Elevate Your Gratitude Practice

Happy October! 

This is my favorite month of the entire year. 

I absolutely love watching as the leaves transition from green to red, orange, yellow and a deep purple. 

I love the smells of the leaves as it reminds me of my childhood. 

I love feeling the cool autumn breeze on my skin when I go for my morning walks. 

I enjoy looking at the autumn decor and Halloween decorations as I walk by homes around my area. 

There’s so much to appreciate all around me. 

So much to be grateful for. 

If you have a gratitude practice, I invite you to write about at least one thing that you see, hear, smell, feel or taste throughout your day. 

As you write, visualize what you’re writing about. 

After you finish writing, you can close your eyes so that way you can experience what it feels like in your body. 

For example, I am grateful for the cool, crisp autumn breeze as it lightly touches my skin on my morning walks. 

After I finish writing, I close my eyes and visualize myself walking along my usual path. I visualize feeling the gentle breeze lightly touching my skin. 

This visualization technique is useful for helping me experience that feel-good sensation all over again. 

I find that this technique has elevated my gratitude practice. 

I feel more joyful, content and grateful for all the things in my life (even the small and seemingly mundane things, like the autumn breeze). 

I invite you to write down 5 things or people you are grateful for. 

Be as specific and descriptive as possible. 

Then, close your eyes and visualize that thing or person.

Observe how your body responds. 

Do you smile? Do you feel all warm and tingly on the inside? Does your front body feel more open? 

Observe where you feel sensations in your body.

Perhaps in your chest, heart, upper back, hands, feet, face, etc.? 

Take a deep breath in through your nose…and a soft exhale out through your mouth before opening your eyes. 

Notice how you feel. 

I recommend concluding your day with a gratitude practice. 

I keep my gratitude journal on my nightstand as a reminder of this commitment I’ve made to myself. 

I love drifting off to sleep feeling all the warm, fuzzy and loving feelings that my gratitude practice stirred up within me. 

I find that I am waking up feeling more refreshed, energized, joyful and excited for the day ahead. 

It’s a really good feeling! 🙂

I felt that gratitude was a good topic to discuss this week as Thanksgiving is just around the corner (for myself and my other Canadian friends). 

With that said, gratitude is best practiced all year round! 

Alright, let’s get into this week’s yoga class - Yoga For When You’re Sick. 

I figured that this class would be useful around this time of year. 

This class includes an affirmation and visualization technique that is designed to promote healing. 

This class also includes gentle heart and hip openers that open us up to receiving healing light and energy. 

We will also engage in a sweet and gentle self-massage. This will help soothe tense, stiff, sore and achy muscles. 

This class is also fantastic for preventative care. 

Join me on the mat for some mind and body TLC. Click on the image below. See you soon! 

Thank you for taking the time to read through this letter! 

Sending lots of love to ya, 

~Rachel