Gratitude Rituals

A Gratitude Ritual at its simplest, is nothing more than appreciating what is good in life. I suppose in a way that makes it a little strange ~ why should any of us need a ritual to focus on what is good?

The fact is we are a village species, now being bombarded with global news, much of it sad, violent, and tragic. Along with this, we live in a time, where many people feel disconnected; from self, each other, animals, and Mother Earth. The coupling of these two has made it way too easy to be overcome with the negative; Gratitude Rituals switch our focus back to the positive.

• Tell someone you are grateful for them and why ~ it can be a loved one, someone in your social media circle, a co-worker, a person who holds a door open for you, or someone doing it hard who just needs to hear some encouragement. Letting others know they are appreciated helps you to appreciate self as well.
• Have a gratitude coin jar ~ every time you feel a moment of thanks throw a coin in your jar. When you have enough, use the money to do something for someone who has less to be thankful for than you do.

• An evening conversation or reflection ~ when you sit down for your evening meal (or any other time), if you are with company, take it in turns of saying what you are grateful for in your day. If you are eating on your own, you can do it as an inner reflection, run through all that felt beautiful in your day and give thanks.

Gratitude Rituals are a way of re-connecting with self and the world around us. Like many things they are self-fulfilling prophecies ~ the more you engage, the more they work; not surprising really when you remember that everything is energy and everything is connected.

A Zen parable: Rengetsu was a female mystic travelling on a pilgrimage. She arrived at a village just before nightfall. She asked the villagers for lodging for the night and was refused by everyone, forcing her to spend the night outside under the stars. She was awakened in the middle of the night by the cold. In the light of the full moon she saw the fully opened cherry blossoms. She was so overcome by their beauty, she wrote this poem:

Through their kindness in refusing me lodging, I found myself beneath the blossoms on the night of this misty moon.

(1) Why rituals work (2) Zen and tea (3) What is a talisman