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Cultivating Appreciation
By Amy Martin, P.T.
Are you prepared? We hear daily about the changing times and the possible disasters to be prepared for. I have definitely been feeling the urge to plan for my needs should great challenges be upon us. I would strongly advise to plan accordingly. And yet even as we plan for our safety and that of our loved ones, I invite you to make the paradoxical choice to live upward in joy and appreciation, even if those around us are experiencing horror, sadness, anger and loss.
It may seem hard to extend our appreciation to the time in which we live and the challenges it presents—to financial crisis, global climate change, terrorism, wars, energy depletion, and any other disasters as possibilities on the horizon. It would be much easier to appreciate an era of good feeling, peace and calm stability! But, as David Spangler points out, difficult times are also times of growth, of new insights and opportunities, of creativity, and of emergence. One of the opportunities that presents is to cultivate appreciation. Deep appreciation comes when we find the gift in and appreciate even the challenging times. These times are challenging but they are also creative and open to new birth, new potentials, and new possibilities. Choosing to align with that side of things definitely gets my energy flowing and opening.
What we choose determines our destiny. It is really that simple. I believe it is possible to choose to ride the waves of change through the periods of chaos with humor, grace and extraordinary growth. The power to do this does not come from the outside. It comes from the inside, but like a miner searching for gold we have to go digging. To find the treasure that will make us rich, in terms of spiritual qualities and an increased likelihood of surviving these times, requires searching on our part, not outside ourselves, but inside ourselves, for we already have what we need in our inner gold mine. Our nugget of gold is appreciation, and is the one sure way to a higher spiritual vibration. And in the end, it is our vibration that shall determine where we will go and what will happen.
So as we prepare in our external world for change, let us put just as much energy into preparing our inner world through cultivating appreciation. First we can use appreciation to improve our mind. By applying appreciation, we start to operate at a more optimal level. Instead of being mentally consumed by anxieties or problems, we start to see perspectives beyond them, by opening ourselves to an appreciation of how things are in a larger sense. Once we make that shift from being focused on the problem, we find that we can think more clearly and possibly perceive solutions that never occurred to us before. Appreciation is like activating the wide-angle lens on a camera.
Appreciation is also good for improving our health. With the nourishing bio chemicals released into our systems from appreciation, our bodies thrive. Because we’re less stressed-out when we are in a state of appreciation, we gradually become more resilient against fatigue and aging. We not only feel better, but we will also actually make ourselves healthier by focusing on appreciation, instead of negative, destructive thoughts and emotions that drain our systems. We can also see improvement from applying appreciation in the overall quality of our lives. The Heart-Math Institute says this is perhaps the most powerful effect because of the emotional regeneration that comes from a feeling of appreciation. Engaging the coherent power of our hearts to generate and sustain appreciative feelings brings more peace and fulfillment.
When we learn how to consciously cultivate appreciation, we are also able to draw upon the intelligence of our own hearts to activate many other regenerative emotions. The Heart-Math Institute says, “The intelligence of the heart is that solid, clear awareness we experience when our emotions, mind and body are in sync.” It’s an instant source of intuition and wisdom that helps us see what is really best for us and all concerned. One of the benefits of applying appreciation is that it opens the door to this heart intelligence.
However, it’s not just a matter of being in an appreciative mood. In this case, the words “applying" and “cultivating” mean to use appreciation with consistency and purposeful intent—and not just when life is going our way.
Every time we make an effort to activate appreciation, it shifts our perception of the world around us for the better. This is especially true when life isn’t necessarily meeting our expectations. Holding this magnificent feeling in our hearts creates a compass inside us for finding more of the good things life offers. Instead of making guesses about what’s best in a challenging situation, and hoping we’ve guessed right, by applying appreciation at that time we see more intuitively how to find a balanced perspective. We can apply appreciation in any situation encountered.
Applying appreciation can take only seconds. Once we’ve begun to make appreciation a way of life, we find that we notice very quickly when our thoughts or emotions have fallen out of that state. Things won’t feel quite right any more. Our perspective seems narrow and stressful. As soon as we notice it, are called to return to a more appreciative state of mind.
While we’re learning to reach that level of emotional maturity, however, it helps to remind ourselves to practice appreciation at regular intervals each day. Appreciation comes naturally when we feel a love for what we’re doing, or real gratitude toward someone or something. Also by spending more time in appreciation we help others to cultivate appreciation for themselves through the principle of entrainment and positive attraction, which helps the whole world.
To follow are some heart centered techniques that I have developed as well as adapted from the teachings of Tom Kenyon and the Hathors and the Heart-Math Institute in order to cultivate appreciation. As you focus your attention on your physical heart in these methods, generate the feeling of appreciation. It is not the thought of appreciation—but rather the emotion. Thought alone will not activate the subtle energies needed to generate the desire effect—the feeling is capable of activating this energy within us. Why not choose one now and try it for yourself?
One
Put your hand on your heart, in the center of your chest, to help focus your attention there. Find a sincere feeling of appreciation for someone or something in your life (a friend, beauty in nature, a pet for example). Choose something that’s easy to appreciate, with no negative emotional history to color your appreciation. Hold that appreciation in your heart for thirty seconds. Note the shift in your feeling world as you genuinely choose to appreciate something and notice any changes in your perceptions.
Remember this place. It feels good here, doesn’t it? It’s the place you’ll want to make your emotional home.
Two
Pick a current situation in your life that’s challenging.
Focus in the area of the heart. Pretend your breath is flowing in and out through this area. In other words, as you inhale feel your breath coming in through your chest. As you exhale, feel it leaving through the center of your chest. Now, try to feel some appreciation for the good things in your life. You can appreciate all you have, a special person in your life, nature, or anything that makes you feel good. Once you have felt it solidly, take that feeling of appreciation to the challenge you are facing. Now, if you can, find three things about this situation that you can appreciate.
You may want to start by appreciating the fact that, no matter what the problem is, it could have been worse. Once you can laugh and appreciate that, you can release some of the energy that has been locked-up in the problem. Even a brief moment of cultivating appreciation can literally change your physiology and start to bring you a more sensitive understanding of the situation. That’s because appreciation connects you with your intuition, making it easier to hear your heart intuition.
Three
In this technique, again, focus your attention on the physical heart. As you focus on the heart and generate the feeling of appreciation, a waveform of energy begins to flow throughout the body—carried by the magnetic fields of the heart, which emanate outward from the physical heart to encompass your entire body. As the flow of energy begins throughout the body, there is a spontaneous rising of cellular vibration, like the ripple effect of a pebble onto smooth water.
Experiment with this technique. Sense what happens in your body as you focus upon your heart and generate these feelings of appreciation. Physically feel what seems to be happening at the cellular level as the one trillion (or so) cells of your body receive this coherent energy of appreciation.
Once you have established the ability to create appreciation as described above, and once you are able to generate appreciation whenever you desire it—at will—begin to experiment with your energy field—what some call the subtle energy body.
In working with this method your attention is, again, on the heart, generating feelings of appreciation. And as you sense a rise in vibration in your body (feelings of bliss and ecstasy), you shift your attention to the field around your body. This field of energy looks very much like a luminous egg when viewed clairvoyantly. The wide part of this luminous egg shape is up around the shoulders and the more narrow part is around the feet. There is a central line or axis that runs through the center of this field, and it happens to also run through the center of your physical body—through the top of the head and down through the perineum. This line is the central axis of the magnetic field that comprises the subtle energy body. This body, or field, extends above the head and below the feet a few inches, to a several feet.
By shifting your attention to this central axis and to the field surrounding your body, you allow the raised vibration to move out from the physical body into the field. This is very positive and creates powerful harmonic patterns in your being.
After cultivating this for yourself, I invite you to share it with the Earth. The Earth receives all kinds of vibrations from us, many of which are harmful. Appreciation is one of the highest vibrations and is very useful to the health and harmony of the Earth. Through this central axis, extent down through your tailbone or feet, deep into the earth and release it to her.
Four
Go outdoors to a place where vehicles do not go. Walk through nature, breathe deeply and inhale the freshness of the air. When your attention is drawn to something (a leaf, a bird, an intricate web, or landscape), stop and take in the beauty. Use all of your senses to appreciate what is before you; touch it, see it, smell it, hear it, take in the details. Allow what you sense to open your heart (you may imagine it like a candle flame lighting) and feel the strong vibration of appreciation for the beauty. Close your eyes hold this feeling while continuing to breathe deeply and hold the feeling in your heart. Then allow the feeling to flow through your body (like the glow of the flame), see in penetrating the cells and bathing the spaces between the cells. Then as you continue to hold the appreciation in your heart allow it to move around you to form a cylinder. Keep this cylinder around you as you move back into your day to allow your appreciation to touch those you come in contact with.
With a new understanding of appreciation and a little sincere practice of engaging the power of your heart to apply appreciation, you can make great strides towards living a life that’s less stressful and more rewarding.
As you apply appreciation in your life, you gain new insights in many situations you encounter. At the Heart-Math Institute researchers have found that when you feel appreciation, your heart rhythms change and send powerful healing commands to the brain and the rest of the body. The heart sends signals to the brain that synchronize heart and brain, facilitating your mental and intuitive faculties. These powerful heart signals also trigger hormonal releases that regenerate you. Feeling appreciation has even been shown to boost your immune system. As you practice appreciation, you are coming into closer communication with your heart—your fundamental source of power and intuition. You are also learning to be your real self.
The Hathors tell us in their most recent message:
If you learn to live in appreciation, you will enter a domain, a vibration that will carry you through the chaos of these times. You will find a type of solace and comfort, and the vibrational rate of your energy body will increase. At some point you will reach what we call escape velocity. You will easily step out of the illusions and the lies of the old world. You will see them for what they are, and you will become a joyous co-creator of a new world that is being birthed even as the old world passes away right before your eyes.
Do not underestimate the power of these techniques. Though they are very simple, they are profound and effective. It will bring you into a higher state of resonance and vibration. And this is crucial in order to pass through the transformational energies that our Earth is now experiencing and will continue to experience. Are you prepared?
Thanks to those who are teaching appreciation and whose insight contributed significantly to this writing: David Spangler, Tom Kenyon and the Hathors, and The Heart-Math Institute. |
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