Gratitude everywhere

The more often we feel grateful, the more we perceive a life of fortune and abundance.

 At the end of my yoga classes I ask students to take a moment and thank themselves for coming to practice yoga. That one fleeting moment when gratitude is expressed inward toward one's self can go a long way in establishing a connection of inner awareness to the outer world. In that one moment it is not so hard to imagine that we are part of a greater whole.

 Expressing gratitude towards others is great and humbling. We let go and accept the love of others toward us. When the gratitude is directed inward we can let go and surrender to the love of our own self.

 If we can be grateful to others and acknowledge the basic goodness and wisdom in that person, then we can be grateful to ourselves and see the goodness in us that is always there.

 When we feel the same sentiments of love and gratitude towards ourselves as we feel toward others, we awaken to the union of ourselves with a divine community expressed in a sincere message, "How blessed we are to just be."