6/52 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Sand between my toes, the sound of crashing waves silencing my busy mind and gently pushing me into the moment, the pandanus trees surrounding the beach. This was Burleigh Heads on my Saturday afternoon walk. Oh, and not to forget the grey cat on a lead enjoying the beach (I swear the dogs looked more confused than anyone. I wish I had a photo but I was a little embarrased to ask.)

With the promise of 'Tension-free neck and shoulders' and the personal story on healing grief and loss through yoga by Nikki, aka The Wholefood Mama, I indulged in buying a copy of Australian Yoga. It gave me that little push I needed to get on the yoga mat to stretch and breathe. Gratitude for yoga and meditation. It really brings me peace.

Sorting through photos I was warmly reminded of this splash of colour in the Botanical Gardens from my recent Sydney trip. 

Cassandra at Pendulum Body Therapies knows what she's doing and honestly I felt like my neck could spin 360 after the magic she worked on my neck and shoulders.

On my way home from work on two occasions this week I drove towards a rainbow. Gratitude always for the changing beauty of nature.  

Why bother practicing gratitude in the first place?

This week has been quite a challenge and a bit of a blur- my first full week at the new job- get up, rush around, do yoga, shower, eat and be at the desk by 8.30am! I haven't worked for about 5 months so needless to say I found this routine quite exhausting and rather overwhelming.  It's very hard to feel grateful if I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed.  

So what role does gratitude play in managing stress? This is a great article with simple ideas on how to practice gratitude. I'm like a fish in a bowl, needing to be regularly reminded on why I should bother practicing gratitude at all! The following from Bush really resonated with me:

"Gratitude is the antidote to our most stressful thoughts. In an environment of gratitude, negative emotions cannot thrive. Dr. Robert Emmons, a positive psychologist, has shown how practicing gratitude can raise your happiness level. Neuroscientist Rick Hanson, Ph.D., promotes the practice of "taking in the good' because it deactivates our bodies' stress response and counteracts anxiety and depressive moods. 

Focusing our stressed minds on the things that we're grateful for is like dousing a fire with cool water. Gratitude is habit-forming. With some practice, we can develop the habit of turning our attention to the plethora of blessings in our lives. Gratitude is not about ignoring the hard things in life; it is about honoring the gifts." 

This week I'm going to try practicing morning gratitude. On waking I'm going to think of three things I feel grateful for. Sounds like a good way to start the day.