Practice Gratitude: An Equinox Ritual to Nourish Your Spirit
/“Every new beginning, comes from some other new beginning’s end.”
Gratitude is an elixir for the soul. It deeply nourishes us on any day and is especially healing through transitions. The equinox is a perfect time to practice by saying ‘thank you and goodnight’ to the earth, as she starts her slumber into winter and begins her rejuvenation. She has offered so much of herself – support, beauty, food, and wellbeing. Now the earth takes time to replenish and rejuvenate so she can rise up again and sustain us.
Enjoy this equinox gratitude ritual
Pause and take a few minutes to sit and relax and breathe.
Take a moment to contemplate and then write down on an index card: All the
Gratitude and blessings you feel in your life on one side of the card.
Pause again, sit for a few moments, and ask yourself:
"What can I do to notice and experience the blessings in my life more regularly? That when the days grow dark, or times get busy or challenging, how can I remember to pause and reconnect with my heart and the gifts that are always there."
Remind yourself that you can weather any winter or darkness as nature is in a constant ebb and flow between light and dark. Consider the gifts you’ve received from a challenge and how its expanded you and made you stronger. And lastly, commit to practicing compassion for yourself and others (compassion and kindness are the most powerful ways to express gratitude for this life).
At night (sunset is ideal, when night and day stand in the balance), go outside and burn your index card as an offering and an intention to open to change and transformation. Every year, I burn mine in the same copper urn. But you can burn it in any kind of a heat-proof container or a terracotta saucer, like the one you would put under a potted plant. Put a layer of sand or dirt in the bottom to help absorb some of the heat. Pause when it is done burning and enjoy the stillness of the night and the time you took to connect with yourself and your aspirations.
If you feel called, please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what thoughts or feelings come up for you during your ritual.
