Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Yoga: Reconnection with the Blessings of Life



By Ann Chaney

My first idea for this post was to write a spoof on yoga poses. You know what I mean: Downward-facing dog, Corpse pose, Lotus pose, Tree pose, Cobra pose, and many other poses many of us have experienced in yoga class. My take on my efforts to achieve the perfect down-facing dog pose alone would be sure to leave you in stitches.

Unfortunately, as it does for all of us, life got in the way. My sister was diagnosed with Covid-pneumonia two weeks ago. She’s fine now, at home, with a long recovery ahead of her. Waiting, praying, and yes, bargaining with God for her survival brought home the importance of gratitude for every day we have with our loved ones and our many other blessings. 

The practice of yoga provides us with a conduit to recount our blessings. We can open our minds to the wonderful people and experiences of our lives through meditation. Each cleansing breath enables us to relax and relish our good fortune. There are yoga poses called gratitude poses. Who knew? Not me!

Thanksgiving is synonymous with gratitude. One of the traditions many of us observe is taking a moment before serving up the turkey, mashed potatoes, turkey dressing, veggies and hot rolls for everyone to share what they are thankful for? The answers range from the funny to the somber. Think back to years past and how happy everyone was after sharing their blessings. Gratitude is a lovely feeling. It’s love. 

Where does yoga come into play? Yoga works with your mind and body. There’s no need to work your way through poses. A morning meditation of breathing and mentally recounting what you are grateful for in your life. Imagine doing this and starting your day with a brighter outlook. With all that positivity, there’s no room for negativity.

 

On Chopra.com I found a list of simple gestures to express your gratitude: Writing a thank you note to a friend.

  • Jotting down five to 10 things in your life you are grateful for each day.
  • Offering a handshake.
  • Giving a hug.
  • Smiling at others.

We all have rough spots to navigate. Simple fact. We have good times and bad times. Yoga will help you make your way through the rough seas by helping you find peace and willingness to move forward. 

 

Happy thanksgiving everyone.

7 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

Ann, I hope your sister continues to improve. Thank you for a lovely post. One can never have too many reminders about the power of gratitude.

Ann Chaney said...

Thank you Judith!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Prayers for your sister. I think about the good stuff every day.

Anonymous said...

What a great reminder. I believe if we can all just feel gratitude for what we have, It'll make it a better world. I hope your sister feels better. Thanks for the Blog.

Sarah Raplee said...

Loved this post!!! We all have much to be grateful fo as well as negative things beyond our control in our lives. Making conscious choices to practice gratitude and to be positive toward others helps to counter the negativity.

Thanks for the tips!

Anonymous said...

We get busy with the life we forget to recognize all the things we are grateful for. Thanks for the reminder and sending prayers for your sister.

Lynn Lovegreen said...

I'm glad your sister is doing better. And I love yoga, for many of the reasons you mentioned. :-)