“An attitude of gratitude brings altitude”
What a wonderful opportunity we have this month with
Thanksgiving just around the corner. It is traditionally a celebration of the
harvest, a time to get together with family and friends, deciding on who will
cook what and making travel plans. It’s
easy to forget the most important part: taking time to be grateful. Most of us
spend a lot of time focusing on what we don’t have and thinking about all the
things we feel we need to “fix”, such as physical issues like weight loss,
illness, or emotional issues like depression or financial stress. As we focus
on what we are lacking, we close ourselves off to the natural flow of
abundance. Conversely, gratitude opens the door to prosperity and abundance. I love that Thanksgiving is non-denominational
and available to everyone. Saying thank you and
focusing on grateful feelings via prayer and/or meditation is a great way to
relieve stress, and elevate our consciousness. It is one of the core
elements of JoyFull yoga. Since yoga means union, it offers the opportunity to
acknowledge with gratitude all the parts of ourselves, others and the current
circumstances of our life.
Practicing the Yoga of Thanksgiving:
Begin by taking time for yourself. Plan to be
undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes. Decide to give yourself your full attention…..
Receive it… say Thank you.
Then breathe gently and receive each breath as you
would a precious gift. Slow it down as much as you can, softening the belly to
expand on the breath. Exhale with gratitude. Do this for a few more breaths.
Take time to pause with each inhale, staying focused on the gift and wonder of
each breath. Try to count to 8 or more as you breathe in, pausing for the same count
as you receive the gift of the breath; then giving back to the Universe on the
exhale for the same count. In this
moment there is no end to the supply of breaths. Feel a connection to the great abundance of
the Universe.
Now begin to acknowledge each beat of your heart. You
can put your right fingers on the inside of your left wrist and find your pulse
or put your hands flat on your chest. As
you continue to breathe slowly, stay focused on your heartbeat, acknowledging
the gift of each beat.
Then relax your hands, palms facing up and begin to
think of something you feel grateful for about yourself. … Think about all the
things that are right about you! Acknowledge the gift of you, as you are right now…
the gift of your Life…. Receive the gratitude, then mentally say thank you.
Acknowledge the gift of what is right in your life
now, starting with the opportunity of this moment. Breathe in gratitude, then exhale,
mentally vibrating thank you.
Now, as you bring your attention to a challenge in
your life, be willing to open to the gift of this struggle. Be willing to have
it be revealed to you … Don’t look for answers, just be willing to receive with
no expectations of when.
Now, acknowledge the gift of the people in your life.
Breathe in gratitude, then exhale, mentally vibrating thank you.
Acknowledge the gift of the great beauty of our
Valley, the air, the rivers, the mountains etc… Breathe in gratitude, then exhale,
mentally vibrating thank you.
Begin
your gratitude affirmation: (either the one below or your own)
“I
now acknowledge all the gifts in my life: the gift of life itself, health and well-being,
The gift of love and
support of friends and family and the kindness of strangers,
I now acknowledge the
gifts of the beauty of nature all around me–mountains, rivers, trees,
I now acknowledge the gifts
of the strength I’ve gained and am gaining from all the challenges in my life,
I am grateful for the
opportunities to serve and make the world a better place.”
Now experience a healing
energy returning to you from nature…blessing you…energizing you.
“I receive the abundance of the Universe in all
areas of my life, that I may in each moment, each day, feel better and better.”
Allow yourself to let
go of any resistance or tensions in your body. Begin to feel the joy in your
heart and open up to accept and embrace the gift of NOW, the gift of Joy-Full
Living. Remember
to take time to breathe. © Louise Lavergne 2001-2011 www.joyfull-yoga.com; 541-899-0707 Louise
is a JoyFull living coach, Motivational speaker & owns JoyFull Yoga LLC where she teaches Yoga, Meditation and offers Sound Healing sessions in Jacksonville.
