Family. Friends. Food. There is so much to be thankful for this time of year, but finding gratefulness doesn’t always come easily. This year, learn how to cultivate a sense of gratitude — one that that radiates and illuminates all parts of your life — with this guide from Stephanie Matthias, founder of Radiant Woman Healing.
Stephanie is a holistic chef, postpartum doula and reiki healer with a gentle disposition that instantly puts us at peace. Her tips below will help you harness the power of gratitude for a spiritually elevated holiday season that’ll leave you feeling full of more than just food…
While receiving reiki from a skilled practitioner can be an incredibly powerful and transformative experience, it’s also important to remember that each of us has the power of healing within us. Reiki is the Universal Life Force and Universal Unconditional Love in practice and tapping into it can provide some much-needed soothing during times of high stress.
Like reiki, gratitude is a gentle, yet potent healing tool to bring us to the present moment. Practicing gratitude opens up the channels of the body allowing the life force to flow more easily, which contributes to stress reduction and general wellbeing.
Use Gratitude To Start The Day. Gratitude brings us to the present moment. A wonderful daily exercise to tune into gratitude is to make lists of the things in your life that you’re grateful for — I recommend starting each day this way. If you find it to be challenging in any way, bring your attention to the body. Be grateful for your breath, if nothing else. It’s the most simple practice and one you can do anywhere. Breathing is the easiest thing to be unaware of because it’s an automatic function of the body, but I think it’s one of the most powerful practices when we breathe mindfully.
We all have busy, full lives with little space for mindfulness — and this leads to living from a space of reaction rather than response. These days, we are all surrounded by triggers, especially during the holidays. Why? Because we’re spending time with family and friends who may share different lifestyles and/or points of view. For myself, I’m all about simplicity and ease. When I overcomplicate things they become unsustainable.
Reiki Is A Practice You Can Do Anywhere.If you’re someone who is new to mindfulness or someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to a daily practice, just pick one thing in your life that you are consistently and easily grateful for. For me, it’s breath. Make a mantra for yourself — for example, In this moment, I am grateful for my breath. I get to be alive. Now, use the mantra as your practice. When you first wake in the morning, hold your mantra in your mind. Call on it when you’re stressed, anxious, triggered or anytime you want to come back to your center and the present moment.
Stressed? Just Add Reiki.For those wanting to take this practice one step further and incorporate the reiki healing practice, lay your hands on your body while you breathe and remember your mantra. Begin by tuning into your breath and holding your mantra in your mind. Shift your attention to any areas of the body that are tense or uncomfortable. Bring your hands over that area and keep breathing. Imagine bright white healing light going to the places that need it and allow whatever emotions are there to come to the surface. Acknowledge them, breathe into them and when you feel ready, release them to the universe.
During the upcoming holiday season (and always) please be kind to yourself and others as much as possible. It’s so important. Remember, you are only human. You’re going to have moments when you step into drama. You may become involved in a situation or conversation that is triggering. You may say or do something you regret. Going into a mindset of gratitude, tuning into your breath and re-centering your heart space can help you shift from a reactive place to a responsive one. This won’t be perfect or easy, and it won’t happen every time, but beginning the practice is the first step.
