Hello hello, this is Sabrina Amina and this is the feelings pod.
I am here to share an episode about gratitude. In our last episode I talked a bit about
patience and Ramadan and another important feeling that comes up that I get to explore
deeply during the holy month of Ramadan is gratitude. That song comes to mind
by Joni Mitchell. Should I sing? Uh oh, I think I'm going to sing on my podcast.
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone.
Now the nice thing about Ramadan is like it's a pause for many of us. Like we
food isn't gone, we just take a pause, we take a step back from it.
Um so having an abundance of
nourishment in our lives in so many ways is quite a blessing.
This Ramadan was particularly poignant because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Uh it's um
you know the experience of gratitude has has grown and deepened as
we've been witnessing the incredible loss happening just like unfathomable
death and destruction. It's since October.
We're past 200 days and
all throughout Ramadan you know we saw people in Gaza
breaking their fasts on on grass literally whatever they could find.
Um anything I've felt challenged with in these months has felt
small and insignificant compared to what our brothers and sisters are enduring in Palestine.
So gratitude has taken on more depth in my life.
It is usually something that gets highlighted during Ramadan for sure because you know when you
experience you know hunger pangs and need to practice patience through those moments like
you realize this hunger is temporary, this discomfort is temporary. I'm not going to
be hungry forever because I know where my next meal is coming from.
And that's a huge blessing. Not everyone has that food security in their lives.
The other thing Gaza and and Palestinians have taught us about gratitude is
no matter what hardship befalls them
you just see video after video after video of
them repeatedly saying the word Alhamdulillah and in Arabic Alhamdulillah means
praise be to Allah. It's the expression of gratitude. It's the mantra for giving thanks
in the Muslim world.
We've literally seen you know mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and orphans
and children of all ages like saying Alhamdulillah.
So when faced with this kind of
you know witnessing
you know the loss
it just paints life in a totally different way.
I think in spiritual circles and you know the quote unquote western world we just
just gratitude is this cute thing that we do to practice.
I don't know just it almost it almost seems meaningless and insignificant in terms of how
often it's repeated over and over again.
As much as I'd like to have a light discussion about gratitude it really
coming to a deeper understanding of of gratitude
you know came from witnessing a lot of the darkness
and so how do we not get sucked into that darkness how do we not get lost in it
because at the end of the day as someone who holds a place of privilege
it is I feel it is my part of my spiritual contract my spiritual duty to stay connected
to the light in the midst of all this darkness so that we can keep working towards advocating for
speaking up for a more just world a world where all of our children are safe
a world where all of our children's lives everyone's life is of value
Well I started out singing and now we've gone to a pretty heavy space and so I think this might be
a good place to pause for our just a simple breathing practice to come to the present moment.
My breath has been a faithful friend throughout these months and
I am certainly grateful for this breath I am certainly grateful for these lungs
I'm certainly grateful for the safe quiet space the shelter of my home
so that I can continue my work
I invite you to find a comfortable seat allow the eyes to close
and we'll start with a simple body scan at the crown of the head
and bring your awareness and I'd like you to think of your awareness as this cascading
waterfall that pours from the very top of your head and as you're bringing awareness imagine
that awareness as just water falling over your face and that awareness pours itself over your neck
and shoulders, it cascades over your upper arms and your chest
it envelopes the heart space as you take a deep breath in
and continue to bring that wave of awareness down through the body, the belly
allow it to wash over the hips, the tops of your thighs over your knees
bring the flow of awareness down your legs
to the feet, breathing in a deep breath from the very top of your head all the way down to your feet
and exhaling gratitude for this moment
taking a big deep breath in knowing I am safe and held here in this moment
and letting it go
taking a deep breath in of gratitude
and exhaling sending wishes for all those
without safety to find safety and comfort and ease
take a deep breath in may we all be free of suffering
take a deep breath out
breathe in and breathe out
take a deep breath in
filling the lungs, filling the belly and exhale
feel free to sit here as long as you wish following your inhale and exhale
allowing yourself to be held by the earth
giving yourself some time to practice a bit of gratitude for the most mundane things of our
lives that support us and hold us and carry us and care for us
and sending out some love into the universe wishing that everyone is well provided for
may everyone feel safe and held and supported and loved
take a deep breath in and let it go
may you be happy may you be healthy
may you be free from suffering
may all beings be happy may all beings be healthy
may all beings be free from suffering
thank you for practicing with me