The Power of Gratitude
At last! After spending half the year eagerly planning our summer escapes, we have finally arrived in the holiday season that we’ve been patiently waiting for. London’s parks are heaving, the rooftop bars are full and the positive vibes are spreading as the sun continues to shine; it is England’s chance to sparkle under the summer spotlight. And oh, how glorious it is. However, after such a long build up it can take a while to adapt to the seasonal shift and truly switch into holiday mode. It’s helpful to take a few moments of stillness at the beginning of your holiday to consciously reflect, relax and arrive in your space.
This year on the first day of my summer escape, I challenged myself to be still and discover what it was that helped me slow down after the high-stress, fast paced mode of city living. I found the most profound shift occurred during a simple practise of gratitude; a conscious state of reflection and appreciation, eliciting the feeling of pleasing and thanks; the definition of gratitudo, its Latin origin. But it didn’t end there. This practise felt greater than a mere holiday switch, so I went deeper. I discovered that with regular, conscious cultivation a simple practise of gratitude holds the potential to transform your body, mind and spirit. Allow me to explain how…
Our thoughts are physical. Every thought that we have fires an electrical signal in our brain that sends a current through our neural pathways. If we think something repeatedly, the neural pathway for that thought becomes thicker and stronger; the thought creates a physical structure in our brain that produces our behaviour, habits and characteristics – the electrical construction of our being, if you will. The impact of this process is realised when considering that the reinforcement of negative thoughts strengthens the neural networks that maintain mental states such as anxiety or depression. The latest official publication of Mental Health statistics for England (2018) stated ‘an estimated 1 in 6 people experienced ‘a common mental disorder’ like depression or anxiety in the past week’ (and these are only the reported cases). Furthermore, the majority of these cases are women between the ages of 16 – 24; it is therefore our responsibility to find preventative tools to strengthen our minds and protect us against life’s stressors. We must not underestimate the fragility of our minds.
‘You are more powerful than you think you are.
But you think you are less powerful than you actually are.
The sad thing is, you are only as powerful as you think you are’.
- Ted-Ex speaker, 2015
‘The Secret’ (2006) states that you can consciously transform your thoughts in order to manifest and create your reality – the law of attraction. I assume the reason it is called ‘The Secret’ is because (as the last line of the quote above suggests) we are largely unaware of our potential. A Japanese researcher and author, Masuru Emoto conducted a series of famous experiments (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008) in which he observed the physical effect of exposing different words, music, pictures and prayer to water molecules. He demonstrated that kind, loving words including ‘thank-you, love and appreciation’ transformed the water (that had been collected from rural lakes and rivers) into beautiful, crystalline structures; negative words on the other hand, had a destructive effect. Further studies including those conducted by Dr. Marcel Vogel (one of the pioneers of water consciousness studies) have demonstrated the same results. Given that our bodies and brains are constituted of 60-70% water, we are physically affected by the words spoken to us as well as those thought by us. Consider for a moment how words affect you; when someone says something loving versus critical, how does your body experience this? When your thoughts are self-negating versus self-loving, do you notice a difference?
To consciously cultivate an attitude of gratitude has the potential to strengthen your neural pathways that maintain positive mental states and protect us against stress, depression and anxiety (Wood et al, 2008); to purify the water that constitutes our brains and bodies (Emoto, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008); to increase our sense of mindfulness, positivity and appreciation for life and consequently to manifest a greater lived experience (Byrne, 2006). Further studies have demonstrated that a practise of gratitude effectively improves cardiovascular health, happiness, social relationships and wellbeing amongst others (Wood, Joseph and Maltby, 2009; Lambert and Fincham, 2011; Diener and Chan, 2011).
The only way to truly understand its power is to try it out: Find a comfortable position, whether you are sitting, standing, lying down or curled up in a ball. Close your eyes and think of something you are grateful for – this can be anything from your breath to your surroundings to your loved ones and beyond. After a few minutes, place your left hand on your heart and smile. With each exhale, repeat the mantra: ‘I am grateful’. Feel the gratitude in your body and allow your heart energy to expand.
This can be practised however often you feel is necessary but I suggest a mindful practise of a few minutes each day. It’s the perfect season to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and initiate the transformation from the inside out. You are more powerful than you think you are.
