Heya friend! Happy weekend!
With fall harvesting in full swing, and Thanksgiving just around the corner, this month we're gonna tap into that oh-so-helpful practice of: gratitude. Join us as we spend November sensing for and soaking up the goodness that is all around us.
Why practice gratitude?
In the past 20 years, gratitude has been studied quite a bit, and has been shown be really helpful in a large variety of ways. The physical benefits alone are really powerful, demonstrating: improved sleep, decreased illness, lower blood pressure, improved heart health, lower cortisol levels, improved recovery times, enhanced pain tolerance, improved overall health, and even decreased mortality and enhanced longevity. What? Yep. It even helps us live longer. 🙌
But that's not all. Gratitude also helps us in a variety of mental and emotional ways. For example, practicing gratitude has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, increase happiness, increase life satisfaction, enhance resilience, improve self-esteem, and ---my favorite-- increases positive thinking patterns! Practicing gratitude literally helps us rewire our brains to think more positively. Isn't that so cool?
The benefits even expand beyond the self. Along with the many ways the above benefits can ripple outward to those around us, gratitude has also been shown to help increase one's social connection, increase one's empathy, and reduce one's aggression. So this practice not only helps us, but the world around us in a variety of beautiful ways too. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
So... how will we explore this?
We're gonna snuggle into this one, friend. We'll sustain gratitude as our focus for the rest of November, giving us 21 days to really strengthen our gratitude muscles, and cultivate a strong habit.
Doesn't that sound great? I can't wait! Luckily, we don't have to -- we'll start today! :)
We'll practice on the dance floor.
We'll begin with tuning into our senses and simply noticing what we're grateful for:
• What sounds are we grateful for?
• What sights?
• What aromas?
• What textures/touches?
• What tastes?
• What other body sensations?
We'll dance and seek out the goodness with our whole body. Moving. Tuning in. Sensing for whatever we can be grateful for right here, right now. As we dance, we'll ask ourselves what can I be grateful for in this moment? In this movement? In this song? In this space? With these people?
At the end of class, we'll come back together and (if you want to) share. Maybe it was a lyric that resonated... Maybe a movement, or sensation, or aha moment... Maybe something you saw, smelled, heard, or felt as you danced... Maybe just a brief moment of connection...
We can also explore: how does it feel to be practicing gratitude?
Does it change anything for you? What do you notice or sense in your body? Mind? Emotions?
We can also practice beyond the dance floor.
All week long, please feel free to join me and further strengthen your gratitude muscles by either continuing the practice noted above (as you move through life), or any other gratitude practices you are familiar with. I'll share a few more ideas below, but please know it's totally ok to do it however you wish. Whatever practice(s) you choose, we'll simply spend this month tapping into the delicious goodness available all around us.
One of my favorite experiences of practicing gratitude...
...was when Rowan was first born. I didn't know I was practicing gratitude at the time. I was a brand new mommy -- sleep-deprived, but feeling oh-so-much LOVE. Amidst the constant haze of breastfeeding, rocking, holding, diaper-changing, soothing, laundry, chores, snuggling, and attempting to catch a little sleep, I was also excitedly compiling a baby book. I took time each day to jot down little notes, especially any sweet little "firsts." Every day there was something new and beautiful to take note of and celebrate. His first smile, first laugh, first roll, first scoot, first time sitting up, first crawl, first word, first steps, first tooth, etc. Unbeknownst to me in the moment, I was wiring my brain to look for and celebrate these awesome little firsts! And -oh man- there were so many. I didn't know until a couple of years later that this is similar to what people would call a gratitude journal. I continued it for a couple of years, eventually expanding the practice more broadly to include additional aspects of life I was grateful for. And -oh my gosh- whenever I take the time to practice gratitude like this it always feels sooooo good! I've been out of practice for a bit, and cannot WAIT to get back into it.
5 gratitude practices I've loved:
Looking for more ideas for how to practice gratitude this month? Here are 5 of my favorites from over the years...
1. Keeping a gratitude journal (or list).
For this, you can simply note a few things each day you are grateful for. You can do it anytime of the day. My favorite is to jot down a couple of quick notes in my planner at the end of each day. I love to make short lists more than write paragraphs, but feel free to do it however feels great to you. I've also practiced this using the Notes app on my phone, but I personally didn't enjoy that as much as writing it down on paper.
2. Building a gratitude tree.
This was a fun one we did as a family one year. Inspired by something I saw on the internet, we rigged up a small branch in our living room. For each day of November, we would write down what we were grateful for on little leaves made of card stock and hang them on the tree. By the end of the month, we had a beautifully abundant gratitude tree.
3. Filling a gratitude jar.
For this one, we'd take a moment each day (usually at bedtime) to jot down what we were grateful for on colorful little scraps, and place them in a mason jar. Something really nice about this one is that there isn't any pressure to share aloud. I think a neat way to celebrate when the jar is full is to burn the scraps in a fire pit and send them up to the heavens. Although, I've also heard of people compiling gratitudes for a year, and then reading them on New Year's Eve as a way to look back and celebrate. I think that's a really cool idea too.
4. Sharing gratitudes at meals or at bedtime.
We've also practiced simply taking a little time before meals or right before bed to share aloud with each other a few things we are grateful for. One of the things I like about sharing gratitudes aloud is that when I hear what Rowan and Jon are grateful for, I often instantly feel gratitude for whatever they said too. It's like "oh yeah, I love that too!"
5. Reciting a gratitude prayer.
Currently, instead of sharing individual gratitudes before meals, we recite a short prayer together. It goes like this: Thanks for the food before us, the house around us, the family beside us, and the love between us. I love how prayers or rituals like this can help me to slow down, pause, and take a little moment for gratitude.
Thoughts? How about you, friend?
Have you ever had a gratitude practice before? Was it helpful? Do you have one currently? What has your experience been like? Is there a practice you've especially loved in the past? Please do feel free to share with me (or us in class) anytime! And if you'd like for me to share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with the larger group, please just let me know. I'll be happy to add it to next week's email to help inspire others (but only if you'd like it to be shared).
See you soon!
That's it, babe! This month, we'll just put in the reps. If what we focus on grows, then let's grow. the. good. Yesssss!
Alright, it's time for me to get out of this chair and go dance for a bit. :) As always, I can't wait to explore this with you. Big love to you & see you soon!
💛 Dani
Join us this week for some movement, friendship, and good vibes! ✨
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