A sunset.  A hug.  A helping hand.

Have you ever stopped and really thought about what it feels like when you’re grateful for these or anything else for that matter? Have you ever noticed how it makes your body feel?

Let’s try it now.

Close your eyes and imagine someone you feel especially grateful for (or love dearly) standing in front of you. Look into their eyes and say thank you.

Stay with this open, generous, connected, aware and alive feeling, and …

• Allow yourself to soak it in; consciously spreading it down your face, neck, shoulders, chest, and throughout your whole body.
• Allow yourself to smile from the inside and out. See if you can smile into your heart, for example.
• Allow it to flood your entire being and emanate out beyond your body a few centimeters all around you, and then push it out further into the world.

Because as you do, you’ll notice that – wherever you direct the light, warm and transformative power of gratitude – it will soften and expand, not just in your mind but physically as well. You can notice that constriction loosens and muscles relax.

It’s incredible to realise that your thoughts actually impact your entire being so quickly and in such profound, physical way.

While some of you may think of this is wishful thinking, in fact, multiple brain studies reveal that our thoughts produce the same mental instructions as our actions. Mental imagery or visualisation (as it’s sometimes called) impacts cognitive processes in the brain: attention, motor control, perception, planning, and memory.

When you activate gratitude by giving it your attention and intention, everything within you and around you begins to change.

So go ahead, say thank you. Both of you will benefit.