Recently I read somewhere that gratitude is an expression of faith – in addition to showing appreciation, by giving thanks we are expressing our faith that all our needs are met.
Having our needs met is the responsibility of the root chakra.
It is the energy center of the body responsible for your sense of safety and security.
It is your survival center and establishes your deepest connections to your physical body and the earth.
It is suggested that when this chakra is out of balance, it is nearly impossible to balance the other chakras as well, since this is the root, the foundation.
Everything else gets built upon the foundation.
So having faith, that is, a deep knowing and believing of truth that your needs are met is an important, and I would say essential part of establishing your foundation. Whether we’re talking about balancing your chakras or laying the foundation that brings harmony into your life.
And a beautiful and simple way to build this faith is with a daily practice of gratitude.
Here are some ways to build a practice of gratitude into your daily schedule:
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In your morning routine, give thanks for sleep, for your bed, your home, your partner, your family, the start of the day and your place in it, etc.
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Create time to journal about what you are thankful for. Set the timer and write about everything you can think of until the timer goes off.
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Take time to give thanks at every meal or other times you do things routinely – brushing your teeth, leaving and entering your home, turning on the light.
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Give thanks for everything that comes into your grip – your partner, your keys, the door handle, your handbag, the washcloth – notice everything that is at the ready to support you in your daily life.
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Start a gratitude jar.
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In your evening routine, give thanks for the day and start counting all the things that happened that day that you are thankful for. More meaningful than counting sheep!
In Leveraging the Universe, Mike Dooley talks about how when we get really good at what we do (no matter what it is), the Universe sees what a great job we are doing and promotes us. Being thankful for our current status and getting really good at being thankful for where we are opens us up for more.
In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill advises that even if we aren’t doing our dream job, we are to do our current job with gratitude and enthusiasm as it will lead us down the path to the job (and riches) we desire.
And my sixth grade teacher in Catholic school often asked our class, “If you aren’t happy with what you have, how can you be happier with more?”
I encourage you to start a daily gratitude practice to strengthen your foundation and to become even more conscious and aware of all the ways the universe is supporting you.
What you focus on increases – the more thanks you give, the stronger your faith. The stronger your faith, the more you will be blessed with what you are giving thanks for.
