Gratitude is one of those catch phrases that has become a bit trite with so much over use, but has been one of the powerful forces in my own life. Everyday we experience struggles and challenges and often we feel the disappointment of life not being just as we want it to be. What I've found is when I practice gratitude, regardless of what's happening in my life, I can always find a multitude of things that are going well and are pretty darn perfect and just as they should be. Realizing how much amazement is in my life on any given day instantly shifts my focus from 'have nots' to 'haves', and it never seizes to amaze me how profound this simple practice can be.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity." - Melody Beattie.
Sometimes those roadblocks to happiness are a direct result of our relationships with ourselves or others in our life. Practicing a metta meditation or also known as 'loving kindness' meditation can help to shift our mindset and relationship to both ourselves and others.
May I be safe and protected and free from inner and outer harm. May I be happy and content. May I be healthy and whole to whatever degree possible. May I experience ease of well-being.
Typically we do these practices seated in traditional meditation, but this week we will incorporate them into our yoga practice, bringing them into our bodies feeling it on a visceral level as well as from a cognitive place.
Amy Owen
Yoga Instructor + Birth Coach
