Thanks! How Gratitude Can Make You Happier

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Namaste Yogis and Yoginis,

Thanksgiving dinner may be a calorie counter's nightmare. It can also be a stage for family drama, and the hyper-launch into winter holiday planning. However, the practice of gratitude can make a tremendous impact on our hearts, minds and health.

When observed daily, thankfulness is linked to many physiological and psychological benefits. Scientifically speaking, regular grateful thinking can increase happiness by as much as 25 percent. Keeping a gratitude journal for as little as three weeks results in better sleep and more energy. 

Research has also shown frequently practicing gratitude improves overall general health and immunity. It lowers depression and anxiety and stimulates kinder behavior towards others (and ourselves!) It has also been shown to correspond to one's own happiness and long-term satisfaction with life.

Throughout November, in each Yogalicious blog, I will share a feast of research, inspiration, blessings, and exercises. These will expand our experience of gratitude all month – even for those harder days, when we are not feeling so grateful. And... for those of you who may be visiting with a family member this holiday who tends to 'rile' you up, trigger you, or push your buttons, here's a little practice: 

You can open your heart, even when you have the impulse to do the opposite. This visualization practice is called Metta meditation. It can change your day, and your life, leaving you feeling grateful when you least expect it. 

Thank you for meeting me here! It is a privilege to share yoga and mindful living with you this way. Please drop me a line and let me know how you are. And lastly, remember, as we head towards our THANKSGIVING celebrations:

“A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”
— Aesop, Fables

With Love,

Jillian

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
— Melody Beattie