Grateful Living
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, ATTUNEMENT!
Each month we “tune into” a theme related to mindfulness and
explore a creative practice and tune based on this theme!
This month of November we’re TUNING INTO the frequency of:
GRATEFUL LIVING.
Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk and spiritual teacher, advocates what he calls grateful living, a philosophy centered on living life with an attitude of gratitude.
Here are some of his assertions:
1. Gratitude is a practice, not just a spontaneous positive emotional response when something good happens. Grateful living is a way of being that evolves when cultivated over time.
2. Mindfulness is the foundation for grateful living. When we fully embrace the present, we become aware of the countless opportunities we have to be grateful in this very moment.
3. Gratefulness contributes to our happiness. When we appreciate the small gifts life offers, we cultivate joy and a sense of fulfillment.
4. Grateful living deepens our sense of interconnectedness. When we are grateful, we become more aware of the ways we are connected to other people, beings, and the earth, which engenders empathy and compassion.
To get in the habit of cultivating gratitude, Steindl-Rast encourages us to:
Stop: Pause in your day and create a moment of stillness. Interrupt your your routine to make space for awareness and shift out of autopilot.
Look: Pay attention with curiosity, wonder, and lovingkindness, to what is around you and happening inside of you at this moment (i.e. a breeze through the trees; your heart beating).
Go: Take grateful action, based on what you just noticed. This might mean you thank someone, take a deep breath with gratitude, or perform an act of kindness.
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I love the below video (about 5 min long) with audio from David Steindl-Rast. I've watched it a number of times over the years, and each time I do I'm reminded of the incredible power of grateful living, and that I can only tap into this power when I'm awake to it.
When I'm mindful.
So let's keep practicing, friends.
Let's practice waking up by stopping and looking around before we keep going about our day.
Let's do this whenever we remember to, ideally (as my friend, mindfulness coach Daron Larson says) "more often than never"!
Allow what you just read serve as a reminder in this moment.
And now decide what you're going to do about it!
Creative Mindfulness Practice: Piece of Paper Meditation
Grab a piece of paper--any type will do.
Hold it in your hand as you read the below passage from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh:
If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow: and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are.
"Interbeing" is a word that is not in the dictionary yet, but if we combine the prefix "inter" with the verb "to be", we have a new verb, inter-be. Without a cloud, we cannot have paper, so we can say that the cloud and the sheet of paper inter-are.
If we look into this sheet of paper even more deeply, we can see the sunshine in it. If the sunshine is not there, the forest cannot grow. In fact nothing can grow. Even we cannot grow without sunshine. And so, we know that the sunshine is also in this sheet of paper. The paper and the sunshine inter-are.
And if we continue to look we can see the logger who cut the tree and brought it to the mill to be transformed into paper.
And we see the wheat. We know that the logger cannot exist without his daily bread, and therefore the wheat that became his bread is also in this sheet of paper.
And the logger's father and mother are in it too. When we look in this way we see that without all of these things, this sheet of paper cannot exist.
Take a few moments to sit in silence as you hold the paper in your hands, now with mindfulness and appreciation for the many causes and conditions that had to exist to make this paper, and for you now in this moment to be holding this very piece of paper.
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My November Events:
Grateful Living With SoulCollage®
Sat 11/2, 9-11am @ OSU Center for Integrative Health
Practicing gratitude improves wellbeing in many ways! In this workshop we'll infuse the theme of gratitude into the creation of SoulCollage® cards. SoulCollage® is an intuitive creative mindfulness method that supports your self-care and self-discovery. It’s an easy, playful, powerful process that connects you to your inner wisdom through the creation of 5x8” collaged cards of imagery which are unique reflections of you. First-time SoulCollagers welcome!
Honoring Grief With SoulCollage®
Thurs. 11/7, 6:30-8:30pm @ The Be Sanctuary, Upper Arlington, OH
SoulCollage® offers a powerful, creative outlet for navigating the complex emotions of grief. It provides a way to externalize your feelings, connect with inner wisdom, honor memories, and find moments of healing and clarity along the way. As a gentle, accessible practice, it can help make the grief journey a little less isolating and more grounded in self-compassion. Join us for card-making in supportive community! First-time SoulCollagers welcome.
The Art of Grateful Living & Journaling
Thurs 11/21, 6:30-8:30pm @ The Be Sanctuary, UA
Discover the transformative power of gratitude in this enriching workshop. Through a blend of psychoeducation, experiential mindfulness, reflection, and creative journaling prompts, you’ll learn how to cultivate a mindset of gratitude that can profoundly impact your daily life. Registration includes a journal to use in the workshop and to take with you!
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT for Spring SoulCollage® Retreat
Sat. 5/3, 9am-5pm @ Mills Park Hotel in the heart of Yellow Springs, OH
Revitalize your spirit this spring with a SoulCollage® retreat set amidst the serene beauty of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Join me at the charming Mills Park Hotel (just a 5-minute walk from downtown shops, restaurants, and Glen Helen Nature Preserve). This retreat is an opportunity to:
Explore your inner landscape by creating a personal deck of SoulCollage® cards.
Connect with like-minded individuals in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Experience the peaceful surroundings of Yellow Springs as you reflect and recharge.
The day will include all materials, guided instruction, and a swag bag!
Investment: $159. Register before 12/31/24 and save $20 with the code SOUL at checkout.
Hotel room block available if you choose to stay overnight Sat.; email me for details.
This Month’s Tune 🎵:
Each month I share a tune that resonates with the newsletter theme.
For this month’s theme of GRATEFUL LIVING, I've chosen the beautiful, ethereal song “Grateful” by St. Finnikin. Listen here on Spotify.
Here are the lyrics:
I am grateful, full to the brim
Yes i’m grateful, more than I have ever been
Grateful I woke up again
woke up and took a breath again
looked up and saw the sun again
i’m grateful for the eyes I haveI’m moving on my toes again
I’m grateful for the wind against my face
I’m grateful for that sensation of a loved one's embrace
I’m grateful for the lemon juice upon my lips
I’m grateful I can smile when I’m tasting it
I'm grateful for you. Have a cozy November and a Happy Thanksgiving!
