banish all thought in their meditation effort(s) – feel like meditation washouts. Well, these folks, the so-called washouts… They are my kindred spirits. I get them. I was them. I was them for many years until I explored all the many different way to practice and thus expanded my meditation repertoire.
For example, guided meditations are an easily accessible way for most new meditators to approach the practice of meditation. The teacher, facilitator, or narrator, leads the listeners through a set of mental or sensory prompts, or visual imagery. This narration is built upon an agreement to intentionally pay attention to what arises within one’s field of awareness. Sounds complicated, but it’s really not at all. Participating in a guided meditation is like listening to someone read a story out loud.
This is where things get interesting for nerds like me who are fascinated by ‘sciencey’ stuff such as neuroplasticity. When intentionally listening to a guided meditation the brain follows the story. The brain is engaged, or receptive; interested in what’s next without – perhaps – being invested in what comes next. The brain is essentially along for the ride.
Here’s the kicker: The ride is real for the brain. In other words, the brain can’t tell the difference between real events and the imagined situations or conditions described in the guided meditation. With practice, and often at the conclusion of one’s first guided relaxation – or gratitude – meditation experience, the practitioner reports feeling markedly more relaxed, or grateful. That’s pretty cool, huh?
If your curiosity is piqued and you are now interested in learning more about meditation, consider popping around to the FAQ page about meditation on my website: https://laurelblossomyoga.com/benefits-of-meditation/
As always, each Tuesday we invite one another to express one thing – in the comments field – for which you are grateful, and/or Share that sentiment as a post on your favorite social media site. It needn’t be lofty and can certainly reflect something we usually take for granted. I’ll go first… I AM so happy and grateful for guided meditations! Now your turn. I AM so happy and grateful now that/for: ____________________________________________________________________
#laurelblossomyoga #lbyofficewellness #corporateyoga #employeewellness #virtual #onsite #yoga #meditation #employeeengagement #corporateculture #gratitude #gratituesday #guidedmeditations
GratiTuesday – September 15th
Hello Yoga-Friends ~ It is GratiTuesday… again. Yup, each week on Tuesday we re-visit, re-mind and perhaps re-commit to a gratitude practice. Why? Because it works. It works as a tool for alleviating stress, diminishing depression, adjusting perspective… feeling better, happy or at very least, happier. It just works.
The ability to empower yourself through gratitude is a key to self-care, lifelong well-being and satisfaction, and yes, less stress.”
Najma Khorrami
Skeptical? Well, there is a growing body of scientific research supporting the positive benefits of gratitude. Google it. Or consider this Positive Psychology article, “The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief.” The article reports on the neural mechanisms and chemistry responsible for feelings of gratitude and related positive effects on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. All very scienc-y stuff, if that’s your thing. https://laurelblossomyoga.com/positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
Science is my thing. Gratitude is my thing. The science of gratitude is soooo my thing! Not only for my personal edification, but also useful in my vocation, as a corporate wellness consultant and service provider (omintheoffice.com). The capacity to offer clients science-based evidence regarding gratitude practices, such as meditation, to address increased anxiety and depression related to the COVID-19 pandemic, supports our clients’ commitments to investing in the health and well-being of their employees.
Now whether you or your loved ones are employed or not – and I am oh so aware of the great numbers of people who have been laid off, furloughed, or found their businesses unable to survive the ripple effect of pandemic safety protocols – gratitude practices are accessible to virtually everyone. And I mean that quite literally. Virtual gratitude practices, such as online meditations – either prerecorded or live-streaming – are widely available to anyone with access to the internet. Confused by the dizzying array of what’s ‘out there’? You are welcome to shoot me an email for specific resources. Follow the contact link or visit laurel blossom yoga on FaceBook. https://laurelblossomyoga.com/www.facebook.com/laurelblossomyoga/events/
What’s more there are meditation and gratitude apps for our smart phones. One such gratitude app, the relatively new Gratitude Circle, https://laurelblossomyoga.com/www.gratcircle.com/ developed by Najma Khorrami M.P.H., is a social media platform for sharing expressions of gratitude. The FREE app is available for download onto your smart phone in Apple and Google Play stores. Ms. Khorrami, who holds a Master of Public Health in Health Policy from George Washington University, and a Global Health Certificate from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote in a recent article for Psychology Today, “The ability to empower yourself through gratitude is a key to self-care, lifelong well-being and satisfaction, and yes, less stress.” https://laurelblossomyoga.com/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/comfort-gratitude/202007/gratitude-helps-minimize-feelings-stress
For example:
- Gratitude lowers stress hormones in the body.
- Gratitude has the ability to minimize caregiving stress.
- Gratitude also has the ability to minimize job-seeking stress.
If apps are not your thing, and moving away from our culture’s tendency toward technology-immersion is your preference, then perhaps a more analog approach to practicing gratitude would be more your thing. You might elect to begin a gratitude journal, or perhaps begin again with a previous gratitude journal practice. There are numerous ways to play at gratitude. Skeptical? Google it. Or poke around in the laurelblossomyoga.com/blog post archive for additional resources.
However, whenever, how often you choose to express gratitude is entirely up to you. Thank YOU for reading this (almost) all the way through. Press on to the final paragraph for another gratitude practice opportunity. ; )
As always, each Tuesday we invite one another to express one thing – in the comments field – for which you are grateful, and/or share that sentiment as a post on your favorite social media site. It needn’t be lofty and can certainly reflect something we usually take for granted. I’ll go first… I AM so happy and grateful to begin again. Now your turn. I AM so happy and grateful now that/for: ________________________________________________ #laurelblossomyoga #omofficeyoga #corporateyoga #corporatewellness #virtualyoga #vitualmeditation #reiki #om #mindufulness #gratitude #gratituesday #psychology #psychologytoday #scienceforthewin #neuroscience #gratitudecircle #NajmaKhorrami
GratiTuesday – July 28th
Hello Yoga-Friends ~ It is GratiTuesday once again. Been thinking about change. Since this pandemic went global, we have all been experiencing rather radical changes in our everyday lives, both personally and professionally. Even as some of us return to our jobs and offices, many of these changes are likely long-term. Perhaps permanent. As we navigate the waves of infection-rates rising and falling and rising again, more changes are inevitable.
I am a small business owner. Two small businesses, actually. Om in the Office www.omintheoffice.com is a corporate wellness consultancy and service provider. laurel blossom yoga www.laurelblossomyoga.com offers consumer yoga, meditation, and Reiki. Neither had brick and mortar offices. Both had completely onsite business models. Both businesses pivoted to 100% virtual in mid-March.
Naturally I have concerns about my clients, their companies and employees, as well as my community of students and their families. Are they healthy – physically, mentally, emotionally? Will their businesses (jobs) survive this pandemic? How will that affect economies, policies, social structure? The pandemic has illuminated and magnified numerous systemic failures – locally, nationally and globally. Everything is connected, intertwined, interdependent, and everything is changing.
Amid all this change we – you, me, companies, societies, countries – we all have opportunities to initiate thoughtful and intentional adjustments – or perhaps complete overhauls – throughout the many areas we now see are obviously not sustainable. Fear not. We – meaning humanity – have been in worse pickles in our past; Cholera, The Great American Dust Bowl, and HIV/Aids spring to mind. We – meaning humanity – pull together, figure things out, make changes. I’m optimistic.
… change things up a bit while you reflect on the meaningful changes you intend to make in your life.”
However, if all the unanswered questions bouncing around your brain have been keeping you up at night, well, then I recommend… meditation. – You did see that coming, right? – Or you could take a gander at an MIT Technology Review article published June 30, 2020, “Beyond Covid-19 Lies a New Normal—and New Opportunities.” https://laurelblossomyoga.com/www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/30/1004575/beyond-covid-19-lies-a-new-normal-and-new-opportunities/ It offers something I call ‘BIG Tink’ (not misspelled). Ask unthinkable questions, stand on your head (because perspective is everything) and then imagine wild-out-of-the-box solutions. This includes changing the rules! Particularly if the rules no longer serve.
Please note: It is paramount that you take frequent breaks to breath, move, play, eat, meditate, whatever – when engaged in Big Tink. How do you know it is time for a break? Do you feel bored, tired, anxious, hangry, etc.? Is it fun? If it’s not fun and flowing, then it’s time for a break. You know… change things up a bit while you reflect on the meaningful changes you intend to make in your life.
As always, each Tuesday we invite one another to express one thing – in the comments field – for which you are grateful, and/or Share that sentiment as a post on your favorite social media site. It needn’t be lofty and can certainly reflect something we usually take for granted. I’ll go first… I AM so happy and grateful for change. Now your turn. I AM so happy and grateful now that/for: ____________________________________________________ #laurelblossomyoga #omofficeyoga #corporateyoga #corporatewellness #virtualyoga #vitualmeditation #reiki #om #mindufulness #gratitude #gratituesday #meditation#pandemic #MIT #change #systemicchange