I've mentioned the Heart Math program before, but here's a link to explore one of their simple tools for increasing the heart's natural inclination for gratitude. Of course, it is so very easy for the false self to obscure the relational quality of this with its tendency to witdraw into techniques and other persona-edifying experiences. So I offer this with that in mind, knowing how I'm prone to such distortions myself.

I find this happening in my prayer life spontaneously, arising in various ways in the steps that I take, held loosely as God prompts, which include Praise, Gratitude, Repentance, Petition, and then Lectio Divina.

In any case, one could say, from a Christian pov, that the process below partakes of our endowment of natural grace, which is innately relational itself:

http://www.heartmath.org/heart-lock-in-technique.htm

And for those of you interested, as I am, in the research-end of things, here's a link to Heart Math's bibliography for abstracts. I've posted this elsewhere, but as usual can't locate it (Phil knows I need a PC 101 course!):

http://www.heartmath.org/resea...ch-papers/index.html

Interesting study on the effects of gratitude and love, vs. anger or hatred, on water molecules:

http://www.mercola.com/2002/may/8/prayer.htm