Yoga and Gratitude
“Practicing gratitude is how we acknowledge that there is enough and that we are enough.” (Unknown)
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." (Melody Beattie)
One reason gratitude can be challenging to experience is that human beings are naturally predisposed to focus on what’s bad. Due to evolution, our nervous systems learned to be on the alert for potential threats and dangers as a defensive mechanism. This process called negativity bias, represents basically, the mind reacting to bad things more strongly than to good things of equal intensity. Our instincts keep us alert to the bad things in life because they could pose a threat. Some mental roadblocks to gratitude might cover feeling impatient, having high expectations, or thinking that it is wrong somehow to show the genuine, vulnerable part of yourself. Of course, feeling grateful doesn’t mean being blind to life’s obstacles or challenges we attempt to overcome, it is just another layer or side of the coin to the whole existence. It also doesn’t mean shutting down or dismissing the difficulties or traumas we experienced; it is a tool through which we can find a higher purpose in life and perceive the unity between everything, and not me or my story in opposition to another’s. Our inner lives are complex enough to hold multiple truths at once, to feel both gratitude and sadness, gratitude and anger, gratitude and grief. There is no black and white view of the world, rather a complex of different shades of emotions. Ignoring this spectrum of emotions can lead to a misinterpretation of the entire world around us and on lower levels of adaptability.
There is a difference between being grateful and being thankful. When you are thankful or you thank someone, you are acknowledging the existence of that someone. Gratitude is acknowledging and appreciating something but it is also connected to a deep emotional state. Gratitude is more than saying thank you out loud; gratitude is a way of seeing life, leading us to be more mindful about our thoughts, actions and speech, in order to attract more positive occurrences, people and situations, aligned with our values. Being thankful exists in the mind but gratitude comes from the heart. When you are grateful for something it affects your mental, emotional and physical state. Gratitude bolsters self worth and esteem, enhances one’s ability to cope with stress and trauma and enables positive relationships and social bonds. Gratitude appears to have a domino effect: if a person experiences gratitude, they are more likely to recognize the help and then later reciprocate that help. Gratefulness means also learning to accept more the journey of self-discovery, learn to be present and content in our bodies, and also with our thoughts, with the more pleasant and the less pleasant sides.
Pause, stop and reflect sometimes on how great things are in your present moment; do these little check-ins often, reminding yourself of the benefits of staying present, anchored in life. Where is your mind wandering when you stop paying attention: to the present moment or to what is lacking right now? A lot of times, it could be your habitual thoughts and habitual feelings. If you’ve always looked at what’s lacking and felt stressed out, this becomes the norm. Habits are hard to break if you don’t become aware of it. It is important to notice your habits and learn to create good habits. It takes time to re-train our minds to fully embrace positive emotions, if we were stuck for too long in a negative loop so we need to remain focused on our path and undefeated in our purpose. Feeling grateful also means accepting the presence in which we live, focusing less on what is lacking and rather on what is already there without attachment or need, e.g. focusing on the death of a dear one, on the event itself, instead of remembering all the beautiful moments spent together and honoring their departure. The two fundamental Yoga values from the Yamas and Niyamas that embrace gratefulness are Discipline (tapas) and contentment (santosha).
For Buddhists also, awareness of our interdependent and interconnected existence stands for gratitude for the web of life that sustains us. In time, becoming more grateful towards life leads to massively changing our bonds with other people, our families and friends, enlarging our social network and support, building up resilience and strength in the face of adversities and enhancing our self-worth. Learning to also discover self-love, instead of perceiving the world as not meeting our immediate needs because we're constantly looking at what is not working. Humility is also fundamental to gratitude because living humbly is the most authentic and honest approach to life, when we understand that life is a gift given to us and not something that we should take for granted. Bhakti Yoga, often termed the Yoga of devotion, is centered around cultivating a deep sense of love and devotion towards the divine. This path is paved with gratitude. This act of selfless giving reinforces the cycle of gratitude, by acknowledging the interconnectedness of all beings. Karma Yoga is also based on this selfless act of giving to others, without expecting something in return, feeling grateful for the simple act of being amongst the others and knowing that whatever we are putting outside in the universe, whatever deeds, words or thoughts, they will eventually return to us, in some form or another.
Having gratitude-based Yoga practices will help not only on the physical level, but expanding on the energetic one as well and cultivating a sense of presence and emotional wellbeing. Some practices to consider around the idea of gratefulness are practicing heart opening poses that activate more the anahata chakra, the core of our being, setting a gratitude intention in the beginning of the practice as we dive in the class with a complete open canvas of intentions, journaling or simply learning to pay attention more throughout the day, even outside the Yoga class. When you are in the middle of a Yoga class, take a few minutes in the beginning or end of the practice to infuse your body with gratitude, for what it can do and for how it can express itself. It is unique and beautiful. It also teaches us to marvel at the world and be humble, like children again. Give thanks to the little, yet important things that your body is teaching you daily, e.g. how to carry things around, how to reach for something, how to dance, walk, run, hug, stretch, how you can dream, cry, laugh, express your emotions and your creative visions. Be thankful for the things you might take for granted, they are themselves small miracles.
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