Gratitude: This Might Surprise You

It's the season of Thanksgiving when we hear more about gratitude than perhaps at any other time of the year. I mean, isn't that what the name implies? In our family, before we eat our Thanksgiving meal, each person is required to share something they are grateful for. For some of us, it’s easy, and others seemingly struggle to come up with what to say.

When it comes to gratitude, we can really make ourselves wrong. I should be grateful for...x, y, z - and I'm not feeling it. We tell ourselves "I have so much to be grateful for (ie: great partner, good paying job, healthy children...) - then why does it feel like I'm not?"

Here's what I think:  If we're not completely authentic about what we're grateful for, we won't feel grateful. We dwell in the "shoulds " and in making ourselves wrong - the antithesis of being grateful. Instead, begin by discovering something that really touches you without concern for it being small or seemingly insignificant. Allow yourself to feel and name those feelings. That, in my humble opinion, is what gratitude is all about. Experiencing the feelings behind the thoughts of gratitude is what makes the real difference. Looking into your partner’s eyes or at your child’s face will no doubt bring joy and gratitude. I invite you to get in touch with how that makes you feel and name those feelings. It’s gratitude on a deeper level.

There’s an expression that gratitude turns what we have into enough. That’s a powerful message. Keeping the focus on our lives keeps us grounded and present, instead of looking for gratitude and satisfaction outside ourselves, where we have no control. The more often we practice gratitude for even the smallest things, the easier and more often we will feel joy in our life, from our life, versus looking elsewhere to find it.

How does this translate on our yoga mat? Being grateful for the opportunity to have a yoga practice or to be in a yoga class is a good starting point. Next, being grateful and focusing on whatever physical abilities we have that make our movement possible, as opposed to judging ourselves for what we dislike about our body and what we are not able to do in the class that we would really like to do. That includes being grateful for the class, however, it was and however it wasn’t, and especially being grateful for the way we were able to show up in the class. That is something that is completely within our control.

Having said that, be sure to look for a class with options that are suited to your body, like gentle mat or chair yoga, or courses that focus on a particular aspect of health or the body, versus showing up to an “all levels” or advanced yoga class and hoping for the best. Your gratitude will certainly expand when you begin at a level that meets you where you’re at. I invite you to check out my offerings to find the right fit for your yoga practice HERE.

I wish you a joyful, peaceful holiday season in which the gratitude that you create abounds. I’m grateful for YOU, my students. You make it possible for me to share what I love most - the gifts of a yoga practice.

What’s something surprising you’re grateful for? Share any thoughts at all, I’d love to hear from you.