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Gratitude as a Living Practice
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Gratitude is a word we are all familiar with, and in many new thought circles it receives a lot of attention. -and rightly so! November is America's month to celebrate Thanksgiving, our national Holiday of giving thanks for our heritage and the many blessings in our lives. But what is Gratitude, aside from being thankful for certain things or circumstances? Let's look at Gratitude as a state of Being, and how it relates to the breath...

"What Spirit thinks about, it becomes." ~Leonard Orr.

What you, (as a conscious, Spiritual, living being,) think about, you become. Breath is receptive; an all moving life-force. Thoughts are active, directional energy. What you think about, you literally are breathing life into.

When we are in a state of Gratitude, we are appreciating something. Whether it be something grand and seemingly larger than our selves, or something small and sweet in its own beautiful simplicity, we are appreciating it. And appreciation grows.

I made an agreement with myself years ago, that I would always express my gratitude and admiration, or just simply what I appreciated in someone else. I promised to myself, to share the compliment, the love, and the joy I experienced in someone's presence. Expressing the gratitude I felt, with no attachment to the outcome, other than just allowing myself to be in Joy. This changed my life dramatically.

Expressing admiration, gratitude, and appreciation changed my relationship to people, and my experience of humanity, in the most beautiful ways. It has brought more smiles, laughter, friendships, and community than I ever imagined was possible, from this simple little practice.

If criticism and ill spoken words are poisons in relationships, then Gratitude, admiration, and appreciation are the balms that sooth and heal.

So many times expressing Gratitude has been my first impulse, and then I stopped, because of a fear of what people might think, a fear of being misunderstood, a fear of rejection, or a fear of looking corny! There are so many more reasons why we don't express our love and appreciation.

What are some of the reasons you don't express your Gratitude?

How might your experience of life change if you stepped beyond those fears, and expressed the joy in your heart anyways?

Gratitude is an energy we can live from, a state of Being we can generate within our selves, and share with every person we meet throughout the entire year. It does not have to be limited to a holiday or an occasional meditational practice.

I created a short video to share with you this year. It can draw forth the energy of Gratitude in your own self, and it is something you can share with everyone in your life you are thankful for.

You can watch the Gratitude Movie here: www.GratitudeMovie.com

~Enjoy!

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Breath Awareness Practice
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1. Set aside all distractions. Stop whatever else you are doing, for just a few moments.

2. Sit, or lie down comfortably.

3. Inhale and exhale deeply through your nose with your mouth closed. Always place the emphasis on pulling in a deep inhale, and completely releasing the exhale. Do not withhold, push, or control how fast the air escapes your lungs. Continue doing this, as deeply, naturally, and smoothly as you can.

4. Think of a time in your life when you experienced great Joy; Great Joy at any age or time. Observe the people, events, or circumstances that were around you then.

---- breathe ---

5. Feel the Joy of that moment, and continue to breathe, allowing yourself to go deeper into that feeling of joy. You may have other memories of other times you experienced great joy, rise to the surface. Follow these memories of joy, allow the breath to move your thoughts from one joy to the next.

---- breathe ---

6. Feel the Joy in your body now. Feel yourself in this moment now, sitting or laying right where you are. You can visualize this joy being wrapped in a warm, golden light, or maybe the joy is a rose or bright flame, whatever you like. See this joy stored in your heart; neatly and perfectly embraced in your heart, where it can be called upon at any time. It is always with you.

7. Observe your experience.

Joy is a state of being that you can generate within yourself at any time by going within and using this practice. At times, there may be memories of sadness or pain that seem to be blocking the way. But know that your Joy, your God/Mother/Father/Universe/Divine Being, is always there, waiting to be revealed beneath your deepest sorrows, and to catch you in your highest 'highs.' If you continue to breathe, this will inevitably be revealed to you in your own, perfect timing.

~Enjoy!

Breathing is elemental to having a healthy, happy, living body. By identifying your own inhibited breathing habits you can begin a healing process that will benefit you for the rest of your life!

We hope you enjoyed this month's Newsletter.
Take a look around the Learn-to-breathe-energy website
at these Important Links to Our Site:

Intl. Practitioner Directory -find Breathwork Practitioners for sessions and phone consultations.

Choosing a Breathwork Practitioner -important guidelines for choosing the right Breathwork Practitioner for you.

Breathwork Events -stay informed about various breathwok events, workshops, and trainings happening world wide.

Share your Success Stories -this is an exciting, inspiring, uplifting page that should see a ton of growth in the upcoming months. Read and share your experiences with Conscious Breathing Rebirthing.

Breathe Energy eBook -learn Twenty Connected breaths and other breathing exercises you can use today to begin healing your own inhibited breathing patterns.

Bookstore and More -we have hand picked our favorite selection of books about Rebirthing, with authors such as Leonard Orr, Sondra Ray, and more. Also includes a great deal of other resources for mind, body, and spirit!

Contact Us -we are happy to hear from our newsletter subscribers and website visitors. Please don't hesitate to contact us!

May you Be Blessed,

Sara Dawn
Webmaster
Learn-to-breathe-energy.com