attitudeofgratitude

Attitude of Gratitude: day 23-30

Where I often spend Thanksgiving is pretty rustic with no internet. The smart phone I got a little over a year ago has changed that for me and I'm no longer quiet as 'disconnected'... but it's still lovely to have an excuse to not check email or post to my website. These things are possible, but slightly annoying on a phone, so I practice my connection in other, more solitary ways. I take my camera with me and record for myself. It also means I can later update you on what I saw and was grateful for:

  1. Waking up on a lazy morning with nowhere to be and nothing to do.
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2. Feeling the sun and quiet while meditating without any of the pressure to 'get started with the rest of my day.'

3. A cozy fire in the fireplace and a relaxed study buddy.

4. Abundance in food and family with lots of love and laughter and nourishment and an awareness and gratitude for where this food comes from and everything that went into growing it and preparing it for me to eat.

5. Sun coming out after several days of rain, providing warmth and a different light in which to see things.

6. A walk in the woods and my grandma's stories of elves and gnomes and magic echoing through my head.

7. Messages left for us by nature... if we're listening in.

8. Familiar spaces and all the memories that go with them. A sense of history and connection without obligation or attachment.

9. Cozy shelter, surrounded by plenty of fresh air and wide-open spaces. Home and wild, all rolled into one - just the way I like it. And gratitude for the love of others that keeps it maintained and enjoyable.

10. Trees that teach us to root down, stand tall, grow upwards, bend with the wind, die to be reborn. There is something beautiful in how they stand and yet flow.

Coming out of this holiday and this month of gratitude, I know I have much to be thankful for everyday. I hope you had a wonderful celebration and as the focus now turns to gifts and giving, I hope you find it in you to give to those who challenge you, to love those you're not always sure you're able to (especially yourself), and to receive all that the Universe wants you to be open to. This is a time of unrest in our country. May we all be a listening ear, even when we think we 'know' and may we stand like a tree or a mountain, in the name of Love, when it comes to what is right.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 19 and 20

A balmy, Saturday morning that turned suddenly cold and windy. A cold and windy Sunday with dramatic clouds and brightly lit trees.

I am grateful for:

  1. The beauty of nature that always brings me into a sacred pause and helps me hit the reset button.
  2. The honor of witnessing someone in complete vulnerability and the deep connection that can result. And how much more beautiful we all become when it happens.
  3. That so many people are beginning to respond to times of stress by carving out time for themselves.
  4. The freedom of tears and allowing myself to fully feel my experience. And the deep compassion and love that always already exist, just below the tears.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 18

Today turned into a busier day than I anticipated. It's funny how time can do that... feel like you have all the time in the world and then, all of a sudden, disappear and leave you wondering how on earth you'll accomplish everything you need to. And yet, there is still room for gratitude.

  1. This morning, I passed an accident and while there was a very small, mean part of my mind - the part that believes we are all separate - that was moaning about the extra time that added into my drive, this practice of gratitude shifted it pretty much immediately to being grateful for all the times I get in my car and get where I am going safely and without incident.
  2. The warmth of the sun and the lightness of the breeze on my face. I was outside this morning, hands dirty, harvesting food and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.
  3. Butternut Curry Coconut soup... because, yum.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 17

Thursdays are my busy days. And usually by the end of them, I'm totally zapped. But there's still always something to be grateful for.

  1. I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service in this world. Watching people come home to themselves on their yoga mats and watching the full range of emotions that that brings never ceases to humble me. Deeply. To realize that there is always somewhere to deepen and grow into, and to pass that on to others takes my breath away.
  2. I am grateful to have a car and the freedom that allows me.
  3. I am grateful for the people out there who have different talents, skills, interests from me. They bring different parts of me out into the world and present me with new ways to show love and support in my life.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 16

Today I am grateful for:

  1. That there's always something new to be found on my yoga mat. Today it was trying to see how much of my practice I could do with my eyes closed, noticing how my body feels as it moves, and noticing how it affects my balance.
  2. Delicious soup, cooked from scratch, and sooooo nourishing.
  3. The journey of teaching and how it has enlarged me on so many levels and in so many ways.