This afternoon, something quietly beautiful happened.

A group of us gathered (on Zoom, of course) for a Gratitude Practice to mark 10 years of self-compassion practice. Ten years of turning inward with kindness. Ten years of learning to say, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

So it felt fitting that today’s practice was not about listing our blessings or pretending everything is sparkly. It wasn’t a “let’s be thankful for everything because it could be worse” kind of moment. No toxic positivity here. Just real, grounded, human gratitude – the kind that makes room for our struggle, not tries to sweep it under the rug.

Because let’s be honest. Sometimes when you hear the word gratitude, your eyes roll before your mind even catches up.

We’re not ungrateful. We’re just… tired. Or overwhelmed. Or in the middle of dealing with real life, where the washing machine has broken, the inbox is a monster, and our inner critic is throwing a full-blown tantrum about how we should be coping better.

But that’s exactly why gratitude is worth practising. Not because it fixes things, but because it softens them. It offers a shift. A breath. A pause in the chaos.

Today, we gave ourselves permission to find tiny things to be grateful for. Not the big, perfect, Instagrammable stuff. But the real stuff.

Like a warm cup of tea that stayed warm long enough to drink.
A body that might be tired, but still shows up.
A brief moment of peace between thoughts.
The relief of being allowed to be grumpy and still worthy of love.

We allowed our minds to wander gently, letting memories, sensations, people, or places float into view. And when they did, we tuned into the feeling of gratitude – not just the idea of it. That soft warmth in the chest. The loosening of the shoulders. The smile that comes when no one’s watching.

It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t fancy. It was real.

We even felt gratitude for the ability to respond to ourselves kindly when things are hard. For the support we can offer ourselves when no one else is available. For the touch of a hand on the heart. For the words: “You’re doing okay.”

And perhaps most tender of all, we felt gratitude for each other. For our shared humanity. For this Circle of Practice. For being able to sit together, heart to heart, no stories needed.

Here’s the thing. Gratitude doesn’t mean denying your pain. It means making space to notice what’s still holding you, even when things are hard.

It’s not about being positive. It’s about being present.

So if you’re reading this and today’s been a bit much – or not quite what you hoped – maybe take a moment now.

Pause.
Breathe.
Notice one small thing you’re grateful for.
And then offer a quiet thank you… to life, to this moment, to yourself.

Because even on the messy days, gratitude is still waiting.
Not as a demand.
But as a doorway.

And as we discovered this afternoon, stepping through that doorway, together, is pure magic.

Want to try the practice yourself?
We’ve recorded the full 25-minute guided meditation. You can listen here:

No pressure. No perfection. Just presence.

And if you’d love to join our next Circle of Practice, we’d love to welcome you in – just as you are.