Have you ever noticed that the English word ‘dog’ spells ‘god’ backwards? Though this may not be a new discovery, it intrigues me. Maybe it’s something to do with a dog’s inherent goodness. As I write these words, I feel my heart fill with gratitude. In Buddhism, the term appreciative joy (mudita) correlates to gratitude, and it’s understood that gratitude and appreciative joy are deeply interconnected. For example, think about how you feel when your dog focuses lovingly on you and your happiness. Does it evoke a sense of joy and accompanying well-being? You may even notice a softening as you recognise your dog and its unconditional kindness as a blessing. In our practice of gratitude, we understand this as a grateful heart. Let’s explore the power of a grateful heart now.
In my last blog, we were looking at practical ways to cultivate joy through the practice of gratitude. Following that, I’ve posted on my pages OurMindful.Life.Now daily reflections to help establish a practice of gratitude. You can find these posts on Facebook and Instagram. That being said, waking up to gratitude in our lives is like a ‘magical mystery tour, one of potential joy and wonder as we seek to open to the joy around us. So let me tell you about my dog Bodhi, a never-ending source of joy. She is a five-year-old black mini poodle from the Ukraine. She has a sunny disposition and a compassionate nature. Bodhi is the short form of Bodhisattva. Bodhi, meaning ‘awakening’ and sattva meaning ‘being’, awakening being through selfless acts of kindness, which is totally appropriate to her current form as ‘dog’.
This morning on our daily walk around ‘the hood’, Bodhi stopped to greet some of the folks passing by who said, “Oh, isn’t she happy!” Naturally, I smiled and replied, “Yes, she is.” This is a typical observation people make of her. Whatever a person is thinking or ruminating about is gone the minute they are with her. Interesting, isn’t it? That’s a dog bringing a person to the present moment. I’ve seen this happen over and over again, but this time I had a lightbulb moment! First, allow me to digress and give you the backstory. I’ve been working on a new project that involves starting OurMindful.Life.Now, an online mindfulness community, a welcoming space for anyone who wishes to deepen their mindfulness practice, where we pause together and return to ourselves with compassion and kindness. Meeting my reactive, inner challenges as gently and mindfully as I can.
Recognising that fear is present, what to do with this habitual thinking, you might ask. A beneficial mindfulness practice is applying RAIN. After I recognise what has arisen, I move to accept the presence of fear. Knowing that, like all emotions, it will come and go, I take a moment to gently investigate it. This exploration identifies the piling up of thoughts and their corresponding emotions, which may go back a long time. Attention towards the fear is a deep honouring of what is present within. Fear passes, and I’m left with a feeling of being nourished. The process of the rain practice neutralises the suffering. The awareness gained is that the more I gently investigate, the clearer it becomes that I need to return to the body, to the breath, and to be present. Be more like Bodhi, a present-moment approach to life. The gift from Bodhi is that my gratitude for her awakened the RAIN intervention. Why? Because gratitude for her led to joy and softening to the emotion, rather than resistance or avoidance. I recognise this as an experience of inner and interconnection on many levels. To be explored in future blogs. Suffice it to say, the lesson learned from Bodhi is about being present. My happy dog supports the notion that all we have to give is our presence.
Today’s story supports research on the culminating benefits of gratitude, which correlate with those gained through mindfulness practice. There is a holistic enhancement of life, including improved physical health, increased psychological well-being, strengthened social connections, reduced toxic emotions, and greater resilience. The positive feedback loop is at work when we practice gratitude, because feeling grateful reinforces those feelings and ultimately rewires the brain.
Finding ways to practice gratitude that suit you is essential to the benefits. I encourage you to be curious about the search, maybe asking, what’s here for me today to be grateful for? Or remembering a time when you felt most grateful and allowing the feeling of gratitude to grow within you. Making gratitude lists, writing gratitude letters, practising GLAD each night before bed, sharing your gratitude with family and others, playing round-robin gratitude with your family or partner, and thanking your ‘dog’. There are so many fun ways to practice gratitude that foster the magic and mystery of OurMindful.Life.Now.
May you accept yourself as you are
May you be well, happy and at peace _/\_ Mamaji