| Among agrarian societies the completion of the | | | | that state of deep gratitude has profound positive |
| harvest is usually marked by some form of celebration | | | | effects on the heart. |
| of thanks. With less than five percent of the population | | | | Research by the Heart Math Institute has |
| actively involved in agriculture the United States can | | | | demonstrated that a regular practice of pausing for a |
| hardly be considered an agrarian society. But the | | | | couple of minutes to experience some positive |
| economy was based on agriculture historically, and the | | | | emotion can lower your blood pressure. It fosters |
| tradition of Thanksgiving continues. | | | | cardiac coherence. The Heart Math people identify |
| The tradition for most includes families getting together, | | | | appreciation as one of the best positive emotions to |
| a big feast with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, | | | | use to enhance heart functioning. |
| mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, sweet potatoes | | | | I could go on and on about the physical benefits of |
| and Brussels sprouts. And this is all topped off with | | | | conscious gratefulness -- heartfelt gratefulness -- but |
| pumpkin pie. | | | | the physical benefits begin with the improved function |
| Examine any widely-practiced tradition like | | | | of the physical heart and every system it affects. |
| Thanksgiving Day, and you will find a nugget of | | | | Spiritual Benefits of Conscious Appreciation |
| wisdom. It is usually much more profound than the | | | | Moving yourself into a state of heartfelt gratitude is |
| current practitioners of the tradition realize. | | | | spiritually equivalent to giving a prayer of thanks and |
| Thanksgiving Day is no exception. | | | | appreciation. The cosmology may be different, but it is |
| Obviously, Thanksgiving Day is about giving thanks, or | | | | still a spiritual act. |
| giving a prayer of thanks. Alternatively, it is about being | | | | As mentioned above, when you get into a high |
| consciously grateful or appreciative of something. | | | | vibrational state through conscious appreciation, you |
| Being in a state of conscious gratefulness or | | | | tend to attract high vibrational people to you. This |
| appreciation yields profound emotional, physical and | | | | principle of attraction is every bit as much a spiritual |
| spiritual benefits. And that is the wisdom underlying this | | | | principle as an emotional or psychological principle. |
| old tradition. | | | | As you practice getting into that state of conscious |
| Emotional Benefits of Conscious Appreciation | | | | gratitude, you become increasingly aware of your |
| In the last few years we have come to better | | | | interconnection with all people, and indeed with all life. |
| understand that every emotional state has its own | | | | Some of you will be more aware of your connection |
| vibrational level. Anger has a low vibrational level, and | | | | to earth. |
| guilt is even lower. Positive emotions have higher | | | | And that brings us back to Thanksgiving Day, because |
| vibrational levels than negative emotions. Among the | | | | it is about giving thanks for what the earth has |
| positive emotions gratitude and appreciation have very | | | | provided us. |
| high vibrational levels. | | | | So if you want to be happier, feel more connected, |
| The obvious benefit is that if you spend some time | | | | have positive people around you, be more aware of |
| everyday in conscious gratitude, you will feel better. It | | | | your spiritual self, and have better physical wellness, |
| can lift you out of unhappiness and distress. Since you | | | | make every day a Thanksgiving Day. Take what I call |
| tend to get what you focus on, obviously you will | | | | "appreciation breaks" and do it frequently. It's the |
| attract more good into your life if you focus on the | | | | secret to wellbeing. |
| good that you appreciate. You will also tend to attract | | | | If you are stuck in a negative place where you can't |
| more high-vibration people into your life. | | | | seem to feel appreciation, just do whatever you need |
| Physical Benefits of Conscious Appreciation | | | | to do to get unstuck. Staying in a negative place just |
| It is no accident that we use the phrase, "heart-felt | | | | attracts more negative into your life. |
| appreciation" to describe a state of deep gratitude: | | | | |