There is nothing more productive for any of you, than to get on a rampage of appreciation relative to any subject of your desire. Because you cannot be in the state of appreciation and at the same time hold yourself vibrationally apart from something you desire. They are two opposite vibrations. -Abraham-Hicks
At the end of class, when I ask everyone to sit with their hands in Namaste and think of the things that they most appreciate, I do the same. It's become a ritual part of my own practice and I recently noticed that my list varies with location and focus.
When I am teaching, these are my top three (notice how I try to cram as many as I can into one):
When I am teaching, these are my top three (notice how I try to cram as many as I can into one):
- Yoga, and all of the blessings that it has brought into my life.
- Family. My parents, Fred and Clara, especially on Wednesdays when they sit so sweetly in front of me. My son and my brothers, their wives and families, my dear friends...all of my loved ones.
- All of the people in class who entrust me with their bodies and lives.
When I practice at home, right after my three oms, I give thanks for:
- Source Energy. The light and spirit that no religion (so far) has been able to describe or embellish for me.
- My body. No matter what I have dragged it through, it keeps on ticking and actually improving.
- My selfish focus to be Happy. I wouldn't be here without me. :D
On Tuesday mornings, I join the class as we go through the entire Mother Sequence. At the end, my total sense of appreciation goes to:
- Jehangir Palkhivala, for conceiving and bringing the sequence into my life.
- Aadil Palkhivala, for the love of yoga he has instilled within me and for bringing his brother Jehangir into my life.
- The peaceful spaces in which I live and work.
My lists are different when I say my thanks as I look up at Hualalai on my drive to the studio, while grocery shopping and especially when I open my eyes in the morning. Did all this goodness just appear in my life and give cause for my appreciation? Or did my appreciation attract or transform all that is in my life? The boundaries are blurred.
Try it, you don't have to wait to join a yoga class. Think of just three things that you truly appreciate just before eating a meal, while driving to work, while watching your partner sleep, as you pay your bills or take a shower. Your lists will vary and range from mundane to profound, but life will consistently grow into the ONE thing that you truly appreciate.
Try it, you don't have to wait to join a yoga class. Think of just three things that you truly appreciate just before eating a meal, while driving to work, while watching your partner sleep, as you pay your bills or take a shower. Your lists will vary and range from mundane to profound, but life will consistently grow into the ONE thing that you truly appreciate.
Original Photo: Jerrie Stafford
Switched to Night Vision via: Picnik.com