It’s that time of year when gratitude is on everyone’s mind. We think about how lucky we are to have our families, friends, homes, food to eat, and all the many other things that make our lives full. Expressing that gratitude has many benefits:
Instantly lift your mood & promote optimism
Enhance immune function & lower blood pressure
Bring to light things in your life that you want to focus more time and energy on
Remind us to not take things for granted
Find joy even during tough times
Expand generosity & compassion
Our yoga mat is the perfect place to reflect on and express these feelings of gratitude. Here are a few ideas to help you express gratitude through yoga:
Focus on the positive. It’s easy to get frazzled by what you perceive as shortcomings on the mat–maybe you’re not as flexible as you want to be or an injury is inhibiting movement. Make a commitment to use your yoga practice to observe all the amazing things you CAN do instead and gratitude will spill over into other areas of your life as well.
Make your movements an offering. Bring to mind a person or group of people that you would like to dedicate your yoga practice to. The conscious decision to send positive energy to someone or something other than yourself, will inspire and motivate you to stay present on your mat.
Count your blessings instead of your breaths. Choose a pose that you typically hold for a long time (Pigeon is a good one) and think of one thing you're grateful for with each breath. Don’t just focus on the big and obvious things you can be grateful for. Consider not only people, but creature comforts (air conditioning here in Florida during the summer), experiences (watching the sunset), your own personal attributes (I’m a good listener) and even the challenges that help us grow (lost your job? made a mistake?).
Practice gratitude off your mat too. The moment your eyes flutter open in the morning, bring your hands into Anjali mudra (prayer hands in front of your heart) and give a prayer of gratitude for anything! Whatever comes to mind (your breath, your family, the fact that you woke up). Sincerely and soulfully give recognition and gratitude for your blessings and try to check in with that heart space throughout your day.
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