Gratitude is the Greatest Multiplier of Good.

With Thanksgiving behind us, I truly hope that you took the time to think about all of the things you are grateful for. I know that for me, it can be easy at times, especially this year, to go down the rabbit hole of pessimism. I can sometimes get caught up in the challenges of this past year, ( Hello! This presidential election was INSANE!) and dwell on how hard it has been to keep my business afloat, and transition to online coaching. I can get really sad about how Covid prevented me from seeing my son as much as I wanted to, or that my daughter is not getting a senior year, or that my husband has been working at home since March, making our dining table his office.

Or... I can be grateful that Covid has blessed me with more time spent with my daughter during her last year at home, before she heads off to Georgia State for college. I am extremely grateful that in spite of a global pandemic, I was able to fly out to San Diego to spend time with my son on his birthday. I am grateful that even though my business has slowed, my family still has a healthy income. I am thankful that all of my family and friends are healthy and strong. I am grateful for the opportunity to take this time to delve deeper into the teachings of Ayurveda and healing. This will in turn help my future clients. I am grateful for the stillness, the quiet, and for the slowing down of life.

Blessings are all around us, and they are many. Why is this an integral part of physical health, and how does this affect our fitness?

Our thoughts carry vibrations that send signals to our digestion, which is connected to the brain, which ends up feeding our metabolism, and every muscle, ligament, tissue and cell in the body. Our outlook on life enables the karmic reaction of the energy we send out into the universe.

We live in a cynical society. At times it seems as though the world has gone crazy. People get caught up in the drama of negativity and fear. The media loves to sensationalize fear, because that is what sells. If you find yourself getting swept away in the madness of 2020, know that you have the power to change your thoughts, hence the vibrations that you put out, hence your own health.

A quote from Nourish Magazine fits into this topic perfectly. "Change is not always easy and not achieved overnight, but we can apply yogic teachings to navigate change with more gentleness towards ourselves."

Expressing gratitude for all of the little things in our life, begins to change our personal perspective, creating a snowball affect of positivity that eventually expands, creating more things to be grateful for.

If you do not keep a daily gratitude journal, I recommend that you give it a try.

Begin by writing down 3 to 5 things that you are grateful for. You can keep the journal by your bed, so that it begins to become part of your nightly, or morning ritual. Every day try to think of different things to be grateful for. It can include anything from, having a healthy body, to getting a job promotion, to finding romantic love, to drinking your favorite cup of tea.

"Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Here is a quick list of 10 things I am grateful for, that I wish to share.

1. I am grateful for my body, and for all of the physical activities it allows me to partake in.

2. I am grateful for the time I get to practice meditation, paying attention to my breath, and the grounding it gives me.

3. I am grateful that my son is living in a city that he has fallen in love with.

4. I am grateful that my daughter's hard work has given her the opportunity to continue her education at a college that she has been wanting to attend since she was a sophomore in high school.

5. I am truly grateful for the friends I have made. Life tastes better when we have people to share it with.

6. I am grateful for my clients, the members who take my yoga and fitness classes. I am blessed and honored to be a part of their journey.

7. I am grateful that my children want to continue to spend time with me. As they turn into young adults, their friendship is becoming a true treasure.

8. I am grateful that after 20 years of marriage, I am still married to a man who makes me laugh.

9. I am grateful for The United States Navy. Being a military spouse was never easy, but it gave my family an incredible outlook on humanity, on the many subcultures of this country, and on what it really means to be an American.

10. I am grateful for our military and for their families. Military members are a unique breed. I truly believe that most of the men and women who serve in uniform are the strongest, bravest, and most compassionate among us.

As the Thanksgiving weekend ends, please remember to be kind to yourself. This begins with your thoughts. I will leave you with one last quote from Nourish Magazine.

"Be gentle and kind to yourself, including your thoughts. If you catch yourself having negative thoughts, simply witness the story and then use your mind as a tool to reframe your thinking in a way that is helpful rather than harmful."

As always, Much love and namaste

Sabrina