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Oct 1 Intention: Gratitude Yoga - Nurture a Thankful Heart
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“Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” – Alfred Painter

“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” - H.U. Westermeyer

“If you pray when it rains, don’t forget to also pray when the sun shines.”

"Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot." - --The Hausa of Nigeria

"In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy."
--Albert Clarke

Gratitude Yoga
Approaching life with a spirit of thankfulness crosses all traditions and cultures. Many in the yoga tradition refer to this as 'gratitude yoga'.

A gratitude yogi trains her mind to remain in a state of heightened thankfulness. She sees opportunity where others see obstacles…fortune, where others see famine. She is not a Pollyanna, nor does she live in 'denial'. She knows when to draw boundaries and allows herself to fully acknowledge feelings of sadness, fear, anger, etc...

The difference between the gratitude yogi and an untrained person is that the gratitude yogi doesn't get 'stuck' in anger, 'drained' by self-pity or 'mired' in entitlement. Rather, she strengthens her spirit by fully experiencing the blessings of daily life. She draws energy from 'the simple things', in and doing so, harnesses the power of god, the divine, mother-nature, or whatever you choose to call it.

To start your own gratitude practice try this:
Every morning before you rise and before you go to sleep, think of at least five things that you are grateful for. This way you start and end each day with a thankful spirit. As this becomes habit you will find yourself noticing things to be thankful for throughout the day. In every moment of your life you will find gratitude.  For more ideas on how to incorporate gratitude yoga into your life, visit: http://www.naplesyoganews.com/october-2007.html