Ignite Gratitude

Welcome, wild one.

Another Tuesday is here, bringing with it a new spark of wellness and wonder—a shared ritual to pause, breathe, and remember what truly matters.

If you are new to the Ignite Series, hello there, radiant soul, you have landed in a sacred rhythm.

Every Tuesday within the Wild Wellness Blog we strike a fresh match for the soul. So far, we have explored adventure, balance, compassion, courage, energy, flow, generosity… and today, we gather around the glowing ember of gratitude.

The ember of the day is gratitude—one of my favourite words to whisper, write, and weave into the fabric of everyday life. I lean into it physically (placing a hand over my heart), somatically (feeling warmth radiate through my chest), and emotionally (allowing soft joy to unfurl from within).

Gratitude is more than manners or thank-you speeches. It’s not a trend or a hashtag.

It is a gateway to grace.

Gratitude is both gentle and ferocious.
Gentle in the way it softens our gaze.
Ferocious in how it slices through cynicism, stagnancy, and scarcity thinking.

Gratitude changes not just the lens—but the landscape. It is the softest medicine and the sharpest tool.

One moment, it’s a feather resting on your collarbone; the next, a sword that cuts through the old stories that keep you small.

It doesn’t just sweeten life—it widens it.
Clearing space for more light, more love, more you.

Gratitude is not about ignoring the mess, the grief, the exhaustion, the realness of life.
I’m not a fan of “good vibes only.” I am a fan of honest vibes: grief and grace, fatigue and beauty, frustration and wonder.

Gratitude isn’t about bypassing pain.
It is about holding the fullness of life with open hands and an open heart.
Think both/and, not either/or.
Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard stuff—it makes room to hold it all with more compassion.

Join me today as we begin not by reaching for the extraordinary, but by bowing to the ordinary miracles already here.

That first sip of warm tea.
The way the light hits your window.
The breath you didn’t have to remember to take.

This is your spark.

Welcome to gratitude. Welcome to grace.

Grab a mug of something warm. Pull on your fuzziest socks.
Find a warm blanket. Fluff up your cushion and settle in.

Over the next few sips, or mugs of your beverage of choice this blog will invite you into the glow of gratitude through many doors:

✦ A personal story that tethered me to gratitude when the ground felt like quicksand
✦ A rich tapestry of definitions—from dictionary basics to neuroscience, spiritual traditions, positive psychology, Indigenous wisdom, and my own lived experience
✦ The science of why gratitude is a gateway to grace (spoiler: vagus nerve + neurochemistry)
✦ A sensory and somatic lens—how vision, breath, and posture shift when we thank the moment we’re in
✦ A pantry of everyday practices—no spreadsheets, just five richly detailed rituals, from 30-second sparks to monthly soul nourishment
✦ Twenty journal prompts, each with mini coaching notes to deepen the inquiry
✦ A week-long Gratitude in Motion challenge with intention-setting tips and a closing reflection to anchor your practice in daily life

This isn’t a gratitude list. It’s a lived experience. A map back to the sacred. A reclamation of joy, even when life doesn’t go to plan.

Get ready to ignite the ember of gratitude.

There was one major moment a few years ago that changed my relationship with gratitude.

It was mid-pandemic, mid-winter and let me be totally honest, mid-meltdown.

My cozy house felt more like a shoebox of overwhelm and chaotic thoughts. I was juggling virtual vision-therapy sessions, intuitive-wellness circles and writing deadlines—while trying to be the friend who always texts back with emoji fireworks.

Spoiler alert: something had to give.

That morning, before logging into back-to-back virtual sessions, I placed my palm on the frosted window. I noticed the exact pattern the condensation made beneath my hand—like tiny galaxies spiraling where body heat met cold glass. In the silence, something unplanned spilled from my lips: “Thank you, breath, for being warm enough to melt ice.”

The words felt strange but delicious. Like warm soup after fasting.

My shoulders dropped. My jaw unclenched. My heart rate slowed.

In that moment, gratitude wasn’t a concept—it was somatic first aid. A single shimmer of beauty had pierced the fog.

That day, something shifted.

Each pause between patients became a quiet treasure hunt: the smell of fresh fruit on the kitchen table, the blossoming flowers in the garden, the way my laptop hummed a steady, comforting whirr.

My body softened. My breath deepened. My eyes brightened.

I learned firsthand that gratitude lives in my body before it lives in my words.

Since that icy morning, I have practiced gratitude not as a forced smile, but as a nervous-system reset.

Not as a sticker-plaster for pain, but as a pause button that gently reminds my body, “We are safe enough to notice the good, even if pain is present.”

That is gratitude at its truest: personal, embodied, intentional.

Here is a soulful exploration of what gratitude truly is, seen through six unique lenses and held by one heartfelt intention to come home to what matters most.

My Living Definition of gratitude is the art of turning ordinary breaths into sacred moments—collecting tiny sparks of “thank you” until life feels sunlit from the inside out. It’s a full-body exhale that widens perception and anchors presence. It is how my eyes soften, my jaw unclenches and my heart opens when I say “thank you” with sincerity.

Looking through the dictionary lens “Gratitude (n.): the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness.”  Oxford

Straightforward, simple and solid but a little dry—like toast without butter. Still, it captures the essential gesture of appreciation in motion.

Gratitude in the neuroscience lens is a prosocial emotion that lights up the reward circuits of the brain, boosting dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin—hello, natural mood lift! Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman describes it as a state that strengthens trust and connection.
MRI studies even reveal increased activity in the prefrontal cortex of those who practice gratitude regularly.

Translation? Gratitude rewires us for joy, connection, and resilience.

with the positive psychology lens researcher Dr. Robert Emmons calls gratitude “the queen of virtues” and “a tonic for disappointment.” Practiced consistently, gratitude has been shown to improve sleep, boost immune function and enhance long-term wellbeing. Unlike fleeting pleasure, gratitude cultivates durable happiness and deepens our relational roots.

Mystic Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will suffice.” Looking through the spiritual lens in many wisdom traditions, gratitude is a devotional act. An anchor for awe, humility and reverence. It is a sacred pause that opens us to the Divine in the everyday. A conscious practice of recognising life’s gifts and glimpsing the sacred woven through the ordinary.

Turning to the indigenous lens the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address—also known as “Words That Come Before All Else” offers thanks to every layer of existence: the waters, the winds, the animals, the sun, the people. Gratitude here is not personal but relational and ecological. To thank the land is to care for it. To offer thanks is to remember we belong to each other and to Earth.

Pick the lens that lights you up or better still, weave them all together.
Gratitude is a state, a practice, a rewiring, a relationship. Whether scientific or spiritual, communal or cellular, the heart of gratitude is this: you are here and there is still beauty to notice.

Let that be enough.

Let that be everything.

Gratitude is more than just a poetic virtue—it is also a physiological shift. It’s how the nervous system says, “We are safe enough to soften.” In that softening, grace begins.

🜁 Vagus Nerve Massage: Slow, heartfelt gratitude statements increase vagal tone—helping to regulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This steadies heart-rate variability (HRV), a key marker of emotional resilience and stress recovery. More vagal tone = more calm, more connection.

🜁 Cortisol Drop: In a UC-Davis study, participants who kept a daily gratitude journal showed a 23% reduction in stress hormones (like cortisol) within four weeks. Less overwhelm, more grounded presence.

🜁 Neuroplasticity Groove: Each time we genuinely say “thank you,” we reinforce neural pathways linked to optimism, empathy, and joy. With repetition, positivity becomes less of a mood and more of a mindset.

🜁 Mirror-Neuron Magic: Expressing gratitude aloud doesn’t just change your brain—it lights up the listener’s too. Mirror neurons fire, creating a ripple of connection and warmth that’s biologically contagious.

🜁 Grace in Action: When the nervous system feels safe, the soul gets curious. That curiosity—that spacious breath—that’s grace. Grace isn’t mystical fluff; it’s a state of embodied openness. Gratitude helps us arrive there.

Gratitude doesn’t bypass pain—it expands our capacity to meet life as it is. With each thank-you, we invite the body to exhale, the heart to notice, and the soul to reawaken to beauty.

As a vision therapist, I am deeply geeky about how emotions, especially gratitude impact our visual system and nervous system.
As an intuitive wellness guide, I witness the ripple effects beyond just the eyes: it’s a full-body, soul-deep recalibration.

Here is what I observe in both clients, patients and myself after just one minute of sincere gratitude.

Gratitude creates a ripple through the entire being–visually, somatically and energetically. The pupils steady, as stress-induced jitteriness gives way to a grounded sense of safety. Peripheral vision gently widens, dissolving the tunnel vision brought on by fight-or-flight. Eye tracking becomes smoother, allowing for more fluid focus and calmer cognition.

In the body, shoulders roll back and the heart space expands, inviting breath and openness. Breathing shifts from shallow chest inhales to deeper diaphragm expansion, signaling a return to parasympathetic ease. A soft micro-smile often emerges as facial tension melts—especially around the jaw, where the vagus nerve weaves its way through.

I have also noticed that gratitude doesn’t force energy; it allows it to circulate steadily and gently. It reconnects the mind and body in real time, surfacing clarity, insight and presence. Gratitude is a portal emotion—one that opens rather than contracts.
Even in pain gratitude reminds us that beauty is still here, still possible, still ours to feel.

Gratitude is so much more than just a mindset. Gratitude is a state shift you can feel, see and embody.

This full-body embodied gratitude body scan I am about to share with you is an invitation into presence, to soften your nervous system and reconnect you with the sacredness of being alive.

Stand tall or sit comfortably.
Close your eyes.
Place one hand gently over your heart.
Whisper, “Thank you,” for your heartbeat—just as it is.
Let that thank-you settle into your body like a warm balm.

Now, begin the scan slowly and deliberately as you say and feel these words.

“Thank you, toes, for rooting me to the earth.”

“Thank you, feet, for carrying me through each day.”

“Thank you, ankles and calves, for your quiet strength.”

“Thank you, knees, for bending so I can move with grace.”

“Thank you, thighs and hips, for holding so much and moving me forward.”

“Thank you, belly, for digesting and feeling and guiding me.”

“Thank you, lungs, for the breath that keeps arriving.”

“Thank you, heart, for beating without needing to be asked.”

“Thank you, shoulders, for all you carry and release.”

“Thank you, arms and hands, for reaching, creating, and holding.”

“Thank you, neck and jaw, for expression and truth.”

“Thank you, eyes, for letting me see beauty.”

“Thank you, ears, for receiving sound and silence.”

“Thank you, scalp and crown, for sheltering my thoughts and dreams.”

As you finish take a long, slow breath.
As you open your eyes, notice does the world seem a little brighter?
Your body a little softer?
Your presence a little deeper?

This is gratitude in motion.
This is your sacred thank-you to life.

Think of the following everyday gratitude practices I am about to share with you as spice blends and adapt the quantities to suit your taste.

One day, a pinch. Another day, a whole handful.

The point of these practices is presence not perfection.

Hand-Over-Heart “3× Thank You” (⏱ 30 seconds)  Stand or sit. Place your hand over your heart. Feel your heartbeat. Speak aloud three tiny gratitudes from the last hour.
Examples: “Steam from the mug,” “The email I didn’t send,” “My toes are warm.”
Say them slowly. Let each thank-you settle into your body.
Intention: A micro-dose of calm in chaos.

Sip & Savour (⏰ 2 minutes)
Hold any drink—tea, water, cacao.
Before sipping, notice its color, aroma, and temperature.
Imagine every molecule whispering, “I’m here to nourish you.”
Inhale “thank,” exhale “you.” Swallow slowly, like it matters.
Intention: Turn autopilot hydration into a two-minute tea ceremony.

Surprise Gratitude Text (🌞 5 minutes)
Scroll your contacts. Stop when you feel warmth.
Text: “Hey, remembering when you ____. That still lights me up. Thank you.”
No need for a reply.
Intention: Let gratitude travel outward. What we give creates ripples—emotionally, neurologically (hello, mirror neurons).

Five-Sense Gratitude Walk (🚶‍♀️ 10 minutes)
Step outside. For each of your five senses, notice one thing to thank.

Sight: Cloud gradient.

Sound: Distant laughter.

Touch: Breeze on skin.

Smell: Fresh-cut grass.

Taste: Mint gum.
Speak it or think it.
Intention: Relational gratitude—connecting body, earth, and awareness.

Monthly Thank-You Letter (🕯 30 minutes)
Light a candle. Choose someone—mentor, ancestor, barista, old friend.
Write them a letter about the ripple their kindness made.
Optional: Mail it, read it aloud to them, or fold it into your journal.
Intention: Deep-rooted gratitude turns appreciation into sacred connection.

Stack #1 and #2 after meditation or a quiet pause. Try #3 during your lunchtime scroll.
#4 makes a beautiful post-work decompression. Schedule #5 on the first Sunday of each month as rituals love rhythm.

Repetition rewires.
Variety keeps it fresh.
Consistency kindles grace.

Each ritual is a tiny flame.
Together, these flames light the room of your life.

Choose the spark that fits your day and remember that one sincere “thank you” is more powerful than a dozen forced ones.

Curl up with your notebook, light a candle and let the following gratutude journal prompts with a wild note to support each one to guide you into the glow of gratidude.

Three scents from today that I am thankful for…

Wild Note: Scent is often the forgotten sense but it holds memories, moods and magic. Smell is the fastest portal to emotion, guiding us instantly back to moments we thought we had forgotten. Let your nose lead you to the sacred from the scent of fresh rain on warm pavement to the comfort of cinnamon rising from a morning brew. These aromas are doorways to presence, memory and meaning.

What is one thing my body did today that I didn’t consciously thank it for?

Wild Note: Let this be a love letter to your lungs, your legs, your lymphatic system. Gratitude becomes even more potent when we offer it to the parts of us we often overlook.

A challenge that refined me and how…

Wild Note: You are not who you were before that hardship—and that’s a sacred kind of alchemy. Let gratitude soften the edges of your growth. This is your gold-forged-in-fire moment.

One body part I under-appreciate and why it deserves praise…

Wild Note: You don’t have to love every inch of yourself, but today, pick one—maybe your liver, your knees, your skin, your booty, and say, “Thank you for staying with me.and supporting me”

The kindness of a stranger I still remember…

Wild Note: Sometimes, the people who touch us the deepest never even know. Let this memory remind you that compassion doesn’t need recognition to change a life.

What lesson did the gifts of nature teach me this week?

Wild Note: Nature is both mirror and mentor that is always whispering wisdom if we are willing to listen. Gratitude can be a silent nod to a wave, a fallen leaf or the hush of a breeze through tall grass. Nature reminds us that presence is power and gratitude is how we honour the sacred exchange between breath and earth.

Who in my life sees me when I forget to see myself fully?

Wild Note: Think beyond the obvious. It might be your dog. Your barista. A memory of your grandmother. Gratitude doesn’t have to be loud to be life-changing.

Music that moves me and the feeling it sparks…

Wild Note: Let the melody stir your body, your memory, your marrow. Songs are spells that remember us back to ourselves. What feeling did this one awaken?

An object in my home that holds a special story…

Wild Note: Home is built from walls and furniture that is also woven from moments, memories and meaning. There is magic in the mundane when we choose to see it. Take time to pause to honour one everyday object that brings beauty into each routine. Trace its story with tenderness—where did it come from, and what does it now hold for you? Let gratitude flood the ordinary and watch it become sacred.

What “grace” means to me right now…

Wild Note: Your definition doesn’t have to match the dictionary. Maybe grace is breath. Maybe it’s forgiveness. Maybe it’s letting go. Let your own wisdom rise.

A skill I once wished for and now possess…

Wild Note: You once dreamed of knowing what you now embody. That’s not just progress—it’s proof. Honour that inner student who became the guide.

A quote that steadies my heart…

Wild Note: Let someone else’s words anchor your own waves. Write down the quote. Speak it aloud. Let it echo through your ribcage.

A time I trusted intuition and it paid off…

Wild Note: Your inner knowing isn’t random—it’s sacred. Let this memory build your trust muscle. Your intuition deserves your thank you, too.

Small luxuries (fresh food, fresh sheets, warm blanket, essential oils) that I overlook…

Wild Note: You don’t need more items and object, you just need more awareness of what you already have. These soft details are love in physical form. Savour them now.

The words of a mentor or teacher that shifted my path…

Wild Note: Who cracked you open with truth? Whose wisdom still echoes? This is your chance to thank the voice that changed your direction.

A childhood memory that still glitters…

Wild Note: Let yourself return to a moment of magic—sticky fingers, bare feet, fireflies. Gratitude for childhood joy is soul reparenting.

Something about the weather today I can appreciate…

Wild Note: Even if it’s storming, there is always something to thank like the sound of rain, the golden sunbeam, the scent of the air. Let the elements stir gratitude.

Technology that connects me across miles…

Wild Note: While we often critique screens, today we honour them. For letters that arrive instantly. For video calls that cross oceans. For digital love that keeps hearts close.

A taste I am grateful to have experienced…

Wild Note: Taste is memory. Choose one savoury, sweet, bold or surprising taste and relive the pleasure with reverence. Gratitude lives in the tongue, too.

“I am grateful I said no to…”  and what it created space for…

Wild Note: Every “no” is a portal to deeper alignment. What did that “no” protect? What did it make space for? This is gratitude for your own boundaries.

One future experience I am already thankful to meet…

Wild Note: Gratitude doesn’t just heal the past—it calls in the future. Name what is on its way with faith. Let this thank-you become an invitation.

What moment of discomfort eventually led to something beautiful?

Wild Note: Growth isn’t always comfortable. This prompt alchemises pain into presence—like compost nourishing a wildflower.

When did I last feel truly held and who or what held me?

Wild Note: Maybe it was a friend’s hug, a soft pillow or a song. Let yourself feel it again as you write.

What has my pain shown me that I might be ready to thank?

Wild Note: Gratitude doesn’t mean denying the wound. It means honouring the wisdom that grew around it like scar tissue.

What wild part of me am I grateful for today?

Wild Note: My boldness? My messiness? My refusal to shrink? Celebrate the unpolished, untamed pieces of you.

What part of today made me pause in wonder?

Wild Note: It might have lasted only a second—a bird call, a shimmer, a laugh. That pause is sacred. Revisit it here.

When did I last laugh so hard I forgot the world?

Wild Note: Gratitude is the echo of joy. Let the memory move through you like a warm breeze.

What is something I once prayed for that I now have?

Wild Note: We often forget answered prayers. Reconnect with the energy of “I wished for this” and let it ground you.

What word or mantra has supported me lately?

Wild Note: Words are spells. Thank the one that felt like a friend in the dark.

What have I created this year that I feel grateful for and proud of?

Wild Note: No matter how big or small gratitude for your own expression fuels your inner fire.

How has the vulnerability of someone else been a gift to me?

Wild Note: Gratitude for courage is one of the highest forms of reverence. Name it, honour it, reflect it back.

What is something I take for granted that I am ready to appreciate?

Wild Note: Go gently. This isn’t about guilt. It’s about reclaiming awe for the ordinary.

Which part of my day felt like a sacred pause?

Wild Note: Maybe it was 60 seconds of silence, a cloud you admired floating by, a deep breath, a blooming flower. Gratitude grows in stillness.

What is one way I have shown up consistently for myself recently?

Wild Note: Self-gratitude is not selfish—it’s soul fuel. Celebrate the effort, not just the outcome.

If I could thank my past self for one thing, what would it be?

Wild Note: Let your inner time-traveler speak. Let the thank-you ripple backward and heal or connect with something old.

What smell always brings me back to a time I felt safe?

Wild Note: Let scent lead the way. Smell bypasses logic and dives straight into soul. Thank the memory that rides the breeze.

What wild part of me am I grateful for today?

Wild Note: Your boldness? Your messiness? Your refusal to shrink? Celebrate the unpolished, untamed pieces of you.

💌 Tip: Don’t rush these prompts. Choose one per day or week. Light a candle, sip a tea, place a hand on your heart. Let the words emerge slowly, like steam rising from warm water. You are not just writing—you are returning to yourself.

Below is a simple, nourishing seven-day gratitude rhythm too ignite gratitude in your heart that you can begin any Monday—or whenever you feel called to a fresh start. Each day offers a single, doable act of gratitude paired with an intention to anchor your practice in meaning and presence.

Read through once, then pop a reminder in your phone or journal so you remember which spark you are tending each day.

Day 1: Dawn Thank-You
Before your feet touch the floor, inhale deeply and whisper a simple “thank you.”
Intention: Begin with blessing; let gratitude be the first word your body hears.

Day 2: Lunchtime Blessing
Pause before you eat. Thank the sun, soil, farmers, transport trucks, cooks—every hand and process that brought your meal to the plate.
Intention: Remember interconnection; no bite arrives alone.

Day 3: Mirror Gaze
Look into your own eyes for ten quiet seconds. Say aloud, “Thank you for keeping me alive.”
Intention: Practice self-witness and self-regard.

Day 4: Mid-Day Five-Sense Check
Around 3 p.m., or whenever the slump hits, pause and name one thing you appreciate through each sense: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
Intention: Recalibrate your nervous system; drop fully into the present moment.

Day 5: Hand-Written Thank-You
Write a card, note, or sticky to someone whose kindness lingers in your heart. Send it, hand it over, or tuck it in your journal.
Intention: Turn invisible gratitude into visible love.

Day 6: Body Gratitude Yoga
Move gently through five poses—child’s pose, cat-cow, seated twist, heart-opening stretch, and supine rest. Inhale and breathe a conscious “thank you” into the body part you are engaging.
Intention: Anchor gratitude in your muscles and fascia; make it a physical experience.

Day 7: Phone-Free Nature Walk
Leave your device behind for twenty minutes. On your walk, silently thank the first five living beings you notice—a tree, ant, cloud, crow, flower.
Intention: Practice Earth reciprocity; let gratitude flow beyond the human realm.

Repeat these seven sparks each week or remix and adapt them to keep gratitude flowing through your life like blood through your veins.
Remember that intention turns an action into ritual and repetition turns ritual into a way of being.

Gratitude is both a personal connection and a daily decision. An intimate choice to meet each moment with presence, intention, appreciation and heart.

Gratitude is a relationship. Between you and your breath, you and your community, you and the Earth, you and the Mystery.

Gratitude is more than just listing blessings and things you are thankful for. It a choice we remake every moment: Will I notice the light threading through the ordinary?

When gratitude is personal, it’s never performative. It’s the silent thanks you breathe when your dog curls at your feet. The quiet bow in your heart when the smile of a stranger feels like rescue. The sacred exhale when you realise your body—aches and all—is still your loyal home.

My invitation to you is to always let gratitude be intentional.

Pick one practice, set a gentle reminder, and watch how life begins to tilt toward grace when you meet it with thanks.

Gratitude isn’t a caption or a checklist; it’s a sensation—the warm hum beneath your ribcage when you realise life is conspiring in tiny ways to love you.

Let that hum guide your Tuesday and every day forward into a symphony of “thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

Start your day with a simple breath of thanks. Inhale softly with the word “thank you,” exhale gently with “I am grateful.” Repeat for five slow cycles. Let that softness spread through your chest, your thoughts, your spirit.

Pause during your day. Place one hand on your heart and gently tap your chest. Name three things you’re grateful for—out loud if you can. Feel the vibration of your voice, the resonance of your truth.

Each evening before you get ready to sleep, whisper “thank you” into the quiet. Thank the day for the beauty, the mess, the learning, the love. Let gratitude be the ember that warms you into rest.

Feel free to share your favourite gratitude spark in the comments or tag @wildwellness_withhannah on social media. Together, let’s kindle a bonfire of grace and gratitude.

Until next Tuesday’s flame,

Hannah x

  

Attitude of Gratitude

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude means your default setting—over time—shifts from scarcity to abundance, from complaint to curiosity. I unpack this idea more deeply right here →, but the essence is simple: repetition rewires. The more we thank, the more we notice to thank.

And in that noticing, grace arrives.

Because gratitude is a gateway to grace—it opens the door for peace, perspective and a softening of the nervous system.

 

  

🌺 Parting Spark

Remember, gratitude isn’t a caption; it’s a sensation. It’s the warmth that rises when you realise life is happening for you in tiny, tender ways. Let it ignite light and love in every moment and watch grace pour in through the cracks.

Until next Tuesday’s flame,

Hannah x 

 

 

 

 

 However you slice it, gratitude is practice, not performance. It’s less “good vibes only” and more “I’m willing to see the good that’s already here.”