Lions and Tigers and Gratitude, Oh My!*
I’ve been avoiding gratitude.
As a blog topic, I mean.
I know, I know, the positive impact of gratitude has on us humanoids.
I know, I know, it activates the brain pathways, by releasing dopamine and serotonin.
I know, it enhances mood and motivation.
(Could anybody here benefit from some enhanced motivation?)
I know, I know, gratitude activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming stress responses.
I know, I know, it settles us, it opens us, it shifts our nervous system response.
And so on, and so forth.
It’s a powerful, profound tool.
Life just feels better when I’m able to land in gratitude.
Clearly it is the softer, easier way, as we say in 12 Step.
Relaxing into and celebrating that which is, rather than lamenting that which is not.
~~~
Several long months ago I found the link to a powerful video, which I am sharing with you today.
I couldn’t bring myself to offer it to you then, because of one line. One damn line in the song. The line in the song says:
“I’m grateful…. (Okay, that’s fine.)
For everything.” (Ouch. This is hard for me.)
I am not grateful for everything. Not yet. Not now.
Clearly, I am grateful.
I am grateful, profoundly grateful, for the life I have been given.
I am grateful, profoundly grateful, for the gift of living as a sober woman.
I am grateful, profoundly grateful, for the family I have been given,
For the gifts I have, my voice, my writing, you—all of you.
I am grateful.
I am not grateful for the tyrant that is running our country.
I am not grateful, as I watch our freedoms erode.
I am not grateful, as I watch my LGBTQ+ community come under attack.
I am not grateful, as I watch vulnerable people being put more at risk.
I know, I know—breathing in the suffering, exhaling the compassion.
I know, I know—breathing in the suffering, exhaling the compassion.
And folks, acceptance.
Acceptance of what is.
Being present with what is—that is the core of our practices, right?
~~~
So, gratitude?
Not as a thing, but a verb, an action, a practice.
We practice gratitude no matter what is happening.
Like a muscle, it needs using.
Like a piano, it needs playing.
I think of the words eventually and inevitably.
Perhaps eventually and inevitably, the long arc of the moral universe will bend toward justice, as Dr. King suggests.
Perhaps eventually and inevitably……
The highest will unfold for all.
Our job?
To bear witness.
To be kind.
To practice.
~~~
Here is the powerful video I mentioned earlier, Grateful: A Love Song to the World
By Nimo Patel featuring Daniel Nahmod
~~~
What do you notice in the video?
What touches you?
What can you take away from it, and weave it into your life?
Just ponder.
~~~
Dear Friends,
Breath.
Relax.
Feel.
Watch.
And
Allow.
Let the moment come.
Let it go.
Let the breath fill you up.
Let it release into emptiness.
Let’s continue to practice being
Right here,
With relaxed rigor.
Right here.
Right now.
May we be held,
No matter what
Is happening.
May all beings benefit from our shared words.
Stay blessed,
Aruni
~~~
IQI Reminder—
Thanks for Sharing this Invite with Others
Kripalu’s signature self-discovery program, the Inner Quest Intensive, is a journey into living yoga. Experiment with the essence of Kripalu’s core teaching—the mindful practice of being present in the moment—as you find the answer to the questions:
How do you practice gratitude?
What did you notice in the video?
How do I block myself from being fully alive?
How can I live in the present moment rather than in the story of yesterday?
Ready to start your journey?
Where: Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health
When: October 17-20
*Title is a bastardization of a line from The Wizard of Oz.