Dear one
Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine.
It’s about noticing what’s here — even in the midst of a full, complicated life.
Teachers like Brother David Steindl-Rast describe gratitude as a doorway to joy. Not something we manufacture, but something we recognise when we pause long enough to notice what’s already supporting us.
Many people have tried gratitude lists or journals at some point. They can be helpful, but they can also turn into a mental exercise. The real nourishment comes from pausing long enough to feel appreciation in the body — letting it change how we feel, even briefly. Over time, those moments add up.
There’s also a simple physiological reason gratitude matters. When we allow feelings of appreciation to land in the body — even briefly — we help calm the nervous system and strengthen the brain’s capacity to notice what’s nourishing. This is sometimes called “growing the good.”
Today’s short meditation invites you to feel gratitude in a very ordinary, embodied way. Nothing forced, just a few moments of letting what’s good register.
Thank you for being here and taking these moments of practice with me.
with love
Louise
