Practicing Gratitude
A Daily Meditation
Gobble, gobble. It’s
Thanksgiving time again. Just as the
holiday’s name suggests, it’s a time to give thanks. But what about the other 364 days of the
year?
Being thankful
everyday is hard work. Life happens. We experience the highs and lows each day
presents to us – a last minute meeting causing us to work late on a Friday, or
a friend announcing she’s getting hitched.
We switch into a survival like mode and try to make it to Saturday
forgetting about all the good times.
A consistent yoga and
meditation practice can help mellow out the week’s emotional roller coaster and
bring to light the things you are most grateful for. This month, commit to creating a gratitude
list then meditating with it each day.
Let’s get started.
Write down the people, experiences,
feelings, etc. you are thankful to have in your life. For example, I am thankful to have the time
and energy to practice yoga everyday. I
am also grateful to have the strength to have a difficult conversation with a
loved one.
Bring your list to
your meditation seat (mat, blanket, recliner, etc.). Read over the list taking in one full breath
per each one. Allow each item to fill
your heart with emotion. Once you finish
the list, close your eyes, and gently rest in gratitude.
Continue to add one
thing to your list every day, 365 days a year.
Practicing gratitude helps us feel less envious because we are
content with what we have. We are more
comfortable to live within our means, and we may even find we are more generous
with our time and energy.
It only takes a
moment to say ‘thank you.’ Start
today.
