Most people are aware of the research-proven benefits of cultivating this positive emotion, but we often run into obstacles as we try to do that. For instance, it can be very difficult to offer gratitude for ourselves. Or there may be times when we feel like we are unable to generate any gratitude. We can also wonder if we’re truly feeling gratitude when our main emotion is relief. (“I sure am grateful that natural disaster didn’t happen here.”) 

 

This class will provide a chance to explore all these things and learn from each other. We’ll start with a gratitude-list practice and then share what we find as a way of introducing ourselves. I’ll then cover some of the science of gratitude and how, for instance, it is being used to help address problems like burnout in healthcare professionals. We’ll also talk about how trying to cultivate gratitude can make us feel worse as we judge ourselves for not being as grateful as we think we should be!

 

In addition, I plan on doing an exercise from the Mindful Self-Compassion course that specifically addresses the common difficulty with offering gratitude towards ourselves. We’ll also explore the approach to gratitude when it seems far, far away. Finally, we'll try a meditation that can offer an embodied sense of unconditional gratitude---the purest gratitude that reminds us of our connection to each other and the world.

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You are welcome to engage in the session in any way you wish. You can have camera-on or camera-off, and you can engage in breakouts and discussions or rest back and simply listen. This is your time to use in whatever way supports you. This session is freely offered, but if you find it of value and want to make a donation, I would ask that you donate to the good folks at Imagine, a non-profit working to make practices like this accessible to all, or to the equally good folks at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.

 

If you want to join the class, you can go here to read the waiver and register, or you can use the button below. And if you aren’t sure if you’ll be able to attend, you are welcome to register anyway so you can at least get the handouts that go over what we cover with links to audio files of the practices (this class isn’t recorded, sorry). If you have any questions, feel free to email me at modestlymindful@gmail.com, and thanks for your interest!

 

With care and gratitude,

 

jon

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Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

 

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