gratitude (n.)- the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for & to return kindness

cultivating gratitude is a huge focus in my yoga practice. on my yoga mat is where i have learned to notice and be thankful for literally everything in & around me.

-the breath that is constantly moving in and out of my lungs
-the roof over my head that shields me from the rain & cold
-the fact that i have the ability to move & stretch my body
-my loving husband who is often right next to me
-my refrigerator that is typically full of delicious, nutritious food
-the radiant sunshine shining through my window

when i open my mind to notice all of the beauty & miracles happening around me, i find myself living in this amazing realm of constant gratitude. it’s easy to pick out the “obvious” or “big” things to be thankful for like air conditioning, friends, or freedom. however, my yoga practice has helped me see & practice gratitude in the little things as well like the feeling of a quick cool breeze, waking up, or a smile from a stranger. it’s pretty hard to be negative when you are constantly practicing gratitude as negativity & gratitude cannot exist together. that’s not to say that negative things will quit happening or appearing in your life once you start a daily practice of gratitude. however, in my life, i have noticed that my attitude is now different when i am confronted with a negative situation. instead of focusing on the negative, it’s like a light switch has been flipped in my mindset, and i am able to focus on the positive & see some sort of gratitude in each situation.

besides doing yoga, a practice that has helped me cultivate a life of gratitude has been starting every day out by listing 10 things i am thankful for. i do this every morning before getting out of bed, but sometimes i like to journal them as well. once again, your gratitude list can include anything big or small! maybe you had a delicious, juicy apple the day before that makes your gratitude list the next morning, or maybe you are so thankful for the time you got to spend with a friend the night before–gratitude can be cultivated in any situation!

practice it. try it out for a week & see how your perspective & attitude changes. what’s the worst that could happen?

peace + love,
amy