By Amritakripa Watts-Robb

As soon as the Halloween festivities and costumes have been laid to rest (if you’ll pardon the pun), it seems that we have to turn our attention to preparations for the upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations.  How do we stay focused on the essence of what Thanksgiving is really about, despite the feeling of having so much to do?  In other words, how can we use the season to cultivate an attitude of gratitude?

A few months back Dr Mary Bove was visiting me at my home in California and we were working together on shooting some educational videos for MegaFood.  Dr Mary is a treasure trove of wonderful healing knowledge and energy.  It was a real treat to spend time with her and listen to stories of her experiences as a renowned Naturopathic Doctor, Herbalist and Midwife.  One of the issues we discussed was the fact that when we do not feel good, physically, emotionally or mentally, it is all too easy to get caught up in our problems and dwell on them continuously, often to the point of being able to focus on little else.  Mary told me that recommending herbal formulations is not the only thing she does to help her clients to relax.  She went on to describe a simple practice she recommends to her patients who need help getting their mind off of their problems..  Each evening, before going to bed, Mary advises her clients to sit quietly and focus on all of the things they are grateful for in the day that has gone by.  If they have been able to get out of bed and walk around the house, it means that their feet and legs are functioning properly.  If they have enjoyed a good meal, it means that they have been able to chew the food, which means that their teeth, mouth and throat have been able to work together in harmony as they where intended to.  If they have enjoyed the sights and sounds of the day gone by then they are lucky enough to have been blessed with eyes that see and ears that hear.  There are those who believe that we draw to us that which we put our attention on – almost like a magnet exerts an irresistible pull on an iron filing.  This means that, by placing our awareness on the goodness of life and the things that are healthy in our body we will draw more goodness and health into our life.

Since this is an ideal month to focus on giving thanks, I have decided to create a Gratitude Box.  Each evening my family and I will write on a piece of paper something for which we feel grateful and we will then place the paper into the box.  By the time Thanksgiving arrives we will have a whole pile of lovely points of gratitude to read to one another in front of the fire.  What a lovely way to be reminded of how fortunate we are to be surrounded by so many blessings.

I would like to start by saying thank you to our MegaFood community - thank you for stopping by every once in a while to let us know how you are doing and sharing your own healing experiences.  We are always grateful to hear from you – please feel free to let us know some of the things in your life you are grateful for so we can share in your goodness also.