Gratitude
Every day we can choose to take life for granted or to take life with GRATITUDE! And I know which one I prefer to choose…
Gratitude is like medicine for the soul. No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we can ALWAYS find something to be grateful for. Having more does not make us happier. Offering gratitude for what we already have is what makes us happier.
I love the quote from the Dalai Lama:
“Every day think when you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.”
or a similar sentiment from Marcus Aurelius:
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is be to alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
How many opportunities in our day can we find to be grateful?
First thing in the morning when we wake up, each time we sit down to eat a meal, drink a cup of tea or coffee, take a hot shower, drink a cold glass of water straight from the tap, appreciating that we have a roof over our head, clothes in our closet, food in our cupboards…living in the UK in the 21st century means we are living in more comfort than ever before! Isn’t it a wonderful time to be alive?!
How often do we take the time to thank the people we love?
As John Kennedy said:
“We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
Who are the amazing people in your life who support you? Make the time to thank them today - whether that is in person, sending a message, writing them a card or sending them a gift, when we offer gratitude to others we create a ripple effect of positivity in our lives.
Can we reframe “problems” as opportunities for growth?
In the modern world we have made our lives so comfortable and all this comfort comes at a cost. Challenges are how we learn and grow. So next time a difficulty arises in your life instead of seeing it as a problem, can you frame it as an opportunity and offer gratitude for it?! When I look at my own journey, I realise that I have only ended up where I am now because I encountered some huge challenges in my twenties. Battling an eating disorder, self harm and drug and alcohol misuse was incredibly difficult at the time, but reaching such low points led me to searching for a different way of life and that’s how I found yoga. I am able to use my experiences to help others and this is incredibly rewarding. I am more empathetic, compassionate and understanding because of what I have been through. I don’t regret any part of my journey because it’s led me to where I am now.
Can we offer gratitude for what we have now?
There will always be someone who has more than you have. Whether it’s a bigger house, a better job, a fancier car or a cooler lifestyle - human beings are wired to constantly be striving for more. But when is enough enough? When you get that promotion or bigger house or fancier car - does it really make you happy? Or are you already onto chasing the next thing? Santosha is a practise in yoga that translates to contentment. This doesn’t mean that we can’t have goals or dreams or a desire to learn and grow. But it does mean that we try to cultivate contentment along the way - it’s the journey that can bring true contentment, not the destination. If we are too busy looking forward into the future, we forget to actually take note of the present moment. And the present moment is where your life is unfolding - this, right here, right now is it! Practising gratitude can help us to cultivate this quality of santosha.
Here are 3 of my favourite ways to practise gratitude:
Every time I wake up in the morning, I offer gratitude for the day, for my body, for this breath. This sets the tone of my whole day! It is easy to do on days where I wake up feeling happy and positive, but it’s most important on the days where I wake up feeling sad or anxious. It might be helpful to keep a gratitude journal beside your bed and write 3 things in it each day that you are grateful for. You could do this in the morning or just before you go to bed. Then, on those days where everything seems dark, you can read through your journal and remind yourself of all the blessings that exist in your life.
I like to take a mindful walk and give gratitude for the amazing place I live and the nature all around me. I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth! We have the woods, the countryside, the beach and an abundance of footpaths and trails to explore. Being in nature reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am to live here in Dorset and I don’t ever want to take that for granted. Stopping to smell the flowers, to gaze up at the sky and to hug some trees helps me fully FEEL the gratitude growing in my heart.
Every time I step onto my yoga mat is an opportunity to say thank you. THANK YOU to all the teachers who have inspired me to practise, THANK YOU to the incredible wisdom that has been passed down from teacher to student over many thousands of years, THANK YOU to my yoga mat that has held me through the ups and downs of life...many tears, many smiles, many emotions, many breaths…THANK YOU to the many students who have trusted me to guide them through practice, THANK YOU to my body for allowing me to experience all that life has to offer…pain, pleasure, grief, love, joy, sadness, gratitude…every day I have time to step onto my mat, whether that is to move, to breathe or to meditate it is a good day! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
So make GRATITUDE a daily practice and watch how quickly your mind starts to focus on all the blessings in your life rather than the problems! There will always be someone with more than you, but there is also always someone who has less. Where we focus our attention dictates how we feel about our life.