I can’t believe it’s been 3 whole months since I last wrote a blog. I have written poems and other things and would love to share that soon, but still surprise me how time flies! As some of you know I’ve moved into a new soul home (still in Edinburgh, and I’m working on activating feng shui and creating an aligned interior design) . It is a transformative journey and I’ll share the soul journey process in a separate post, but right now I’d love to talk about gratitude - as we’re still at the beginning of a new year.
We set goals and intentions at the beginning of the year; sometimes they stay through the course of the year, sometimes they disappear amidst the chaos and craziness in life. One thing I really hope everyone would continue is a gratitude practice. Gratitude teaches us contentment, acceptance and staying grounded.
If you have ADHD like me, or are generally not a very disciplined person, you can lean in to the energy of your home to strengthen or maintain your gratitude practice. I’ve done this practice for a few years and it really helped me navigate a lot of challenges.
Walking Barefoot
"Walking barefoot at home
keeps you connected to the omnipresence energy of the source,
and encourage you to be humble and thankful.."
In Scotland, the weather is not great for barefoot walking. However, it’s something you can do at home to bring you connected with Source, and hence your gratefulness practice. If you have a garden, try walking barefoot for a few minutes each day. Be really present and tune in to all sensations. I used to live in a flat and only have a communal garden so I tended to walk barefoot at home - Actually a lot of asians tend to be barefoot indoor. When you go to South-East Asia, you’re invited to take off your shoes when you go to temple, or people’s home.
The reason is more than cleanliness and hygiene; barefoot walking allows you to connect with mother earth (even when you’re indoor!), and allow you to feel centered and grounded. When we feel grounded and connected, feeling of appreciation usually comes naturally. I always feel sense of wonder when I walked barefoot in a garden - I am grateful for the gentle kisses of the grasses, or the playfulness of the stone that itches my foot. Walking barefoot at home constantly keeps you connected to the omnipresence energy of the source, and encourage you to be humble and thankful.
Assign a dedicated area/ a piece of decorative accessories
In every religion, there are places of worships, as well as symbols or tools to help practitioners’ focus and help them to continue a meditative practice. Think about Catholic beads, Tibetan singing bowls which are readily available to purchase when it’s not possible to visit the place of worships (right now in Scotland most Churches or temples are closed). As a continued practice, you can assign an area to practice your gratitude daily/weekly. It does not need to be a whole room - I know a lot of our rooms have become multi-functional owing to homeschooling and work from home. Do not overthink - It can just be a chair, a side table, anywhere that you feel could transfer you to a state of calm and relaxation
After a few times working on gratitude practice in that area, your brain will associate gratitude with this area every time you walk pass - making it a physical gratefulness reminder
If you’re sharing your flat or there’s not a single area that’s suitable (I totally relate as I am from Hong Kong where space is scarcity!), you can be creative around it! Instead of having a piece of furniture as an aid, use a decorative accessory. It can be an incense holder, a crystal, a piece of cloth, or simply a dedicated pen. When the object is assigned a role in your practice, it will also work its magic to help your practice.
Remember, everything is energy and they will vibrate at different frequency, affecting you and being affected by you.
Face your wisdom direction
When I first found out about feng shui and kua number, I’m amazed at how each direction represents different areas in life. Everyone has their own wisdom direction that’s beneficial to our spiritual practices, and on our paths to wisdom and growth. Facing the wisdom direction is like having an ally and companion in your gratitude practice, there is not much you need to do, just need to face the direction and let the guidance flows.
Once I discovered my wisdom direction, I deliberately meditate facing that corner and after a few months, I found that my intuition has grown, and I’ve also become more calm and feel more at ease with myself. I feel that when I looked at this direction, my spirit guides are closer and I’m able to receive more.
Employ a physical reminder
Some people swear by setting google calendar reminder, setting a mobile wallpaper, what I like is a physical reminder hung on the wall. It does not need to be explicit that says “Write your gratitude" or “Be grateful for everything”. It can be something you really enjoy or love; to me, my reminder to be grateful and still is this Buddha print. I came across it while seeing it hung at a massage therapy room. I asked the massage therapist Hoeyyn where she purchased that, turns out she painted the original and then have it printed! She then became a good friend of mine and I’m always in awe of all the beautiful art she created.
It’s hung in my living room, and sometimes when I see that I’m reminded of the importance of being mindful. The smile on the buddha’s face projects a sense of everlasting joy - and it’s this smile that makes me count my blessings. Sometimes I immediately go to my dedicated area and write down, sometimes I just silently list out things that I’m grateful for.
"Acknowledging the good that you have is the foundation to abundanece"
Eckhart Tolle
There’s absolutely no correct or incorrect way to practice gratitude. You can write it down or you can have a mini thanksgiving on your dining table. What’s important is a constant acknowledgement of the things we have; our loved ones, our possessions, our goals, our health. It’s so easy to forget our blessings in the horrendous 2020 so I really hope that you can harness the energy and the power of your home to try or keep up this practice. If you are feeling the energy s stagnant at your home, try out the tips here. If you want to speak to me and explore how to make your home a soulful one in 2021, click the button below and book a complimentary session!
