Gratitude, A Quiet Return to Self

This one came unplanned, as most of the most alive things do

Today, during meditation, the word “gratitude” didn’t come as a thought.
It came as a feeling, a gentle sensation that flowed through my body like warmth.
Not a concept, not a practice, but a state of being.

We often speak of gratitude as a habit, something to write down, something to remember.
But today, I felt it as my way of returning to myself.
My way of expanding inward.

Gratitude, in that moment, became a portal to softness, to stillness, to my truth.

And in this letter, I want to simply say, thank you.
Thank you for showing up here.
For reading, for receiving, and for connecting with me in this quiet corner of words and breath.

I feel gratitude not just for those who bring joy and light,
but also for the ones who didn’t walk in with softness, because they, too, were mirrors.

They reminded me of parts I had neglected, disowned, or denied.
That, too, is sacred.

I offer gratitude for every experience, the easy ones and the raw ones.
The tangible and the unseen.
For all I know… and for all I don’t.

Somehow, this feeling of gratitude helps me see the good in everything.
Even the mess, even the pain.

It doesn’t fix it, it lightens it.

When I place my hands with awareness on my heart and breathe,
I feel a subtle light and a gentle lightness.

Would you like to try this gentle ritual of return?

Here are three soft practices.
Consider trying one or all of them.
Not because you have to.
But because you deserve to feel your heart, your breath, and your peace again.

🌀 Try This: Somatic Anchor

Place one hand over your heart and one over your lower belly.
Close your eyes. Take 5 deep, slow breaths.

With each inhale: “I open to receive.”
With each exhale: “I soften in gratitude.”

Let your body register this sensation of receiving and releasing.
You may notice a gentle unwinding from within.

Why it helps:
This simple touch-and-breathe practice helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
It lowers stress, deepens connection to your body, and restores a sense of emotional safety.

🌸 Try This: Gentle Reflection Prompts

Ask yourself slowly:

• What does gratitude feel like in your body, not your mind?

• Who or what are you grateful for today, even if it’s something difficult?

• Can you offer silent gratitude for the unknown, for what hasn’t yet revealed its gifts?

Let the answers arise gently.
Write them down if you feel called.

Why it helps:
Journaling like this nurtures emotional awareness and helps you create meaning out of your experiences, especially the hidden ones.
Gratitude reflection rewires the brain to notice goodness more easily.

✨ Try This: Ritual with Essential Oils

Add 2 drops of lavender and 1 drop of frankincense oil to your palms.
Rub gently and bring them near your nose.
Breathe deeply 3 times.

Then place your hands over your heart and belly, and simply say:
“Thank you. For all of it.”

Use this as a soft reset
When you're overwhelmed, disconnected,
or simply longing to return home to yourself.

Why it helps:
Lavender soothes the nervous system and calms emotional turbulence.
Frankincense grounds your energy and connects you to deeper states of awareness.

Together, they create a mini sacred space in the midst of your everyday life.

Notice. Acknowledge. Allow.

This is the heart of every practice I share.
Notice what you feel.
Acknowledge it without judgment.
And then, allow it to exist, to move, to teach you.

This is how we come home to ourselves.

May this week gift you tiny openings of gratitude
not just as a thought, but as a full-bodied return to yourself.

With heart,
Divya