A Powerful Meditation On Gratitude (VIDEO)

 

GRATITUDE — just mentally acknowledging the things you feel for which you feel thankful — is a simple practice that can boost your mood, help you focus on the positive and put a brighter filter on your day.

 

Being constantly mindful of all the things you have to be thankful for can boost your well-being. In a series of experiments detailed in a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, daily exercise practices and listing off all the things you are thankful for are linked with a brighter outlook on life and a greater sense of positivity. “There do appear to exist benefits to regularly focusing on one’s blessings,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The advantages are most pronounced when compared with a focus on hassles or complaints, yet are still apparent in comparison with simply reflecting the major events in one’s life, on ways in which one believes one is better off than comparison with others, or with a control group.”

 

Grateful high-schoolers have higher GPAs — as well as better social integration and satisfaction with life — than their non-grateful counterparts, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Happiness Studies. Researchers also found that grateful teens were less depressed and envious. This could be a factor in why the teens got better grades since they were less distracted and lived healthier lives. “When combined with previous research, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge about the benefits of gratitude in adolescents, and thus an important gap in the literature on gratitude and well-being is beginning to be filled,” researchers wrote.

 

Studies have also revealed that  gratitude could also boost pro-social behaviors, such as helping other people who have problems or lending emotional support to another person. This explains why religious services include reflection days and why so many self-help groups such as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) use grateful thinking practices.

 

Gratefulness is linked with optimism, which in turn is linked with better immune health, WebMD reported.

 

 

For example, a University of Utah study showed that stressed-out law students who were optimistic had more white blood cells (which help boost your immune system) than people who were pessimistic, according to WebMD.

 

 

Writing down what you’re thankful for as you drift off to sleep can quiet the mind and help you get better ZZs, according to a study in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.

 

 

Strengthens Your Relationships
Being thankful for the little things your partner does could make your relationship stronger, according to a study in the journal Personal Relationships.

 

The researchers have found that gratitude for everyday kind gestures helps people become close to others who care about their well-being.  Gratitude may help to turn ‘ordinary’ moments into opportunities for relationship growth.

 

A 1995 study in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that appreciation and positive emotions are linked with changes in heart rate variability.  Therefore being more mindful and acknowledging  gratitude may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension and in reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease.

 

Protects You From Negative Emotions That Come With Extreme Loss
WebMD reported that negative events can boost gratitude, and that gratitude can help to increase feelings of belonging and decrease feelings of stress.

 

Enjoy this Powerful Meditation Video…

 

>>>Meditation on Gratitude

 

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