November 26, 2020

This late afternoon, when I returned from a beautiful hike in a pristine mountain forest, I reached a mountaintop. As the breathtakingly beautiful panorama unfolded right in front of me, I was immediately overcome by a profound feeling of immense gratitude and appreciation. You can feel the amazing energy of this special mountain range called Dents du Midi, located in the Portes Du Soleil area, Switzerland even from the picture above.

While I was climbing up in the forest to the mountain top earlier, I was contemplating upon myriads of intense experiences of this year 2020 and what I am grateful for despite all the challenges we’ve experienced. However, when I saw the majestic mountain panorama in front of me, which I only could describe as a canvas painted by the divine, I sat down, breathed in the crisp mountain air and noticed how absolutely silent, peaceful and calm it was, both the surrounding pristine nature and my mind. In that moment, I could not distinguish myself from my surroundings … I disappeared into the quiet, mystical energy field held by the magnificence of the nature.  

There are many unique ways to express our gratitude and our grace. Sometimes attempting to find words to describe an experience are neither necessary nor possible. While I sat down in awe of the striking view of the mountain, I realized that I do not have to say anything or do anything, although there is always much that we could say and do. Sometimes all we need is the wonder of a moment, the calmness emerging from a state of gratitude, and the deep thanksgiving of our hearts and souls.

Special thanksgiving ceremonies, rituals, ceremonies, and prayers of gratitude are common among almost all spiritual traditions after harvests and at other times. In the US, Thanksgiving is being celebrated today. No matter if you are from the US or not, I would like to invite you to take some time not only this week but every week to reflect upon things, people (whether they are still alive or passed on) and situations in your life you are grateful for, and also to write them down. By writing it down, you focus your attention consciously and you will become aware of even more things to be grateful for.

In my book Hawaiian Rebirth, I share a practice how to feel great, which includes gratitude. It is simple, does not take a lot of time, and enhances the quality of your day, and the way you perceive life. It won’t take you longer than five minutes a day. Ask yourself the following five questions, either in the morning as you start your day, or in the evening before you go to sleep:

G: What am I grateful for (five things)?

R: What am I resolved to focus on today / tomorrow (one thing)?

E: What am I excited about today (three things)?

A: What do I most appreciate about myself, or what do I affirm today (one to three things)?

T: Today / Tomorrow I will … (What concrete steps will I take today / tomorrow to feel great?

Another way to give thanks is gifting gratitude – as we give, we always receive too! In any relationship, it’s important to be willing to give first before asking for what you want to receive. A year ago, I offered complimentary healing sessions for the first four people who responded to my Thanksgiving message about a healing miracle I experienced while running in a sacred valley in Hawaii. This year too, I am inspired to offer a special healing session as a gift with a slightly different approach.

If you are interested in this healing gift, please take a few breaths now, connect with your heart, and ask yourself: Who would I like to gift gratitude and a gift of healing? This could be a dear friend, a family member, or even an animal friend. I’d like to offer 5 complimentary 30 minutes healing sessions which I will conduct in January. Please reply to this email and let me know who you would like to gift this complimentary session to and also the reasons why this person or animal friend should receive this healing session. Then I will let you know if you are one of the 5 people who can gift this healing session.

Lastly, there are more gifts to share. The publisher of the German version of my book, Giger Verlag (https://www.gigerverlag.ch/adventskalender), prepared a special Advent calendar. Starting from December 1^st, you can open a door each day and surprise yourself with special gifts, messages, and raffles. You can always open the doors later too but won’t be able to take part in the raffles. I also contributed to this calendar but I will keep it as a secret on which day my gift will be available. 😊

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! With love and gratitude,

Yves