What is gratitude? From an individual perspective, the answer will alter depending upon what any given person believes and releases into the world. Collectively, the answer for any one person within a group will not be the same.
Gratitude is categorized as a two-step process according to research put forth by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough. Further, some psychologists now classify gratitude into the following three categories:
- Affective Trait: overall tendency to have a grateful disposition
- Mood: daily fluctuations in overall gratitude
- Emotion: a temporary feeling of gratitude perhaps felt after receiving a favor
Gratitude happens all the time, too. About 69% of all people are grateful when something unexpectedly good happens. People are generally grateful for their children and family as well. Women and men both express gratitude regularly, but women do so more often. Regularly about 52% of women express gratitude when they feel it, and around 44% of men do.
Gratitude has even been shown to improve sleep quality. In 2011, research revealed that spending just 15 minutes writing in a gratitude journal may let you sleep longer and better.
Meditate On Gratitude
Expressing gratitude crosses cultural and social boundaries, and humans across the world are accustomed to giving gratitude. If gratitude increases your happiness then you should practice gratitude, right? One way to practice gratitude is to meditate on things you’re grateful for. To learn meditation is to begin practicing techniques to assess inner peace. Being calm and still is an uncommon experience for many of us, and experiencing gratitude in those inner moments can be a delight.
There are a number of ways to learn and practice meditation. Meditation in itself is an experience that will take time to cultivate. It’s different for each person and will take persistence. A meditation coach can be a highly useful tool for everyone interested in taking it up for the first time, and even for the experienced practitioner.
Through meditation, it is possible to slow down and appreciate the moment. Dwell upon the cycles and various aspects of the universe. It is a slow dance. While moments of inner quiet do happen, meditation is more about riding the waves of thoughts.
A meditation coach is but a door through which various techniques and knowledge can be attained. They cannot meditate for you, they can only guide you.
If you are looking for a practice worth incorporating throughout the rest of your life, gratitude through meditation just might be a wonderful option for you. The resources available to pursue this goal are abundant and you should explore them if it interests you.
