We are entering the season of thanksgiving. Not only do we look forward to delicious dairy-free pies and, hopefully, precious family time, but we are also upon the eleventh month of the year. What better time to think about gratitude, gratefulness, and giving than the closing of the year? Thanksgiving is the perfect meditation to go inward, especially as it is also the Scorpio season.
Here are a few ways to really ground yourself in all the blessings that surround us. Finding the gratitude and warm vibes for both the big things, your new yacht, and the small, laughing with a loved one, is a beautiful practice. It sounds cliché, but finding gratitude isn't always the easiest thing to do, especially when life is moving so quickly or unbearably slow at times. Let's slow down, breathe, and reflect on the beauties and blessings of life that are within us and around us.
Here are some ways to practice gratitude this season of thanksgiving.
Keep a journal
Journaling on a near-daily basis, even if it's jotting down one note or thought, is a healthy way to stay in touch with yourself. Your journal is your safe space, and you can always go back and look upon your thoughts and see them in many different ways. A journal is a constant conversation with yourself outside of your mind's space.
Try writing down 10 things you are grateful for and/or that bring you joy. Keeping it simple is lovely...someone smiled at you, a flower had a beautiful pink color, a cloud looked like a puppy. Anything works so long as it feels good for you, and you can read the ten things back and see how much beauty is in your life.
Do feel-good yoga
Yoga should always feel good, but every pose evokes certain energy, and for grounding and gratitude, here are a few that you can feel out:
child's pose
seated forward fold
standing forward fold
mountain pose
low lunge
cat/cow
warrior 2
dancer pose
tree pose
resting pose (flat on the back, muscles totally relaxed)
Dance in your room
Put on a record or playlist that you absolutely love and dance your heart out. Don't worry about feeling silly or clumsy. Just feel the music in your body and let yourself get lost. That song is always there for you and can be played over and over again. Isn't that great?
Pro tip: There is a powerful, beautiful full moon in Taurus on Halloween night. Consider jamming and swaying to our Halloween Spotify playlist to tap into that lunar vibe. Taurus is an Earth sign that exudes energies of comfort, homeyness, and the rich, plentiful, giving soil beneath our feet. It's a wonderfully refreshing, grounding energy to tap into.
Watch a film you love
Films are amazing creations of art meant to teach you, inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry, make you wonder. Art is truly a gift, as big as that sounds, and I am not grateful when I can stream a movie that cracks me up or makes me feel as though I've just been on a daring adventure (in a way, I have!). Watching new movies is exciting too, but I always find comfort in coming back to characters that have become dear friends of mine. Turn on the old DVD player or Chromecast a movie you never fail to laugh at.
My personal choice is all three Austin Powers films.
Light candles/incense or spray essential oils
Aromatherapy is so grounding. It brings you into your body. Take a slow, deep breath and smell the lavender or sandalwood.
It also acts as a relief towards depression and anxiety, reduces stress and headaches, and increases energy flow. I recommend Eden's Garden essential oils, available via their website or Amazon.
White Barn (part of Bath and Body Works) and Yankee Candle have some great deals on beautiful candles. I recently went to White Barn and stocked up on pumpkin and Christmas candles. Lighting a pumpkin candle in my room and creating a cozy environment that smells amazing really grounded me and put me in the autumn vibe.
Walk in the garden barefoot
Planting your bare feet into the soil is such a simple and divine moment. You come from the Earth and the Earth is always there to support you. The ground gives you the food you eat and helps purify the water you drink. Earth is always carrying you. Spend some time with her and feel her on your bare skin. While you're planting yourself into the ground, maybe listen to the wind, the birds, or watch the leaves on the trees sway. Soak up the beauty of nature that is always around us.
Breathe
Practice a breathing technique of your choice or simply just sit and breathe. Paying close attention to your breath puts you back into your body. You can even take it a step further and do a full body check. What does my hair feel like? Is it frizzy and curly today or straight, soft? How are my legs--crossed at the knee, hanging off of my chair, in lotus pose? Turn music off and listen to what is around you--perhaps the humming of your AC unit, the crackling of the flame in your candle, or the sound of your own breath. Simple exercises such as these make you aware of your body.
Happy Thanksgiving Season. We are grateful for you!