Just back from just over two weeks in Mexico, it was a truly glorious trip. More on that next time! I was too tired to write well yesterday, so a day late but hopefully not short on sending warm vibes this Thanksgiving week.
As Thanksgiving approaches, my thoughts relative to our practice gravitate toward the topic of gratitude. On a personal level I have much to be grateful for, a loving husband, two great kids and a mom who is 91 and still fun to be around. The yoga world often focuses on the concept of gratitude, using phrases like being present, cultivating gratitude. As a yoga instructor, I try to pause and ask myself, am I walking that walk or just talking the talk?
I recognize that truly having gratitude in my heart means recognizing it when I am faced with life challenges that I am not prepared for. In the past when faced with a particularly tough life event, I found myself questioning my faith. I have made progress, recognizing that my higher power does not solely exist to make my life joyful, that that is up to me and the rest of the world’s citizens to create harmony and joy. The world was not created to cater to individual experiences but there are beautiful heavens and earth for us as individuals to experience or exist in; the rest is up to us.
Life, no matter how we try to control it (and boy do I), will provide a constant flow of situations that will challenge us every day. They may be insignificant (too many red lights when we are already late) or very impactful (loss of a job, death of a loved one). If we recognize that beneath those real-life experiences, we have a foundation of blessings that we may take for granted, a bedrock if you will, we can reframe these issues through a larger lens. Perhaps a life view that is less self-centered (and I do not mean that in a negative way, just one that realizes that we are not the center of the universe. There are others around us in the world who also experience life challenges, and joys). We then allow ourselves to respond more appropriately to the smaller things and allow that bedrock to support us during the tougher times.
Most of us do not experience gratitude naturally, we must actively choose to practice it, every day, even when we do not feel like it. On the toughest days, it may take all that we have to acknowledge that higher being, look to the heavens (or toward the sea, or the mountains-this is your practice, your core, your beliefs) and be thankful for life itself.
So, as we prepare this week for Thanksgiving in our practice on and off the mat, lets spend some time thinking about cultivating gratitude in our life. Perhaps take time each day to say, out loud, one thing you are grateful for and spend a moment really thinking about it (I admit I often do this by rote, working on that!). Share your gratitude maybe bring half of that loaf of pumpkin bread to your neighbor (and not because you don’t want to eat the whole thing), write a note to a friend you have not seen for a while, share some time volunteering, think small and your gratitude will grow! Try to limit your negative out loud complaints, and, if possible, the accompanying thoughts. Fake it till you make it; each day perhaps acknowledge where you held your tongue or smiled instead of negatively retorting. Notice and appreciate the small things (you do need to slow down to do this). The smell of coffee, the beautiful clouds or the perfect sunset. There are lots of other ways to cultivate gratitude, I feel disingenuous suggesting ones that I do not practice. For example, try as I might, I am not consistent with my gratitude journal, but I love the idea.
As we take our gratitude practice to heart this week, remember to cut yourself some slack. This is why we call this a practice, not perfect.
Let’s not forget to express gratitude this Thanksgiving for the Indigenous People of this country remembering that they shared their knowledge of how to live off the land, their skills for surviving and their food with the first white settlers who were ill-prepared for living in nature. For many this time can be a time of mourning as we acknowledging the racism and oppression that they have faced. As we celebrate lets take time to understand more about the people who are the true natives to our great land. Attached is an article on this topic that I found on this topic.
Meditation – On Gratitude and Giving Thanks
A growing number of scientific studies have examined the effects of gratitude on mental and physical health. They have revealed that gratitude practice lifts your spirits, promotes empathy, boosts happiness and can also enhance your relationships, decrease depression, and improve your heart health.
“Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgment of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small, and an appreciation of the moments of good fortune that sustain our life every day,” Jack Cornfield
Jack Cornfield is a renowned meditation teacher and author of The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace.
I have been playing some Natalie Merchant music lately in our classes and love the words to the song Kind and Generous. Here is a link to her performing the song in 2013. It is a slower version, and I love it! We saw her earlier this year, she is amazing.
The lyrics are inspirational to me as we think about cultivating gratitude this thanksgiving week.
Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant
You've been so kind and generousI don't know how you keep on givingFor your kindness I'm in debt to you
For your selflessness my admiration
For everything you've done you know
I'm boundI'm bound to thank you for it
You've been so kind and generous
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you
For everything you've done, you know I'm bound
I'm bound to thank you for it
Oh, I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave
The love, the tenderness, I want to thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity, the love
And the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you show my gratitude
My love, and my respect for you, I want to thank you
Oh, I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
Our Practice – Opening Our Hearts with Gratitude – Utrasana - Camel Pose
As we think about expressing gratitude, we think about opening our heart. As we practice heart openers, we open ourselves up to tolerance, gratitude and perhaps also possibility? Physical benefits of heart opening poses can be increased energy and reduced fatigue as well as increased spinal flexibility, strengthened back muscles and improved posture. Camel also stretches the front of the body, particularly the chest, abdomen, quadriceps, and hip flexors, I modified instructions I found in a YogaInternational article to align with my learning and teaching:
Begin in a high kneeling position with your thighs parallel to each other and your hands on your lower back (fingers up or down). Tuck your toes under (later you can try with tops of the feet flat).
Lift up out of your belly and waist to lengthen your spine. As you move into the backbend, lead with your chest, and let your head follow (think rainbow versus leaning back).
Try not to toss your head back but also avoid tucking your chin or not moving your head at all. Initiate the backbend with your chest and move the back of your head back (not the crown) to keep length in the back of your neck.
This could be enough, hold for several breaths. If you want to take it a little further, you can reach one hand or both hands back towards your heels. Press your pelvis forward thinking about the rainbow image or back bending over a huge exercise ball as you lead with your chest and move the back of your head back to follow.
When you're ready to come up out of the pose, lead with your chest, pressing your hands at the lower back to support. Head comes up last.
Nurturing with Food
As I do almost every year, I made this soup ahead for Thanksgiving, and, as I did last year, I am posting it for the Thanksgiving week blog. As with most of my soup recipes, the amounts are forgiving and not precise. A single batch makes approximately 8-10 servings as a first course. I have an option included for making it with some nondairy milk or cream. If you make it ahead and freeze, would not add that until you are warming it to serve. It is delicious either way and reminiscent of fall with cinnamon and cloves.
Happy Thanksgiving, see you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne
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