Gratitude

With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,

We should live with a sense of gratitude in our daily lives. Regardless of our circumstances, we are alive to greet the dawn's light; we can confront each moment of a new day, we can learn, we can appreciate, and we can be of help to others. These are true blessings.

To live this way, we must decide to live this way. To live this way, we must live out this decision.

How often do we think, "I will practice mindfulness" and then as life throws us a curve (and life always throws that curve), we are hardly mindful at all and caught in the emotion of the moment. A decision must be lived other wise its just pretty words. We gain this ability through a disciplined spiritual practice.

In Zen we often place our palms together. This gesture, known as gassho, is a hand mudra. It signifies an effort to bring ourselves (our energy) together while at the same time communicating humility to others. It is very difficult to remain angry with a person when we place our palms together in front of them. It is true. Try it.

Moreover, this small gesture acknowledges the Universal in each of us. In this gesture we release our self and open ourselves to others. Opening is wonderful. It allows bad thoughts and feelings to escape and good thoughts and feelings to enter. When we live life with an open heart we live gracious lives.

Place your palms together, gather yourself, place your attention on your breath, lower your eyes, and take in the moment as it is.

Be well.