Gratitude is Powerful Medicine
I doubt there was ever a generation of humans who didn't think that their era wasn't messed up, or that trippy shit did not consistently occur and create waves of intense emotions throughout the collective vibrations on our shared planet. History is filled with horror stories of time's that quite frankly sound like a living fucking nightmare. The Inquisition comes to mind but there are dozens, probably hundreds more examples to be found.
Maybe it's just a given, since the expression of Consciousness is to create and to experience all facets of being - just look around anywhere to see the insane diversity and explosions of multitudes of species on every level of existence. Through the tantric lens, everything arising is Consciousness, energetically alive, consciously aware, whether sentient or not; it is made of Consciousness nevertheless.
On the macro level are these four yugas, huge swatches of time lasting hundreds of thousands of years each, and on the micro, our daily lives. It's kind of cool, right?
How about the reality that we are on a huge spinning living entity, moving through unknown areas of a mostly unfathomable universal galaxy, one of trillions, while we calmly sit on our couches, watching TV. The force of Life Itself is indescribable and unlimited, and it becomes obvious what a privilege it is to be alive at all.
We have to become present and humbled in the face of this startling fact.
Gratitude is powerful medicine.
This in itself is a heart-centering practice and opens us for inward movement.
The vibration of gratitude is so important to usher us into our inner world with an elevated frequency, one that can continue to expand and deepen as we sit with this feeling flowing through us.
Eventually, gently shift this immense feeling of gratitude to yourself.
Witness your breath and the feeling of the diaphragm moving up and down.
Allow the feeling of gratitude to deepen into love, taking all the time you need.
Move your attention and focus to the Heart center, in the middle of the chest.
Continue to sit in the warmth of your heart and if the mind wanders, come back to the breath.
This is just one simple practice that anyone can do at the end of the day or in times of anxiety or stress. Breathe and come back to your heart.
Honoring ourselves is so crucial to our lives. Find what expands your heart and bring more of that into your life. Lean into what is positive and uplifting and ignore the negativity and toxicity that may be around you as much as possible - go within whenever possible.
People have said to "count your blessings" forever and for good reason. This is such sage piece of advice for everyone to follow, and if need be, keep a journal of everything you are grateful for, all the people you feel blessed to have in your life, a wonderful experience you had that shifted the way you perceive the world.
Large or small, counting our blessings, and focusing in on the gift of gratitude, is so beneficial to our sense of well-being.