Healing Power of Gratitude

Ready to feel better and heal faster?  Many scientific studies, including research by renowned psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, have found that people who consciously focus on gratitude experience greater emotional well-being and physical health than those who don’t.

One way to begin the process is to keep a daily gratitude journal. It’s very simple: each night before you go to sleep, write down five things you are grateful for.

For instance, today I am grateful for: my strong legs which allowed me to walk along the ocean this morning, the fresh air I breathed, the love I share with my soulmate Brian, the healthy delicious salad I made for lunch, and the safe and cozy bed I get to sleep in every night.

The research now shows that those who cultivate a grateful outlook:

• Felt better about their lives as a whole and experience fewer symptoms of stress
• Have greater levels of joy and happiness and feel more optimistic about the future
• Got sick less often, exercised more regularly
• Had more energy, enthusiasm, determination, and focus
• Made greater progress toward achieving important personal goals
• Enjoy closer family ties
• Are more likely to help others and offer emotional support

According to The Chopra Center: “If you want more happiness, joy, and energy, gratitude is clearly a crucial quality to cultivate. It is a fullness of heart that moves us from limitation and fear to expansion and love. When we’re appreciating something, our ego moves out of the way and we connect with our soul. Gratitude brings our attention into the present, which is the only place where miracles can unfold. The deeper our appreciation, the more we see with the eyes of the soul and the more our life flows in harmony with the creative power of the universe.”

Finally, words to live by:

“You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.” -Elizabeth Gilbert

Wishing you love, laughter, and magical kisses,

Arielle