In our continued discovery of deep gratitude this month, let’s begin with the most basic thing: our physical presence on this Earth. Don’t we all take this blessing for granted sometimes? Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a birth of any kind can’t help but feel an insuppressible joy at the miracle of new life but the question is, can we maintain that same wonder and gratitude as when we encounter our bodies? For the truth is, they’re every bit as miraculous now as they were then. To move into a deeper appreciation for our bodies, let’s dive in…

Dropping Judgment

Consider that our bodies are made of similar stuff as this incredible planet we live on – our hearts not only beat as one with Her, but we share the same minerals and fluids. Since we’re literally born of Her, the idea that the Earth is our mother is not just metaphorical. I know that each one of you love Her with all your heart and you’d never even think of criticizing Her for imperfections or lack because you understand that the planet supports all life, including ours. It is with reverence that we behold our Mama Pacha, not judgment. Like little fingers on her surface, our bodies are an extension of Her, so ideally we would carry the same reverence for our physicality as we hold for the Earth.

Thich Nhat Hahn takes this concept a step further by tying gratitude of the body to the entire Cosmos.

This helps us to remember that like our consciousness, our bodies are also not separate from what’s around us – we are One with All throughout time! So please be kind and appreciative of your sacred vessel if not for yourself, then for everything and everyone else.

Gratitude Practices for the Body

Upon waking and going to sleep, try these two simple practices to redesign your relationship with your beautiful body: Breath of Life – before opening your eyes in the morning, feel your breath easily flowing in and out. Imagine that the air that fills your lungs is the same precious air that greeted you when you first arrived. Tune into the joy that your first breath brought to your mother and those who delivered you; your long-anticipated entrance had finally happened! Spend a few moments basking in that wonder and magic as you continue to breathe.

Happy Faces – now imagine that all of the cells in your body, from your toes to your crown, are filled with smiley faces. Spend a few moments feeling the lightness of being that flushes through you as your body does a happy dance.

Now that you know that negative inner dialogues are not private affairs, I hope you will be inspired to be kinder to yourself, and in turn, influence the larger collective for the better.

My Infinite Wisdom guest this week, Susan Solovay, is an expert on gratitude, having learned the importance of shifting language and emotion where physicality is concerned. She had a life-altering diagnosis years ago that prompted a profound search into the power of deep beliefs and their influences on the body.

Have a beautiful week!

Infinite blessings,

Hope