Yogis,
This week I am discussing gratitude. Wait! Wasn’t that last week?
I am amazed how quickly we transition from Thanksgiving to
Christmas. One minute eating the last bite of pumpkin pie, discussing things to
be thankful for and in a blink of an eye carols are playing and buying commences.
From grateful, right back to consuming.
A neatly packaged gratitude week amidst a world of catalogs, commercials and ads reminding us what we don’t have. Gratitude is for what is already here.
Gratitude, like a muscle, can’t be worked infrequently and be expected to stay strong. Gratitude is a practice like yoga, piano, weightlifting or art. To become competent requires daily attention.
At Thanksgiving we share how grateful we are for our family
and health. Our homes and the delicious meal. Yes! But only scratching the
surface. What about the things you can see, touch, smell and taste every day?
I am grateful for the color yellow. What would the world be
without yellow? And so grateful for the blue hue of a cold ocean. The green and
red of holly trees this time of year in their Christmas outfits and the pinks of
a predawn sky.
I am grateful for dark chocolate. Every day…… That first bite of a good piece of pizza. Avocados, summer tomatoes and hearty winter soup.
I am grateful for the wren who sings her song outside my
window announcing the arrival of spring and the crackling of a fire on a winter
night. Geese flying overhead, the whistle of wind and yes, Christmas carols. Thunder.
For a hot shower, air conditioning, my winter hat, down
comforters. The feeling of the sun on my face and sand on my feet. The moon, stars,
flowers, deer, rainbows, trees…….
The hum of gratitude. Why turn it on? Because once it is set in motion you feel great. The chest widens and heart blooms. You realize how rich you already are!
And as an added bonus, the more gratitude you shine out, the
more things to be grateful for are drawn toward you.
Bringing gratitude along for the holidays,
SARAH