Skeptic to Believer

While sharing my gong passion with the world I frequently encounter scepticism and disbelief. We can shift the former into proponents, the later we cannot.
 
The Greeks and most notably Socrates discussed the concept of scepticism in its myriad forms.  A sceptic asks, ‘What is the evidence?’  They hold a neutral position suspending belief until evidence is provided before accepting or rejecting it. Disbelievers flatly refuse to accept or deny that something is true. 
I am the wisest man alive for I know one thing - I know nothing. Socrates
Last week I introduced gongs to a group of 40 university students from Baptist University Faculty of Integrated Arts. All gong newbies.
I know what I know, I don’t know what I don’t know. (Four stages of learning by Martin Broadwell)
The class was organised by their professor and attendance was mandatory. Compare them to a group of  entrepreneurs on a work/pleasure visit whose assistant booked a gong experience as their afternoon wellness activity. 
Nothing is as empowering as real-world validation, …. Steven Pressfield
Afterwards all of them had a look of wonder and awe, of processing while attempting to comprehend or label their feelings and thoughts based on their existing paradigms.
Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. Socrates
One said:
I’ve been to many sound healings and nothing quite like this, most I have gotten annoyed and frustrated with… I walked away thinking I’d discovered something amazing… I’d love to be able to access this back home. Ted
 
This is what I do.  Experiential transformation. Shifting sceptics to proponents, from ‘I don’t know what I don’t know to I know, consciously bringing the laws of quantum physics to life.  One gong, one convert at a time.

Homecoming

We believe that gongs originated in NW China somewhere on the silk road where metal was first discovered approximately 5-6000 years ago. The Chinese enthusiastically shared their knowledge and instruments throughout Asia with large numbers found in shipwrecks off Indonesia; bogs in Sweden and in Germany too. They quickly spread to Vietnam, India and eventually Turkey. 

The first metal leeched out of the rocks forming bread ovens was copper due to its low melting point.  Next, nickel sourced from meteorites was added to the mix which gave the gongs a cosmic connection. Interestingly enough gong makers and those who played them were considered spiritual leaders in their community. And to this day all indigenous players of gongs in Asia from Korea to Burma are shamans.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to play and teach in a wonderful studio in Guangzhou called Wind Song Yoga. My gracious host Mini, is one of my gong kittens.  She, along with her partner, Gillia and staff offered a warm welcome and full classes where I shared kundalini celestial meditation and performed with my titanium gong for the full moon.  It seems like taking coals to Newcastle however the resonance and depth of harmonics from the shimmering blue gong was unlike anything ever heard there before.

Their warm welcome and sincere interest in all things 'gong' will mean repeated trips in the future for which I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my love of the instrument in the land where it all began.  Thank you.

Strength in Numbers

One of the first to emerge from the melting snow, daffodils symbolise rebirth and resilience. Their cheerful solitary blossoms remind us of the circle of life while narcissi come in clusters representing friendship. Galantamine extracted from their bulbs is used to treat dementia, while other compounds alleviate pain. It is believed they also possess anti cancer properties - no coincidence they are the symbol for cancer fundraising initiatives worldwide. 

I am drawn to these perky blooms as they remind me of the power of group.  Current research shows that participation in a weekly scheduled group activity can improve mental health by >20%.   Combine that with gongs and the effects and exponential. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the body." While Oliver Sacks recognised that, “The power of music to integrate and cure. . . is quite fundamental. It is the profoundest nonchemical medication." 

My own research conducted during COVID for Svaram Sound Institute reinforced these findings.  A group of 11 senior executives participated in 20 min gong baths once a week for 12 weeks. The results were 100% improvement in sleep, 83% decrease in perceived stress and 72% improvement in overall wellbeing.  Since then I know of at least four companies in HK who used nearly identical protocols with similiar results.

As we approach the end of winter isn’t it time to transcend and feel in harmony with something else? Whether it’s a glorious sunset, inspiring music or another human being…. Not only do we feel more relaxed and at peace, but this entrained state increases our ability to perform well and offers numerous health benefits? (Doc Childre & Howard Martin)

I invite you to join our weekly events for Music has a great power for bringing people together. With so many forces in this world acting to drive wedges between people, it’s important to preserve those things that help us experience our common humanity." Ted Turner

Saddle Up.

Horses evolved over 50M years ago from a small, forest dwelling, multi-toed browser called Eohippus to what we know today as a large, single toed, grazing beauty. 

A dog may be man's best friend but the horse wrote history. - Anon

First domesticated 4000 years ago in what is now Ukraine, the horse was initially a food source and then adapted to use in agriculture, transport and warfare. Now horses are used for recreation, sport and breeding.

A horse gallops with his lungs, perseveres with his heart, and wins with his character.  - Federico Tesio

Their courage, spirit, strength and intelligence were immortalised in such films including The Black Stallion, Black Beauty, War Horse, The Man from Snowy River and Hidalgo.  While every little girl knows the heroine is always swept away on the back of an elegant steed from Spirit to Donkey. 

Horses lend us the wings we lack. - Pam Brown

We fantasize the freedom of the horse galloping across expansive plains however in reality only 1000 truly wild horses remain in Mongolia. The Przewalski Horse was virtually extinct, down to 12 and since 1960 through selective breeding has reached a precarious 1000 in number.

Mustangs (140,000) in the USA and brumbies (400,000) in Australia are feral horses who descend from domesticated stock. Currently the Bureau of Land Management in the USA is undergoing a massive cull in order to manage their numbers.  Isn’t it ironic that a treasured icon becomes dog food. 

They provide peace and tranquillity to troubled souls, they give us hope. - Toni Robinson

Equine therapy programs are based on the horse’s unconditional positive regard. Simply their presence and touch calms clients inviting them to confront difficult emotions.

A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves–strong, powerful, beautiful–and with the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.-  Pam Brown   It is the horse's gift to connect us with Heaven and our own footsteps. - Ronni Sweet

As we enter the year of the horse I invite you to saddle up, take the reins and have the courage, strength and determination to gallop into your future.

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in a saddle. - Winston Churchill

Open Doors

My logo consists of the Chinese character for 'door' combined with 'mouth' meaning 'to ask or to question' and if you come through my doors you get answers.  Last week a number of intrepid souls passed through the doors of the lovely Lotus Wellness in Bangkok to enter the wonderful world of gongs beginning with the flumie workshop followed by levels 1 and 2.

During my workshops I ask, ' Why play gongs?'.  The correct answer is not just 'to make money'.
Simon Sinek first proposed his Why, How and What model at TED where he compares Apple to IBM .  With IBM you logically choose a laptop while an Apple purchase has an emotional hook. Apple started with a strong 'Why' to change the world.  How they did so was through uncompromising innovation and design of products from i-watches to i-phones. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA)

My why is to heal the planet.  I inspire by example and deliver experiential learning and trainings, as well as corporate, community and private events.  When I have noticeably made an impact on my students it warms the cockles of my heart for I know they will now go forth and share their skills with integrity and passion.  Their sincere feedback is the fuel to my fire:

'I had the best week ,one of the best teachers I’ve learned from... Martha Collard is deeply steeped in the ways of the gong and an intuitive teacher, mentor and practitioner - she wields not just mallets but also wit and humour. I have learned so much from you and grown so much as a gong player! Thank you doesn't begin to cover my gratitude for you and your teachings....These courses gave me so much more than techniques. Through the way this course was taught, I didn’t just learn how to play; I learned how to trust myself as a sound catalyst. That confidence now lives in my body, my hands, and my presence....  These courses didn’t just expand my skills — they strengthened my relationship with sound, with myself, and with the way I serve others through vibration.

Thank you.

If any of you are inspired to pick up mallets, my next training is in HK starting Feb 14. www.red-doors.com/events
Go well, play well until we meet again.

Be Curious

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. - Helen Keller

Sir David Attenborough is considered the ‘Willy Wonka’ of the natural world.  Ninety nine years young his curiosity and delight in even the smallest of creatures evokes wonder and awe.

When was the last time you felt the same?

I am currently teaching in Bangkok at my second gong home, Lotus Wellness.  The look of surprised euphoria of one student is forever etched in my memory.  Up until that moment her entire audience consisted of her beloved puppies.  Sharing the sound current for a fellow human for the first time was a once in a life time moment. She instantaneously understood the power of her hands, in her mallets and in her heart.

Anyone who keeps learning stays young. - Henry Ford

We began our week with B Love friction mallets.  Some students had no previous exposure, others, mixed.  Here they were invited to …look at the world with fresh eyes being childlike. Seth Godin. And realised every imperfect attempt was an occasion for a delight unlike anything else on earth. – Stephen Nachmanovitch. They caressed otherworldly sounds from the gongs evoking the depths of the oceans or the far reaches of the cosmos.  Every swipe of the mallet, wipe on, wipe off was a magical adventure in sound. 

Isaac Asimov said the true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing. Barbara Sher says that the whole world will open up for you if you learn to like being a beginner.  For in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. – Shunryu Suzuki

In my gong classes we begin with theory, build muscle memory and teach connection to source.  We learn to be responsible channels of cosmic energy to uplift our audiences with integrity and authenticity.  If you wish to join the wave sweeping the planet to uplift and transform remember It is never to late to learn something new. Anon.

It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. - Meister Eckhart

 My next training is in HK starting Feb 14. www.red-doors.com/events

Bittersweet wheel of time

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Seneca the Younger

The traditional medicine wheel represents the unending cyclical nature of life with no true beginning or end. The last few days represented a full turning of my wheel as 2026 unfolds.

Over the weekend I hosted Earth Mother Blue Star from Holland - an acknowledged keeper of ancient wisdom of five continents.  Our time together was of learning, exploring and unlocking ancient earth energies all for the benefit of humanity.  She also led a journey to connect with our guides for the coming year.

On Tuesday I presented my last class to The Shift Network. It was bittersweet. During our seven months together the class grew in confidence and competence as they gained knowledge in all things gong.  I felt connected to each and every one of them and will miss our weekly gatherings.  

 As a parent our responsibility is to teach our children independence yet when they leave the nest we are left with mixed feelings: a sense of emptiness and sadness; joy and pride.  I have touched many lives, inspired and uplifted through example.  These new gong players represent the future as they craft their own gong journeys.

The next chapter of my life is always more interesting than the last one. - Michael Lipsey

Go well, play well until we meet again.

Ithaka

Ithaka is the mythical home of Odysseus (also known as Ulysses), the hero of the Odyssey.  The story describes his arduous ten year voyage after the Trojan War to return home and reassert his place as king. In the following poem it serves as a metaphor for our life’s journey and the wisdom gained from experience.

As you set out in search of Ithaka
Pray that your journey be long,
full of adventures, full of awakenings.
do not fear the monsters of old...
you will not meet them in your travels
if your thoughts are exalted and remain high,
unless you bring them along inside your soul,

Constantine Peter Cavafy 1911

A gong bath is also a metaphor for returning home. Their immersive sounds transport us across the cosmos to connect with our true self, a place of unconditional love and inner peace.  Join us tonight to begin your trip.

Ring Out the Old

Frosty was a magical whimsical snowman who brought joy and happiness before fleeing to the north pole to escape the warming effects of spring. We can't control the inevitable passage of time however we can commemorate and celebrate its passing. Tonight we take inspiration from Alfred, Lord Tennyson for our all night gong puja.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true.

The gift of giving

The holiday season is traditionally a time of family, feasting and the exchange of presents.  One simply has to venture to central to see the frenzied flurry of shoppers fulfilling obligatory lists.  I invite you to check in to the true meaning of gift giving.  John D. Rockefellar Jr said to Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.   Frank Sonnenberg suggests the following:

The Gift of Giving
Give out of love, not obligation. (For it is in giving that we receive. St. Francis of Assisi)
Give when it's least expected.
Give without Strings attached.
Give from your heart.
Give of yourself.
Give to show that you care.
Give help without causing helplessness.
Give somethings that takes personal sacrifice.
Give to make a difference.
Give without keeping score.
Give for no reason at all.
Give a little if you can't give a lot. (No one has ever become poor by giving. Anne Frank)
Give without attracting attention to yourself.
Give without being asked.
Give of your experience.
Give to those who need it most.

Remember that our presence is present enough.

Crystal Clarity

The art of scrying is to gaze into a crystal or other reflective surface to foretell the future.
Yet To see the things that others can't see, You need crystal clear clarity. -Srinivart

We are fast approaching the longest night of the year. 
the clarity of
winter dusk, the still sharp air
and one bright blue star - anon

n the Northern Hemisphere the angle of the sun offers spectacularly clear skies, sunrises and sunsets.  One can't help but feel that our vision has improved.  The time between Dec 24 and Jan 6 or the 12 nights of Christmas is believed to be a time when the portals to the heavens are open for two way communication. Now is the time to set your sights on the coming twelve months.

Your focus determines your reality. George Lucas
The Theosophical society founded in the early 1900's by notables including Carl Jung, Rupert Steiner, Alice Bailey and others resurrected an ancient practice to help us set intentions.  There is now proof that written intention setting is highly effective.   Dr. Gail Matthews (Dominican University) found that written planful intentions with weekly check-ins were 33-40% more likely to be achieved versus those that were just fleeting ideas.

This Saturday I will hold a special gong for the solstice preceded by an introduction into the ancient practice of intention setting for the 12 nights of Christmas. One night, one month. We implant the seeds of upcoming success, protection and fruitful endeavours. This is your invitation to join us. Details below. https://www.red-doors.com/events/p/journaling

Full Circle

This is not a full circle, It's life carrying on. It is the next breath we take It's the choice we make to get on with it. Alexandra Fuller

The Enso practice for Japanese meditators involves the daily drawing of a circle with one brush stroke. This reflects the state of the meditator on that day.  It represents the emptiness from which all things arise yet it is not complete – giving the impression of being part undone.

I am currently attending a kundalini yoga intensive program called the 21 Stages of Meditation in Bali. Comprising three ‘journeys’ we explore the hindrances to meditation, our crystalline self and then graceful enlightenment. 

Today we will share our experiences of yesterday’s 5 x 31 min meditations repeating the Laya yoga mantra.  It was a marathon to hold difficult mudras, maintaining the chant, shifting position to ease aching knees and observing my mind running a full circle of the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.  

Just getting into position was a challenge. Then the clock starts and we begin to chant. Within minutes I start wondering why are they going so fast? Why doesn’t someone stop them?  I chant louder, frustration sets in, then shutting down and pausing before a change of heart.  ‘They know not what they do” comes to mind. I decide to laugh, readjust the arms and spine and to lighten up. Literally.  We finally reach the end for a much deserved gong bath.

By shifting my mindset I joyfully completed these difficult seemingly endless meditations without irritation.  How to translate this learning to my daily life?  We know we’re coming full circle when we stand at a very similar crossroad where we made such a mess of life before, but this time we take a different road. Beth Moore You just stay the course, and do what it is that you do, and grow while you’re doing it. Eventually it will either come full circle, or at least you’ll go to bed happy. Jon Bon Jovi 

Cold Moon

It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over. -Paulo Coelho

This week we witness the last supermoon of the year, shining ever more brightly due to its proximity to earth and the winter solstice.  The Mohawks called it the ‘cold’ moon reflecting the typical drop in temperature.  It is a time when collectively the earth exhales.

 In yoga we work with the four stages of breath – inhale, pause, exhale and pause. The exhale is an act of "letting go", purification, and release thereby creating space for renewal. The pause is a still point, of clarity and of seeing things as they truly are.

On full moon nights, there is a heightened level of energy within and without. And there are ways to harness this energy towards health, blissfulness, and success. – Sadhguru. It begins by lying down immersed in the sounds of gongs. 

Out of the Fire

This week's message is rather difficult to craft.  On the one hand it is a time of thanksgiving and joyful connections with family celebrating the bounty of life while on the other Hong Kong has experienced the worst tragedy in living memory with thousands of individuals losing their homes, friends and family members. Hundreds are still missing and the death count rises each hour. As I write the fire is still out of control with it expected to be contained over 24 hours after ignition.

Started by a simple careless cigarette (current theory) compounded by extremely dry conditions and flammable materials the fire quickly engulfed not one but at least seven apartment blocks that were under repair shrouded in bamboo and plastic netting.  Thank you to all of you that have reached out to check on my status. Fortunately the fire was miles away however the impact on the citizens of Hong Kong is far reaching.

In tonight's gong bath we will send the mantra Akaal to all those who have lost their lives. We will also contemplate the cycle of birth, life, death and re-birth.  We cannot turn back the clock but we can honour the innocent victims, the heroic efforts of neighbours, our firefighters and police by sending energy to survivors so that they may heal on all levels.  
Out of the fire comes hope. - Norah Colvin

Push Back

The new moon this week coincided with not one, but five planets in retrograde.  If a planet is in retrograde, it means that as seen from Earth, the planet seems to move backwards in the night sky.  The ancients believed these planets were journeying through the underworld gathering insights, perspectives, and information.

With so many planets in retrograde we are asked to pause and to go within.  Many might feel a sense of stagnation by losing momentum. Instead I invite you to think of this as a time to reflect and redirect: a chance shed light on limiting beliefs and behaviours that are no longer serving you.  Taking a moment to step back to move forward is not new.

Remember push back cars where you pushed the car backwards, released,  to see it speeding off down the track? In archery, an arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it is going to launch you into something great. So focus and keep aiming. anon

Remembering Kindness

November 11 was Remembrance Day. A day to thank those that came before, giving their lives selflessly so we may live ours. Today we wear red poppies to express our support and respect for the armed services and their families.  In the aftermath of WWl nature recovered the battlefields first with grass then thousands of red poppies: a living reminder of the blood shed. Since then the poppy is the symbol of remembrance.

Throughout history the flower is associated with 'eternal sleep'. They were found in King Tutankhaumun's tomb as well as on statues of the 'poppy goddess' who wore a crown of poppies.  It is believed that the Greek gods created the poppy so that its juice would help Demeter, the goddess of agriculture to sleep and to begin healing over the loss of her daughter Persephone.  When she awoke poppies sprang from her footsteps and became her sacred flower.

Today is also world kindness day. A day to take a moment to remember to show kindness to yourself, your friends, family and all those you meet.  Mother Teresa said 'Peace begins with a smile'.  That is all it takes.

Commit

Commitment is an act not a word. Anon 

This weekend I embarked on a three year journey of personal development and mastery. 

Oscar Wilde said:  The aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly – that is what each of us is here for.

 Kundalini level 3 is DEFINITELY NOT for the faint of heart.  It requires integrity, commitment and dedication and consists of three pillars:

We develop our meditative mind with 31 minutes of daily practice for 1000 days.  Miss a day and start over from zero.  It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop. Confucious

31 minutes will balance your 31 tattvas, your chakras and ethereal body. In 1000 days you will master the new consciousness, essentially you ‘become it’.

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others. Lewis Carroll. Seva is the second pillar.  We commit to undertake a community project embodying KRI teachings.  This may take many forms, What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. Jane Goddall

Spiritual maturity is a journey of self discovery and mastery.  However,  Alone we can do little, together we can do so much. Helen Keller.  We find support in a small peer group creating space for reflection, feedback and authentic discourse. 

There is no exam, no curriculum or certificate of achievement.  It is up to my peers to decide if my efforts qualify for completion. 

What would ever possess me to embark on such a challenge?

I owe my current life and purpose to one happenstance meeting on the street in HK in 2012 where a friend suggested I try kundalini yoga. That led to one class followed a few weeks later by attending teacher training in New Mexico where I had my first gong bath.  That led to purchasing my first gong and the rest is history.  Curiosity and continuous development led to completing Level 2 training.  The next step is personal mastery rather than the accumulation of knowledge.  I registered before COVID and the class started last weekend. The thought of the challenges ahead is daunting. But  

Success is not final

Failure is not fatal

It is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill

Sat nam

Cleaning House

Spider webs are a favourite Halloween decoration.  In nature orb spiders weave intricate webs of silk 5 times stronger than steel. The webs protect eggs, create underwater homes, wrap food, offer a platform for courtship displays, and ensnarl prey.
 
Known as Nature’s Architects spiders begin by dangling a sticky bridge thread with the other end pulled by the breeze until it finds a holdfast. Then a second thread crossing the first. Eventually the frame is anchored followed by spokes from the central hub for structural support filled in with concentric sticky spirals with an occasional decorative flourish. Their patience and determination results in a finished product within 30 min.
 
Spiders are superb opportunists building webs in prime locations for capturing prey and relying on the creative use of space and resources. It is no surprise that as a spirit animal they represent the weaving of destiny and symbolize the connection between past and future.
 
This week I invite you to clear the cobwebs of your mind, renew your vision for the future and surmount any fears that may deter the manifesting of your dreams. One of the best ways to do so is relaxing to the sound of the gongs. In the words of Yogi Bhajan - The mind cannot resist a gong well played. 

We are One

Credit Greg Rakozy

A hundred things

a million or more

if you look to their reality

are one - Fakhruddin Iraqi

Today we celebrate UN Day and Global Oneness Day.

Born in the aftermath of world war the UN has for the last 80 years endeavoured to promote peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. Their theme for 2025 is ‘better together’. Global Oneness Day began in 2010 with a petition of 52,000 signatures delivered to the UN and is now celebrated in 150 countries.  Their premise is:

“Until there is a sense of solidarity among the peoples of the world all of our efforts for peace and security will go... Oneness is the energy of love that lies within and connects all of life, allowing us to recognize ourselves in everything, to realise the connectedness between everyone and everything”

When we participate in a group activity such as a transformative gong bath sometimes we transcend our personal sense of self and ‘’me’ becomes ‘we’.  Gamma is what creates that feeling of oneness, bliss, compassion that is contagious in a group setting. Quantum physicist Schrodinger wrote the total numbers of minds in the universe is one. This plus the theory of quantum entanglement where particles are linked no matter how far apart they may be helps to explain how we send energy and intentions to the other side of the planet.

This week I invite you pause and sense that connection from your heart with family and friends across the miles.

Gratitude is a feeling.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. - Jean Baptiste Massieu
Aristotle wrote in 350 B.C.E. that virtue is formed by habit: We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”

Scientists at the University of California studied how gratitude affects the brain. After three weeks of writing daily gratitude notes, participants’ prefrontal cortex — the brain’s center for focus and stress control — physically changed leading to the observation that Gratitude doesn’t just lift your mood — it rebuilds your wiring.

When gratitude stays in your head, it’s just manners, one researcher said. When it reaches your body, it becomes transformation. - anon

If you mechanically write or express your gratitude from ‘the head up’ there will be no change.  Instead you’ll express boredom.  On the other hand for those who took a few moments to stop, close their eyes and embody the warmth of gratitude in their hearts and elsewhere in their body, they triggered deep neural activation in the area of the brain tied to emotional memory.

After two months, these participants had lower cortisol, better sleep, and sharper focus. Their brain scans resembled experienced meditators.  But most importantly, their brains automatically started spotting good things throughout the day. Gratitude had become a perception.

As we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving this week I invite you to take a moment to sit and reflect on all that we are grateful for, relive the expression of gratitude from your fingers to your toes.