One of the most powerful things we tend to miss in our daily life is to enjoy the present moment just as it is. So many things get in the way, we get distracted, we unconsciously put our shields on and miss to choose love. Gratitude can bring us back.

 

I remember that incredible sensation after giving birth, exhausted, full of hormones and other chemicals, my world turned upside down, and suddenly the storm was over, she was in my hands, I looked at her and gratitude filled every corner of the room, we entered into that bubble of love and joy. Gratitude was the turning point. Maybe you are imagining that being a yogi giving birth was beautiful and easy. Well, it was beautiful… and long, and painful, and it challenged every belief that I had, every expectation, life looked at my plans and changed every little thing. It was not easy for me to let go of my expectations and surrender to the present moment. Gratitude was that thing that allowed me to make the shift and turn all the confusion into clarity. I was so grateful for the love and support I received from Pedro and the connection I felt for our daughter Kala, that even amid all the confusion, I felt that deep inside everything was in place.

 

Gratitude has the capacity of turning everything downside up. Just like our breath, it is a gift. Just as our breath it can be automatic or conscious. In yoga, we learn that our emotions affect our breath, and we also learn to use our breath in a conscious way to affect our emotions, to live our emotions. Gratitude may work the same way, it may come unconsciously and turn denial into acceptance or we can consciously use it for that same purpose. Just like a muscle, using gratitude as our daily companion can be learned, we can train ourselves and get used to using it more and more to go through life lighter and with more joy.

 

So many times our past experiences and choices, our fears, and expectations get in the way and begin to fog our view. We have the responsibility to make the shift, to stand up and live a brighter life. We have to be both strong and full of love to be able to do it, and we know sometimes it can get pretty hard. And especially in those moments of doubt, and especially in those moments of stress, we have to use the yogic tools, and every tool we have to love ourselves more, to remember that we can create peace from the inside, that life comes from us and not to us. But it requires courage to know ourselves, with our strengths and weakness, to give ourselves time, and to stand back up as many times as needed knowing that we will do better each time, that with every experience we can get better at choosing love instead of fear.

So let’s focus on gratitude, start the day with a grateful heart and keep nurturing that intention during the day. I invite you to use gratitude as much as you can during your day, incorporating it as part of your breath, as part of your yoga practice, when you write, ultimately as part of your life. As I said, it’s like a muscle, and the more you use it the easier it becomes. Begin with little things, finding beauty in the simplest things, acknowledging that we can’t always understand the why behind everything, and that gratitude may ease the road to make peace with what is, and with what is now part of our past. It can heal us and create a new vision for today.

 

Are you already working with gratitude? Share with us how you do it. We began last year to do it with Imagine Academy as a 21-day practice and it was amazing! We were around 600 people from different parts of the world and we noticed how it changed our approach to life, even for those who had years doing a gratitude practice. Get prepared for the next round, as we are planning to go through this experience together again very soon! Namaste.
 
 
Daniela Troconis Daly.

IMAGINE YOGA ACADEMY · KUNDALINI YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
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