Thanksgiving: The Yoga of Gratitude

The rare moment is not the moment
when there is something worth looking at,
but the moment when we are capable of seeing.
– Joseph Wood Krutch

Flowers are coming to us.  I was talking a few weeks ago about how much I enjoy having fresh flowers in the house.  So Charles bought me flowers.  And we all ooohhed and aaahhed over how pretty they were.  And I pampered the arrangements.  And we placed them around the house, just to appreciate their beauty.  They always bring a smile.

We didn’t have any particular attachment to flowers.  We were just enjoying them. We didn’t mention it to anyone.  We weren’t angling to get flowers.  We didn’t send out a flower campaign or anything.   We were just appreciating them.

And the more we enjoyed them, the more flowers kept showing up.   Someone gave us a Smith and Hawken Amaryllis Bulb Kit.   Then someone gave us a magnificent blooming orchid plant with dozens of little white slipper flowers.  And Biana and Taz gave us two beautiful bouquets when they came to dinner – roses, baby’s breath, lilies, daisies, mums, ferns.  So many flowers, I was thinking, we really need to pick up a few more vases!  And, just today, a parent of one of Shanti’s friends said, I was going to bring you some flowers!

Our home is truly in bloom.

And we’re loving it.  So much beauty and life everywhere we look.  And from every one of those flowers we feel the gratitude and appreciation you have given us.

We love the lesson too.

Whatever you put your attention on, increases.  If you focus on what you love, you get more to love.  It’s not just for flowers – it’s for people too.  That’s really what appreciation is – It’s more than a thank you.  Appreciation is seeing the beauty in someone.

Just by acknowledging the beauty in someone, they get more beautiful.  Validation works miracles.  (Click this link to check out a sweet short story about getting validated.)

People just feel better and act better when you see the goodness in them.

Try it with your kids and you’ll see what we mean.

You feel uplifted when you see beauty.  They feel uplifted when you see beauty in them.  They might even be able to glimpse that beauty in themselves.  And you feel more connected to one another.

That’s the yoga of gratitude.  That feeling of union.

Energetically, when you’re grateful, your heart is open.  Energy flows freely within you and between you because you’re not rejecting anything.  Your focus defines your experience.  You keep your focus on what you appreciate, and only what you appreciate can come in.

That’s truly something to be grateful for.

Have a blessed Thanks Giving!

Photo by jeancliclac at fotolia.com