Oh So Grateful: A Gratitude Practice

This busy holiday season has kept me away from much of my blog writing but I thought I'd share my gratitude practice here for the next 20 days. Each day through Christmas I'm posting one thing for which I'm grateful. I've been thinking a lot about gratitude and being thankful over the last few months and one thing I've come to realize is that the best way to a happy and fulfilling life is through gratitude. Instead of focusing on what we don't have, we must focus on what we do have. There is so much to be grateful for in each and every moment.

One of my yoga instructors recently said that while we can't control what happens around us - our life situation, the people in our lives, or the events that transpire - we can control 3 things: our thoughts, our words, and our actions. This has really stuck with me as a reminder that we have more control, more power, over our lives than we realize. Its so easy to let the ego take over and place blame on external circumstances and other people as the source of our unhappiness, stress, or sadness. The truth, though, is that no one outside of ourselves can control how we think about, how we feel about, and how we live our lives. Instead of dwelling on all the things that aren't the way we want them to be, instead of focusing on all the things we don't have, we can find peace and contentment through the practice of gratitude. Being grateful for even the littlest things, or the things we take for granted, like food on the table or a roof over our head, can bring us great joy. The more we think about and embrace the good in our lives, letting go of our wants and our sense of lack, the more at peace we will be.

Life is good. Its a gift that is filled with an abundance of things tok be grateful for. Choose happiness, choose joy, choose gratitude, and choose to be at peace within.

Oh So Grateful Day 1: 

I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about #gratitude. As part of #myyearofyoga I thought I would add one post each day from now through Christmas of something for which I am #grateful. Today I'm grateful for these little angels and all the heartwarming smiles they bring to my life.

Oh So Grateful Day 2: 

Today I'm #grateful for this generous little spirit who picked out and wrapped her brother's and daddy's Christmas gifts.

Thank You

As we prepare for our Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded of those things for which we are grateful.  Of course, its important to remember and show gratitude for all of those things and all of those people every day, not just around the holidays.  A simple gesture, kind word, or smile has enough positive energy behind it to change the mood or outlook of someone you come across.  Try it today and see what happens.  

When you are playing bumper carts at the grocery store as you stock up on all of your Thanksgiving dinner needs, smile, and be thankful that you have the means to have food on your table.  When you catch yourself grumbling about having to park on the far end of the parking lot to do your holiday shopping, smile, and be thankful that you have a car to get you there and legs to carry you across the parking lot.  When you moan and groan about shoveling your driveway and sidewalk, smile, and be thankful that you have the strength to clear that path.  When you become irritated with travel delays on your way to visit family and friends, smile, and be thankful that you have family and friends to visit. And when you find yourself overwhelmed, tired, and stressed, smile, and be thankful that you have permission to sit down a take 5 minutes to practice this gratefulness meditation...

Sit comfortably, in a quiet spot, eyes closed.  Inhale slowly, letting your lungs fill completely with air.

Exhale slowly.

Continue breathing this way for several breaths, quieting your mind, relaxing your body.

With each exhale, let your bellybutton fall towards your spine, releasing any toxins or impurities that do not serve you.

Release attachment to thoughts and emotions, focusing on your breath.

Continue as you allow your body to relax and your mind to be still.

Inhale and draw a column of light in through your body in front of your spine.

Exhale, and see yourself surrounded by the light.

Continue to hold this image for 5 slow and steady breaths.

Now, with each inhalation bring your awareness to your heart center.

See light emanate from this sacred space.

As you exhale, allow the light to cleanse you and remove impurities, physical, mental, emotional.

Feel yourself glowing with the pure light that both fills you and surrounds you.

See the light flow effortlessly from your heart center.

Bathe in the light, feel it cleanse and renew you.

SAY TO YOURSELF SOMETHING FOR WHICH YOU ARE GRATEFUL

Bring that thing or that person into your mind’s eye, let it into your heart center. See…feel…hear…smell…that for which you are grateful.

Continue to hold it in your heart. As you inhale, breathe in these strong feelings of gratitude. With a strong exhale, send those feelings to that thing or that person. Do this for several breaths.

Continue to bathe in the light. Feel the warm embrace of peace and light.

Begin to bring your awareness back to this space. 

Slowly allow your eyes to open.

No matter how you say it, giving thanks and showing your gratitude is a positive emotion that unlocks the fullness of your energy.

Think gratitude, give gratitude, receive thanks and love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."   ~William Arthur Ward

As autumn sets in, the air grows chill, the skies darken earlier and earlier, we tend to retire into ourselves as we prepare for winter.  This time of year is a good time to pause and look inward.  For many, the coming of autumn means that a long, cold winter is just around the corner.  But I find fall to be the most beautiful and satisfying time of year.  With Thanksgiving on the heels of this month, its important to reflect on the things for which we are grateful. For me, its family and friends, the warm smells and comforting food of the season, cozy-ing up in front of a burning fire in the evening, and this year especially, the colors of the turning trees.  Whether my eyes have finally opened or the leaves have been that much more brilliant this year, I'm not sure, but I've been close to overwhelmed by the colors of the trees this past month.  On the one hand, a season of healthy rain and nice weather set the stage for a beautiful fall, but I can't help but believe that part of this noticing is due to my conscious efforts to slow down, look around, and be mindful for anything and everything that is happening in my life - "good" or "bad."  And for this, too, I am grateful.
I recently read that expressing gratitude produces health benefits. Whether or not this true, I can't honestly say, but I'm inclined to believe it.  Being grateful for all the things and people and experiences of your life can bring a sense of peace and contentment.  When feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, worry, or anxiety creep in to your mind, try closing your eyes and bringing into your vision someone or something for which you are extremely grateful. Maybe its a significant other, a child, a pet, or that luxurious bubble bath awaiting at you home tonight.  Taking a few moments to pause and reflect on even one aspect of your life for which you are grateful is enough to melt away those unnecessary, worrisome thoughts, leaving your mind clear, still, and at peace.   Be grateful.  Be happy.