Rest, Quiet, Nourishment

Today I am grateful for my physical capabilities and a run with Darcy after work yesterday. I am also grateful for what I am continuing to learn about prayer and meditation.

My colleague Germ, who did the Lenten word series, has decided to continue the "word-of-the-week" discussions. Yesterday's word was "awareness." 

We talked about becoming more aware of what we need; what our bodies, minds, and souls need. It can be a real challenge in our fast-paced, technology-driven culture to have awareness of the right kind. We are saturated with "stuff" and bombarded with plenty of useless (or at least unneccessary) information, and sometimes that pulls us away from being aware of our own thoughts and feelings.

It takes practice to gain self-awareness. Morning prayers on my knees, quiet time on my commute, moving meditation like running, and keeping a gratitude journal are some of my awareness-raising activities.

What do my body, mind, and soul need? Rest. Quiet. Nourishment. All three need all three.

I appreciate what daily gratitude practice brings me in terms of awareness. If I slow down enough to be grateful for the gifts in this moment, that's a good start.

How do you gain self-awareness? 

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