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 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.