When I think of gratitude, I think about how practicing
gratitude positively affects my vibration. We hear about the practice of
gratitude and about raising our vibration and how having a higher vibration can
produce a happy life and even promote manifesting things in life that we want.
Often I have found myself having to go back to the basics of the purpose of
exercising gratitude and the many benefits it has on my life. For many of us
that deal with depression and anxiety, it seems there is always something that
can take us from exercising gratitude and being present to being worried and
taken out of the present! When in the middle of living life to the fullest, we
can get out of practice with the things that sustain us. And that’s ok, it
happens to the most savvy, spiritual, and enlightened of us. The thing is to
recognize it, own it, and not stay there. If you find yourself needing to get
back to the basics of practicing gratitude, here are some tips on how to come
back to center.
First, find your base level:
When it comes to everyday life, like interactions with your
partner(s), your children, and co-workers; or the business of life, like who is
going to cook dinner, or what time you need to leave work to make it to the
kid’s game, or how long do you have to eat dinner before going to your second
job; we can easily get caught up in the next task and find ourselves
spiraling. The next thing you know, it’s
been 3 weeks since you thought about what being so busy means to you on a soul
level and you might find yourself questioning if you even enjoy your life! In
moments like this, stop and take a deep breath. No seriously, stop. Nudge
yourself to remember why you are doing the things you are doing. A base level is about being able to get to
the point of it all. You might say “I’m rushing to class because I’m going to
have a degree (or certificate or skills) that will assist me in some way that
is meaningful. It won’t always be like this.”
Base levels are the reasons behind the task. When you can get back to
this place, you can think about the task a little more present to its meaning
and begin the path back to gratitude. You can then begin to say, “Wow, I’m
juggling a lot. I’m pushing myself now so that I can reach my goal. It’s ok to
have a hard time from time to time. I just have to keep in mind why I’m doing
this and soon, I will be on to the next goal/task!” The base level takes you
out of complaining, avoiding, or sulking. When you’ve reached a point where you
have to connect to your base, that is the best time to just take it easy on
yourself and remind yourself that you are doing the best you can. Base levels
are about owning whats really going on and being gentle with yourself in the
process. Once you've done this you are
already closer to your center and on your way to your gratitude practice.
Next, connect with your will:
In my study of chakras, energy centers through the body
that help us balance our vibration and aura, I find the “will” to be very helpful
in connecting with gratitude once I have been able to get connected to my
base. There are names for the energy
centers of the body and the one at the center of our being, our core, is called
the Will Chakra. It governs just what it says, our will. Your will sits at the
center of your being and is connected to what many call “your gut”. It’s that
often unexplained part of you that might say “I don’t know what it is but
something seems off. I better not go that way today”. While it is good at
protecting you, it is also good at helping you to do/perform task, to manifest,
and to balance the amount of energy you give to a task. So say you have
remembered why you are doing the things you are doing, you have found your base
and you're beginning to feel connected
to your task again. Now you can connect to how much of your current actions are
helping you reach your goal and if you need to do some self care or adjusting
in any way. This is about sitting with
your inner self and working through if what you are doing is aiding you in your
goal, distracting you from your goal, or if you need a break in routine, etc.
Connecting to your will can be about asking yourself questions that get to the
bottom of your intention for your task. Are you trying to do “too much”, too
soon? Do you need to slow down or maybe even take a day off? Connecting to your
will can help you get in touch with the things we have to DO in the world with
much more intention to ensure that we are not just doing busy work and that we
are busy doing work that matters! Your inner knowing will always work to
protect you and keep you in alignment with you highest good. Getting in touch
with you will by asking yourself some tough questions can really help you say
in alignment with your highest self. So get in there and ask those tough
questions to find the intention behind your task and adjust accordingly.
Lastly, come back to gratitude
Now that you have moved from the base, to the center, you
can come back to gratitude with some clarity and receptiveness. You can begin
to believe it when you say “I am grateful for my job” because you have worked
yourself back to a place of meaning it rather than sort of reciting it out of habit or reciting it in hopes that you'll mean
it eventually. It’s not that we are ever not grateful for the things we have,
the things we are able to do, or the people in our lives, but navigating life
has a funny way of taking the focus off of that gratitude. We don’t become
ungrateful, we get out of touch with our soul level wisdom. Things become task
to get done and move on to the next. You
forget why you wanted it in the first place, or you get hit hard with a set
back at work or financially and you focus there. Slowly, your vibration begins to
drop until you no longer feel as connected to the things you are doing and thus
not really able to practice gratitude or FEEL grateful. Once you move your
vibration back to this point you can return to gratitude heart centered and
honestly. When your emotions are in alignment with what you are saying they
produce a much more powerful energy. This allows practicing gratitude to be
that sustaining force that it is for so many. You can return to your gratitude
journal, or gratitude morning ritual, or acts of gratitude such as
giving a little extra to the server, or donating to a cause, or thank
you notes to those you are grateful for.
All the ways that you express your gratitude can be potent and continue
to produce the kind of energy that allows for expansion, joy, and fulfillment
in life.
There are many that don't live with depression or anxiety
and might still find that you need to figure out how to raise your vibration
through gratitude. When living with depression and anxiety, you might find
yourself having to do this work to get back to center often. But the work is
worth it and soon, it won't take as long as it use to. We can live our lives
with joy, contentment, faith, and possibility if we take it one day at a time,
and allow ourselves to keep it real about where we are at and release any shame
attached to it. I practice gratitude because it keeps me tapped into the beauty
of this life and helps me vibrate at a level of appreciation and thankfulness
that produces joy and excitement about life. I haven’t always been able to do
that and I'm not always able to stay here. If you live with depression and/or
anxiety, I encourage you to give this process a try. It has helped sustain me
more often than I can count. I hope it helps you too!
TaMeicka L. Clear is a Spiritual and Emotional Wellness Coach,
a Body Positive Coach, and Social Issues Educator. Meicka is an ordained
minister, an Ifa practitioner, Reiki Level 1 practitioner, and studies
numerology and tarot. She is an empath and intuitive healer that focuses on
co-creating programs and healing spaces with people of color, women, and
LGBTQIA people.
