Dear Dream Tending Community,
The leaves are changing; fall and Thanksgiving are upon us. Thanksgiving holiday is a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the year. As this holiday occurs on different dates in different countries, the season of gratitude is upon us worldwide.
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Typical practices of gratitude include writing a gratitude list in a journal or app, sharing gratitude with a gratitude partner, or prayer that reflects on giving thanks.
Traditional Japanese culture expands on the practice of gratitude by incorporating the praxis of wabi-sabi into daily life. Wabi-sabi is a world view that orients around the acceptance of imperfection. Within acceptance of imperfection, impermanence, and that which is incomplete, one can find beauty and a larger breadth of gratitude.
For this week’s Tending Tuesday offering I encourage finding gratitude within the practice of wabi-sabi.
1) Practice finding acceptance for your imperfectionists and the imperfections that you see in other people and things around you.
2) Savor the present moment.
3) Embrace your personal story – find acceptance in the actuality that everything moves through seasons.
4) Find beauty in simplicity.
5) Take time in nature.
6) Write down five things you are grateful for daily.
If you feel touched by this post, please share it with friends or family as a way of sharing your gratitude for them.
I can speak on behalf of the Dream Tending Team, we are grateful for your presence in our community. We are also grateful for our recent graduates and Mentors of the Academy of Dream Tending.
Warmly,
Alia Aizenstat, LMFT
Executive Director, Dream Tending
Inside The Curious Mind
Learn the Power, Purpose and Intelligence of Dreams
Unleash your creativity and innate genius
Stephen Aizenstat
Stephen Aizenstat, Ph.D., is the founder of Dream Tending, Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the Academy of Imaginal Arts and Sciences. He is a world-renowned professor of depth psychology, an imagination specialist, and an innovator. He has served as an organizational consultant to major companies and institutions, and as a depth psychological content advisor to Hollywood film makers. He has lectured extensively in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He is affiliated with the Earth Charter International project through the United Nations, where he has spoken. Professor Aizenstat is the Chancellor Emeritus and Founding President of Pacifica Graduate Institute. He has collaborated with many notable masters in the field including Joseph Campbell, James Hillman, Marion Woodman, and Robert Johnson.
