Grace & Gratitude: Permission to Feel

Written by Larissa Link

This year we’ve looked at many tools for EQ, or emotional intelligence, and we’ll continue this theme with our focus on Grace & Gratitude for the month of November! 

My teacher Sharon Salzberg often talked about Grace & Gratitude as the precursor to any form of meditation. Being able to be gracious with yourself is so beneficial, especially when you slow down – like in meditation, relaxing, or those rare times you don’t have something specific to do – so you don’t accidentally get stuck with your Inner Critic. True graciousness also allows you to see clearly when you are being hard on yourself, when you are falling into the frame of shame or blame, and just giving yourself permission to be human- i.e. making mistakes, being wonderfully flawed, and always growing and changing. 

Check out our blog on EQ here, and Sharon’s interview here for more insight into Grace & Gratitude. 

Practice: Self-Grace 

1. Consider the ways you tend to be hard on yourself. (ex: “I’m too ________.” “I’m always late.” “I’m unreliable.” “I’m never consistent enough.” “I never _________.” 
2. If a dear friend said these things about themself, how might you respond to them? 
3. Can you reframe any of these, in a gentle and kind way, as if you are talking to a dear friend? 

Practice: Gratitude 

1. Take a moment to bring to mind someone in your life for whom you have gratitude. 
2. Bring to mind something you have now, that you were wishing or hoping for 5-10 years ago. 
3. Think of one thing that happened today that was either easeful or slightly enjoyable (this can be as small as the relief of going to the bathroom or being able to take a deep breath). 
4. What does it feel like to consciously seek and remember the things that are good in your life? 

Practice: Meditation 

Join us for our morning meditations! This is an excellent way to consistently rest while awake, receive the support of community, and learn new and nuanced ways to show up for yourself powerfully, gently, and with a tiny bit more gratitude for this experience of being human. See you soon!