A Reflection on Gratitude, including a meditation by Jack Kornfield

We have a lot to be thankful for this weekend. We moved into the acreage and are slowly transforming this space into our home. There is so much potential in the air, anchored by the serenity of the surroundings and the newness of each day. It is easier to be mindful when you are in a new setting, traveling to a new destination, or moving to a new home. It is when things are routine that you have to continually reset the intention of noticing things with beginner’s mind, i.e. as if they are happening for the first time (which they are). We are allowing the creativity and openness of the space to broaden our vision and our mental landscapes. This will be the source of several beginnings: being able to create more mindful moments with our horses who arrive in a few weeks, building our skills in mindfulness and equine therapy, and embarking on a gypsy cob breeding program. And there is more on the horizon, including future collaborations, writing and maybe hosting wellness retreats and weddings!

One of the things we are particularly grateful for is this painting. This painting, Love is All That Matters, was created by Giselle Denis at our wedding reception and brings us back to a time of joy and new beginnings. It is one of the most precious tangible items in our lives. We thank Giselle and Neil, and their lovely son Quinn, for taking the time to transport and find the perfect home for this work of art in our new home. It is one of the things that helped make this house a home over the weekend. Thank you to all of the people who help make our lives richer. Thanks to our friends and family who helped us through this process.

Here is a reflection on gratitude from Jack Kornfield’s website, which we’d like to share with our readers. Please take a few minutes to read the words and reflect on the invitation to be grateful for the things in life one often takes for granted. Thank you for reading our words and for taking the time to stay more connected to your present-moment experience, with or without your horses.

Let yourself sit quietly and at ease. Allow your body to be relaxed and open, your breath natural, your heart easy. Begin the practice of gratitude by feeling how year after year you have cared for your own life. Now let yourself begin to acknowledge all that has supported you in this care:

With gratitude I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day.

With gratitude I remember the care and labor of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me.

I offer my gratitude for the safety and well-being I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the blessing of this earth I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the measure of health I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the family and friends I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the community I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons I have been given.

I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given.

Just as we are grateful for our blessings, so we can be grateful for the blessings of others.