The people at the HeartMath Institute have offered a gift of many wonders for all of us to enjoy on this day, and along the way on all of our days.
This collection of captivating and intense video vignettes of life and humanity will move your heart off of whatever square it may happen to be resting upon at the moment.
Each theme is 5 to 10 minutes in length. It really does not matter where you start…but…you might gain a good orientation by starting with Forgiveness and then moving on to Focus, and then onward to the other features.
At the end of this Journal in the Post Script section you will also find a list of articles written about the health benefits of gratitude.
“If every day is a gift, then the only response is gratitude.”
Without further ado…from the HeartMath Institute…
“Treat yourself to a heartfelt gift this Thanksgiving by exploring Gratitude Revealed, a marvelous compilation of 15 short videos that will remind you how truly amazing and beautiful each and every day of this life is.
Gratitude Revealed will take you on a journey, a few minutes at a time, about the meaning, importance and benefits of cherishing each moment and always remembering to be grateful and to express your gratitude.
From making a deeper connection to yourself and others, to a more intelligent and creative meaning of patience, you and your family and friends will find something that resonates in your hearts when you watch filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg’s presentation.
Want to become a gratitude master? In conjunction with this presentation is a Mastering Gratitude program with 12 steps to guide you. Begin your journey with a Gratitude Journal and end with a Gratitude Letter. Learn about gratitude essentials such as forgiveness, connecting and active listening. Expand your sense of shared identity in Step 7 as you learn about personal, social and global coherence and your heart’s intuitive intelligence – from the HeartMath Institute.
Again, enjoy this heartfelt gift, Gratitude Revealed, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.”
Crestone and Beyond
If you should ever think that you are not entitled to, or deserve to experience any of the themes of these presentations, then the prayer/affirmation printed below should help.
To assist your journey along the way, this traditional Buddhist prayer for Loving Kindness (Metta) is offered. You can substitute anyone’s name, or any group’s name, for your own presence in the affirmation. This is also an affirmation for self love…
Signing off from Crestone and Beyond.
Wishing you the best that Life and Love have to offer.
Post Script….Listed below are some articles which explore the influence of gratitude on improved sleep, reduced stress, enhanced well-being, improved heart health, and other health parameters.
The science supporting the importance of gratitude and self-care is growing. When we feel and express gratitude and when we take good care of ourselves, we’re likely to see an improvement in many aspects of our lives, including our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, our relationships, and even our income.
By making the choice to practice gratitude and self-care, we have a tendency to be grateful for, and to care more for others—proving its importance not just for ourselves, but also for the world around us.
- Harvard Mental Health Letter…November 2011
- ABC News…November 23, 2011
- Mark’s Daily Apple, What it Means to Be Thankful for Your Health
- Greater Good Science Center
- Greater Good Blog and Newsletter
- Digital Gratitude Journal
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology…2003: 84(2); 377-389 (PDF)
- Psychology Today…November 9, 2011
- Huffington Post…May 24, 2013
- Huffington Post…November 22, 2014
- American Journal of Cardiology…1995 Nov 15;76(14):1089-93
- Huffington Post…November 30, 2014
- Express Gratitude…the healing power of gratitude is explored here via a dozen methods to practice expressing it.
- Being Grateful Is Good for Your Health…gratitude not only boosts joy and general life satisfaction, it’s also the single best predictor of good relationships, and benefits both sanity and physical health.
- Top 12 Tips to Strengthen Gratitude…the benefits of culturing gratitude and practices to enhance gratitude are covered here.