Everything Comes From Gratitude

The year has only begun and already we have gotten off to a roaring start. Whether you are one to set mini-milestones or overarching goals, how about setting a theme for the year? For me 2017 was about Self-Love, 2018 was Self-Improvement, 2019 was Healing, and 2020 is about Gratitude. In reflection of 2020 so far, even with a global pandemic, all I can feel is thankful. That may sound crazy, but I really feel fortunate to be alive, to have not contracted Covid-19, to have been able to operate FitSphere, and offer workouts in your homes.

Why gratitude?

Feeling grateful is an acknowledgment of personal privilege no matter how difficult the situation. Privilege doesn’t mean you’re rich, you’ve had it easy, or have never had to struggle or work hard. All it means is that there are some things in life you’ll never have to think about or experience because of who you are. Likewise, there are some things in life I’ll have to think about and experience because of who I am. I can truly feel grateful and practice gratitude when grounded in self-awareness to bring empathy, compassion, and love for others.

My gratitude practice

Experiences like these are there to remind me that my blessings are bigger than my problems and I whip out my arsenal to negative vibe reversal with a simple gratitude practice. When I sleep I ponder on my reactions and plan my next action. A difficult time always teaches me a lesson about myself, about how to treat others with more respect, and to show more kindness and love to others. The more I turn the other cheek – meaning: not responding to injury or pain with revenge or Ahimsa (non-violence) from yoga, but having an understanding that we all have a story and that only love and kindness can heal the pain. I also look at it as I am the fortunate one to be able to be kind to someone because I don’t want to hurt anyone and have the capacity to be able to help them in some small way.

What does gratitude feel like?

Come into a present awareness of yourself and where you are:

Sit up tall on the floor or in a chair with an elongated spine, placing your feet on the floor, taking off shoes and socks if you can. Close the eyes and place the left hand on the heart with the right hand relaxed on the lap.
Relax the shoulders, back of the neck, jaw, while softening the heart space where your hand is placed. Allow your belly puff out to feel the weight in your sitting bones. Take three long, slow, deep breaths to a count of four inwards and four outwards. Soften the body again.
Bringing your attention to your heart space to simply notice what you feel there – what feelings or sensations are you aware of? Ask yourself “How are you?” recalling a moment where you felt immense gratitude. Let it run through you, to your hands, feet, top of the head. Remembering yourself at that moment, what you looked like, where you were, what was around you. Bring in as much detail as you can to that moment and continue to build the sensation of gratitude in your heart.
Let your heart expand and shine so light wants to burst out of you. Let the light spill out of you, shining brightly onto your being and onto everything around you. Let the light travel as far as the universe into outer space and beyond.
Feel open and relaxed as you rest your attention here in your heart for a few minutes or for as long as you like. Notice the sensations in the body, notice how you feel, how you are in this present moment.
As you finish up leave the light of your heart on for everyone to see. Take another breath in and out to prepare yourself to open your eyes.

If anything comes up, write it down in a journal or notebook. Try to stay away from writing digitally as you will become distracted and the thoughts will disappear like a dream. Let your heart stay open, practice softening as much as possible. Gratitude is the highest vibration and the biggest energy attractor because gratitude is the only constant feeling you have when you have achieved a goal. Gratitude is the feeling you want to embody as much as possible.

Having is evidence of wanting and wanting is evidence of having

If ever you feel sad, like things out of control are happening to you, are in a downward spiral, remember that you can change that into an upward spiral with one positive thought, one moment of gratitude, one breath to lift you up. Often we have everything we need, but it’s easy to forget and be in a state of lack in a world of consumerism. If you want something, that is proof that you already have it, inside of you. Learn how to have it all by consistently practicing changing your thoughts and perspective on abundance and fulfillment with satisfaction and gratitude.