chakra talk: talkin' gratitude

I have a little nephew on the way, and woke up this morning feeling full of love and gratitude. Using my classes as my platform, I gushed on and on about what a proud auntie I am and how excited I am to have another little man on the run. This turned into a talk on gratitude.

I'm reading Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfections and one of her ten Guideposts is cultivating joy. She talks about joy vs happiness and says that happiness is an emotion that we feel and is fleeting based on external situations that come and go. Joy. on the other hand is an attitude that we cultivate.

We are not born joyful, nor do we achieve joy and stay in a state of it, but we work towards it moment by moment, situation to situation. She goes on to say that one of the things that joyful people share is that they all practice gratitude. And that gratitude, like joy, is something that you choose. It's something that you practice.

Here is my practice:

Today I am grateful for all the people that come out to my classes week after week and let me ramble on and play with them as we work to crack each other open bit by bit.

Today I am grateful for those who came out to practice with me in the park despite the scary storm clouds that filled the sky. Through breathing and love and gratitude, we brought out the sun.

Today I am grateful for my gramma - the ultimate yoga cheerleader - who came out to practice tonight and cheered us on and breathed with us.

Try this:

1. Come into savasana. If you have props, use them. Laying on a bolster or blocks - something to open up your heart will help.
2. Tune into your breath. Breathe from the center of your chest.
3. Say "I'm grateful for ____". Bring an image to mind - let it fill you up, the sound of it, the smell, the way it makes you feel. Fill yourself completely.
4. Stay here for a few minutes sending out your love and gratitude into the universe.
5. With palms facing up, crack open the space in the center of your chest and receive all the love and gratitude that is coming to you.
6. Go out and love.

Gratitude Photo Journal