Sunday Stillness - Gratitude Continues
Hello August!
I know it’s already the 6th; but we didn’t get a chance to say hi to August last week; as it was still July. :).
How was everyone’s week of 100 Thank You’s? Was the walking tip helpful? I received some feedback from our Sunday Stillness tribe, that thought it was fun yet challenging to try and say Thank You while walking; and counting at the same time. Well, you DID it! Very proud of all of you.
Last week was rather interesting for me…I didn’t have to come home from work and study. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Ha! I felt like something was missing all week (totally over that now..yea!). And if you are like me, there are really only two options when you have some extra time. One—do nothing or two—start working your to-do-list. Well, I found a good balance; I didn’t do much but I did do some. Ha!
One thing I did do, was catch up on my Dr. Lissa Rankin blogs (click here to learn more about Dr. Rankin). It was one of her blogs that inspired this Sunday Stillness. And the best part is….it relates to what I learned at Perfect Health and last weeks theme: gratitude.
I know we have talked about stress a bit during our email chats together; and you have all heard about the flight/fight response. The response our bodies experience when we are threatened; or experiencing a perceived threat. Well, there’s another experience we are seeing more and more of; it’s called reactive response.
Reactive response is a slightly disguised version of fight/flight response—it’s the psychological equivalent. Criticism, anger, sarcasm and disrespect are psychological version of the fight response while withdrawal, sulking, shutting down and pouting are emotional flight responses.
When we are in this response our bodies are serving to keep the body protected. Our heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, breathing is more rapid, adrenalin increases, and our immune system is suppressed.
Did you know on average, we are in this response state 8-10 times a day. EEK!
We can go into this more later; but I want you to think about that for a moment…what would being in this state 8-10x a day lead to? Physically? Mentally?
Now, you are probably wondering how does Dr. Lissa Rankin and gratitude tie into all of this. Great question!
Dr. Lissa Rankin says, “When you are grateful for whatever happens, this state of unconditional gratitude releases your nervous system, opens your heart and makes room for experiences that can feel almost magical”.
Thus, it minimizes your reactive response! Just by your daily 100 Thank You’s; you are keeping your mind and body in a balanced state. You are starting your path to physical and emotional wellbeing. That’s right…just by walking and saying Thank You. How kewl is that!
So, lets turn our 100 Thank You’s up a notch! Let’s be grateful this week for all the experiences that happen to us. Let’s make it fun and think of it as a scavenger hunt.
Let’s say Thank You for all the green lights we get this week, or all the smiles we receive from others, OHHH how about each time we eat? Let’s hunt for gratitude!
I look forward to hearing what you found.
See you in stillness,
Kimberly
Founder of practicestillness.com
Certified Meditation Instructor | Reiki Master | Mentor