Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday—what a joy to gather together and celebrate food! It’s also a beautiful opportunity to give thanks for the wonderful things in our lives. Appreciation is more than a holiday feeling… it softens our hearts, calms our bodies, and opens us to more joy. Read how this practice transforms our health and happiness.
The Magic of Giving Thanks
Magic happens when we give thanks. Appreciating the good in our lives opens our heart and brings us into a state of ease and joy.
Noticing what we love and appreciating even small things puts our body into the parasympathetic nervous system—the state of rest, repair, and restore. From this space, everything functions better. Research shows gratitude lowers blood pressure, balances blood sugar, and strengthen our immunity. We’re in a better mood and sleep more soundly. Gratitude reduces stress and anxiety. It also boosts resilience, confidence, and overall satisfaction because it helps us see the beauty already in our lives. From this state we stay healthy naturally and effortlessly.
A Simple Daily Gratitude Practice
One of my favorite rituals is writing down 3–10 things I love or feel grateful for each morning, along with a few words about how each one makes me feel. For example:
– I love my wood stove—it fills me with warmth and comfort.
– I appreciate the birds at my feeder—I feel a connection we’re here together.
Something amazing happens when I do this regularly: throughout my day I naturally see things I love and appreciate. I don’t have to think about it it just happens. That the real magic. The gift of appreciation all day long.
You don’t have to write your gratitudes down but it does give it more energy. But even if you just think of 3-10 things you love or are grateful for each morning the magic still happen. You’ll discover your healthier and happier and more wonderful things show up in you life.
When Gratitude Feels Hard
What about when we wake up grumpy, discouraged, or frustrated? That’s okay it happens to me too. In that case don’t try and force gratitude. Forced positivity it is like putting ice cream on poop. The crap is still there.
Instead, bring love to the part of you that feels upset or grumpy. Offer yourself compassion. You might say:
– “I’m here with you. I love you exactly as you are.”
Loving yourself however you feel is a divine act of kindness. It’s unconditional appreciation for all the parts of yourself. Your body will body soften, your breath deepen and you”ll feel calmer. That’s real magic too!
Appreciation is a quiet kind of power, and the more we practice it, the more beauty we see.
When we sit down to eat, we’re invited into a moment of gratitude—an opportunity to savor, receive, and remember how supported we truly are.
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