Attitude of Gratitude – a whole month of Thanksgiving; Day 5

This was one of those morning when I just didn’t want to get out of bed. My mind was full of excuses and imaginings (is that a sore throat? maybe… i should probably stay right where i am), as if just admitting to myself how I felt wasn’t enough – I needed justification for not getting out of bed. I needed justification for not wanting to adult today. Mornings like this, I’m grateful:

1. To have a routine (i’ll get up and get the water boiling for my lemon water/cider vinegar and THEN decide how i feel).

Amazingly, while the water was boiling, I knocked a couple simple things off my to-do list and with that weight off, I felt much better. Looky – 8:30am and the day is already successful!

I am participating in a year-long course in integrative energy medicine and as I spoke to a couple of my brothers/sisters on this journey, I felt grateful for:

2. The ability to truly HEAR. To hear the quality of someone’s tone, to feel connected to what they’re sharing, beyond the words. To have a gateway into their true selves and to feel my true self saying ‘Yes’ to it all. Together we elevate and heal the world.

After the call, I was feeling raw, overwhelmed, etc. I got stuck sitting, stagnant…. resistant? And so I’m grateful for:

3. Impromptu, solitary dance parties – in my room, in my kitchen while doing dishes, in the car, while walking down the street to a passing car’s music. They shift me to joy and freedom. Every time.

What makes you dance with gratitude?

Attitude of Gratitude – a whole month of Thanksgiving; Day 4

The clouds have rolled in and the temperatures are dropping– a far cry from yesterday! And the perfect day for a nap… but not so perfect for ‘getting stuff done’! This is one of those days when it’s important to be able to differentiate between the stuff that NEEDS to get done and the stuff that can be put off one more day!

Today I am grateful for:

1. The yoga students who showed up to the two classes I subbed this morning; full of energy and willingness, solid in their breath and bodies, and willing to laugh and smile and explore. You inspire me. You continually remind me why I teach.
2. New adventures (my roommate and I drove to a winery to do a tasting) and new friends (and the couple doing a tasting next to us started chatting with us and it turns out the man has met my dad and does yoga and triathlons, too). It’s a small world, ultimately and the phrase ‘I just don’t have anything in common with ______!’ has crossed my lips. It’s encounters like these that make me think maybe I just don’t always look hard enough….
3. Pizza delivery. Because, well…. duh.

Attitude of Gratitude – a whole month of Thanksgiving; Day 3

Friday is farming day. And what incredible November weather for it! I set off early this morning, sun rising. As I drove, I passed a woman waiting at the bus stop and had a moment of gratitude

1. For my car and the resources that allowed me to buy and keep it. There is a whole world of job possibilities open to me and relationships I can more easily keep in touch with because I have that mobility.

I continued on to the farm, driving through some of my favorite scenery. There is a patch on rt. 7 heading east, right around Berryville, VA where the pastures of Audley Farms stretch out before you with the mountains rising behind them. Sometimes when I make this drive, there is think mist rising off the river. I love this view. I also love crossing over the river and glancing down from the bridge as I speed by, noticing the height and color of the water and the trees along it. In the evenings, heading back West, I love coming over the mountain and seeing the Shenandoah Valley spread out before me. It’s never the same. It’s always beautiful. This morning, it was sunny and warm on the west side of the mountains, with thick mist and clouds on the east side. I felt gratitude for

2. The life, beauty, and variety that surrounds me and the eyes which can see it.

Today was a blissful farming day. The end of the season is here and the crew is dwindling. The pace is a little more relaxed, the weather surprisingly warm. I am grateful for

3. The sharp smell of dewy arugula in the air as I cut it and put it in a crate and, later, the smell of rosemary, mint, thyme, sage, and chives mingling on my hands, long after I’ve finished harvesting them. It brings me back to this moment and the sense of my body.

4. A group of four farmhers (that’s farm ladies, if you didn’t know ), moving around a barn, laughing, making up words to songs, sharing silly stories about ourselves, dirt under our fingernails and on our knees, water spraying everywhere as we watch muddy root vegetables start to gleam and show vibrant colors when washed clean – strong, beautiful, intelligent, caring women; brought together by a love of dirt, hard work, and the magic of things that grow. Nourished by good food and good friendships.

It’s never too late in the day to tally your blessings!

Attitude of Gratitude – a whole month of Thanksgiving; Day 2

I woke up in a funk today. I had weird dreams and the emotional rawness brought up in the dreams stayed with me as my eyes opened. Today, especially, I seek gratitude.

I got out of bed and went to teach the 6am yoga class. As I waited for students to show up, I took a little practice, just to warm up my body and move some energy. I started to feel better, so I am:

1. Grateful for my yoga practice which offers me some grounding when I just can’t seem to find it elsewhere and helps my body to feel like a home I don’t mind living in.

After moving on my own for a little while, I looked at my watch. It was close to 6am and no one was there yet. “Is anyone going to show up today?” crossed my mind. That’s unusual for that class. Ultimately two students showed up and we all agreed that we would flow together, so with minimal cues on my part and leading mostly by the sound of my breath, we all moved in silence and space and community. I am:

2. Grateful for this perfect journey where even when things don’t go as planned, they end up, maybe, just maybe, being something you need.

Coming home, I made my morning lemon water and then ate a banana, and although the emotional rawness lingers, I am feeling a little better. So I am:

3. Grateful for safe drinking water, good food, and self-care. As long as I honor my body with the care it requires, I am strong enough to breathe and outlast this long sigh out of my soul.

May you find gratitude today, whatever your circumstances.

Attitude of Gratitude – a whole month of Thanksgiving; Day 1

I woke up this morning and it really hit me that November is already here and I am barreling forward towards one of my favorite holidays without the mindfulness and gratitude it asks for. Because before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here and I will most likely be stuffing my face with way too much food and then it’ll be over and all I’ll left to show for it is a tummy that REALLY didn’t appreciate how much I tried to stuff into it in the name of, let’s be honest, greed.

In the Yoga Sutras, the 5th Yama is Aparigraha (non-greed) and one of the things non-greed warns us against is the suffering that follows actions rooted in the belief that we need more. Doesn’t matter whether is possessions, food, drink, money – when we don’t pause and actually allow ourselves to experience what we have, we get caught up in the belief that we need more and then we are not satisfied or nourished by either what we have or what we yearn for. Food consumed after we are full is still wasted. Experiences grabbed for when we haven’t finished processing the ones we are currently in are overwhelming and wasted. [**If you are interested in learning more about the Yamas and getting clearer about how our choices lead to suffering or peace, please join me for a week-long workshop. You can participate from anywhere and in as little as 10-min/day. More info: here**]

Gratitude is the only anti-dote. Pausing and allowing ourselves to fully take in what we already have – so fully, that we are overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude for this perfectly imperfect journey – is the only way to live a life of joy and peace, free of the greed and grasping that naturally come in when we forget that abundance is our birthright and fear that what we have is not enough. That WE are not enough.

So this November, I choose differently. I will dedicate the rest of this month to cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Each day, I will post at least three things I am grateful for. Feel free to join me by adding yours in the comments section below, or to write your own blog posts if you feel called to do so.

Nov 4th; Day 1:

1. The sunshine and warm air nourishing me and inviting me to be outdoors before the hibernation of winter sets in.
2. The roof over my head and my big, comfy bed.
3. My body and my breath, which anchor me in presence when my mind tries to lose us in fear and worry.
4. The choice of gratitude – bringing me peace and joy and abundance. Bringing me home.

What are you grateful for today?