Oakville Zen Meditation

#415: Gratitude in the Zen way by Miranda Oct 10 22

Gratitude

Gratitude, as a quality of the heart, often escapes me. Like most people, I usually get carried away by the demands of everyday life, the endless to-do lists, the ongoing planning, and my over-active, problem-solving mind. Seldom do I stop and experience gratitude, and yet, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling as though my experiences of gratitude are few and far between. This is particularly true considering that, evolutionarily speaking, having a negativity bias seems to be part of human nature, a system built-in as a means of survival.

In the past couple of decades, there has been a boom of research surrounding the experience of gratitude. These studies have shown that gratitude increases well-being, ranging from better sleep to better relationships. “Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed,[30] and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships.[27][31][32].” (Wikipedia)

In addition to all of these benefits, gratitude also functions as an antidote to greed. In a world that is fueled by constant consumerism and distractions, when we are grateful for the many wonders we experience in each moment, a sense of contentment and well-being seems to naturally arise. A sense that this moment is enough!

Being grateful during challenging times is particularly hard, it even seems a bit like an oxymoron, but as Jon Kabat-Zinn often points out: “As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than there is wrong, no matter how ill or how hopeless you may feel.” With a sense of gratitude, we can support ourselves during challenging times, we can expand our awareness to the full gamut of our experiences and find the good among the bad and the ugly. However, if we get stuck in only what is hard, we can easily spiral down into the abyss of despair and miss what is supportive and nourishing in our lives. I don’t mean experiences of gratitude as blinders, allowing us to pretend that everything is great, but rather gratitude is an acknowledgment of what is difficult, leaning into the challenges in a non-judgmental fashion, without losing sight of what is good. This way, even when life throws us a curveball, by taking a moment to slow down, center ourselves, and truly experience the present moment, we can find space to reframe our views and experience gratitude for the many, simple miracles of life. With this approach, mindful awareness can lead to a more dispassionate investigation of our afflictions, and how to amass the energy to accept and potentially deal with them, thus helping us meet each moment in a skillful and more open-hearted manner.

In our busy lives, driven by constant action, always jumping from one thing to the next, we often fail to recognize all of the wonderful moments and experiences which we take for granted; from our breath to the heartfelt hug of a friend, the daily rising of the sun, the room that is lit by the simple flick of a switch, all that has happened for us to be here right now, to name just a few. It’s easy to get lost in the burdens of our daily lives, particularly in the more difficult moments. Yet, in many ways, it is the act of being present to what is happening at any given moment which provides us with the clarity to realize that the glass is, in fact, half full…and better yet, to bei

Gratitude

Gratitude, as a quality of the heart, often escapes me. Like most people, I usually get carried away by the demands of everyday life, the endless to-do lists, the ongoing planning, and my over-active, problem-solving mind. Seldom do I stop and experience gratitude, and yet, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling as though my experiences of gratitude are few and far between. This is particularly true considering that, evolutionarily speaking, having a negativity bias seems to be part of human nature, a system built-in as a means of survival.

In the past couple of decades, there has been a boom of research surrounding the experience of gratitude. These studies have shown that gratitude increases well-being, ranging from better sleep to better relationships. “Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed,[30] and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships.[27][31][32].” (Wikipedia)

In addition to all of these benefits, gratitude also functions as an antidote to greed. In a world that is fueled by constant consumerism and distractions, when we are grateful for the many wonders we experience in each moment, a sense of contentment and well-being seems to naturally arise. A sense that this moment is enough!

Being grateful during challenging times is particularly hard, it even seems a bit like an oxymoron, but as Jon Kabat-Zinn often points out: “As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than there is wrong, no matter how ill or how hopeless you may feel.” With a sense of gratitude, we can support ourselves during challenging times, we can expand our awareness to the full gamut of our experiences and find the good among the bad and the ugly. However, if we get stuck in only what is hard, we can easily spiral down into the abyss of despair and miss what is supportive and nourishing in our lives. I don’t mean experiences of gratitude as blinders, allowing us to pretend that everything is great, but rather gratitude is an acknowledgment of what is difficult, leaning into the challenges in a non-judgmental fashion, without losing sight of what is good. This way, even when life throws us a curveball, by taking a moment to slow down, center ourselves, and truly experience the present moment, we can find space to reframe our views and experience gratitude for the many, simple miracles of life. With this approach, mindful awareness can lead to a more dispassionate investigation of our afflictions, and how to amass the energy to accept and potentially deal with them, thus helping us meet each moment in a skillful and more open-hearted manner.

In our busy lives, driven by constant action, always jumping from one thing to the next, we often fail to recognize all of the wonderful moments and experiences which we take for granted; from our breath to the heartfelt hug of a friend, the daily rising of the sun, the room that is lit by the simple flick of a switch, all that has happened for us to be here right now, to name just a few. It’s easy to get lost in the burdens of our daily lives, particularly in the more difficult moments. Yet, in many ways, it is the act of being present to what is happening at any given moment which provides us with the clarity to realize that the glass is, in fact, half full…and better yet, to be grateful for that clarity.

ng grateful for that clarity.