Here’s The Real Secret To Feeling Healthy
Day 4 of a 28-day gratitude practice from the book ‘The Magic’
We have all heard of the quote ‘health is wealth’, but we have such a limited concept of health. There was an author on Medium who wrote an excellent post about health, who had a debilitating illness. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the author or post, but it really made me think hard about the Western construct of health.
If you have an illness does that mean you’ll never be healthy?
What about defining health on our own terms?
Health is continually being redefined as we discover that we are holistic beings. And health is not the absence of illness. But why do most of us only start to value it once we feel unwell?
This post is part of a series. Today is day 4 of a 28-day gratitude practice, that focuses on health.
We are always healthy in some way
When you are not well, all you want to feel is ‘better’.
Despite everything our bodies may go through, we must be grateful for the health we have, otherwise, we’ll always feel incomplete. When we constantly complain and focus on the pain or discomfort, it is all we see.
Focusing on the positive aspects of our health starts to lessen our pain or discomfort. When we lie in that space of profound gratitude for our health, we actually become healthier.
Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic — John Henry Jowett, preacher and writer
We shouldn’t wait to face a terrible illness to truly appreciate what we had. Health is a daily practice, and it means nurturing every part of ourselves, to the best of our ability, on that day. This means being grateful when we feel awesome, and grateful when we feel like sh*t.
From moment to moment, we can choose to be thankful for the health we have. Even while we may be going through something tough, we still have health, otherwise, we would not be alive.
And to be alive is truly a blessing.
The degree that you are grateful for your health is the degree that your heatlh will magically increase. The degree that you are not grateful is how your health will decrease. — Rhonda Byrne, The Magic
Countless studies have shown that a consistent gratitude practice improves health, the most notable one being — our mental health.
But we are holistic beings and our minds are not separate from our bodies. When your mind does better, so does your body.
And gratitude nourishes your spirit and builds your spiritual health and the resilience of your spirit (If you’re still debating on whether or not your spirit exists, you can skip this part).
The magical practice of thanking our bodies
Think about your legs and feet: They brought you somewhere today. You may have walked, danced, or even just fit into those nice pants you’re wearing.
say — thank you for my legs and feet
Think about your hands. They may have allowed you to write, and cook for yourself or someone else. Perhaps they just touched someone you loved.
Say — thank you for my hands
What wonderful spring flowers! Fresh bread, a fire burning, your wet dog.
Thank you for my sense of smell
You can continue to thank your organs, cells, eyes, brain, neurons, and all your body parts.
We have so much health.
After you’ve gone through thanking your body, write in big beautiful letters on a card or piece of paper:
The gift of health is keeping me alive.
Look at this paper during the day, and the following days, and read the words very slowly. Take it in.
Day 4 Magical Gratitude Practice Summary
- Repeat steps 1–3 of the day 1 gratitude practice: Make a list of ten things you’re grateful for, and why you are grateful for them. Reread your list and say thank, thank you, thank you, and feel grateful for each thing.
- On a piece of paper, write out the following words: The Gift of Health is Keeping Me Alive
- Put the piece of paper where you can see it often.
- Read the words often, and very slowly, and steep in that feeling of gratitude.
- Just before you sleep, hold your magic rock (day 2 of the practice) in one hand and think of the best thing that happened to you during that day, and say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Awaken to the miracle of your life, through the practice of gratitude.
Health is a state of being. Practice it every day in the way that resonates most with you. Regardless of what you do or believe, gratitude is something we all need more of in our lives.
If you’d like to join me in 28 days of gratitude practice, you can follow the series here. Life interrupts my writing in ways I’m grateful for, and it might take me two days to post the next day. Thank you for your patience!
Thank you for being part of my journey, I’m grateful to be part of yours.
May you be healthy, happy, and free.