Cultivating a Gratitude Practice

Thanksgiving is upon us, and the month of November, at least in the United States, has become synonymous with thankfulness and gratitude. With day-to-day life taking its toll, it can be hard to practice gratitude and remember to look for the good, especially when this time of year can be difficult for many people.

Gratitude, much like meditation and yoga, is a practice. You can actively retrain your brain to seek the good and focus on what you have, not what you lack.

Methods to Try

Gratitude Writing

The results of a study from 2015 on the effects of expressive writing show that participants who wrote letters expressing gratitude to others reported “significantly better mental health” than those who did not participate in this practice.

To practice gratitude writing, try writing thank you notes to express your appreciation for another person. You can keep these notes to yourself, or send them to brighten someone’s day! You can also try keeping a gratitude journal, where you write down the good that happened to you each day.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Practice staying present in the moment. Appreciate the beauty and goodness that is always around you. Don’t let thoughts of the past or future bog you down. Truly focus on the here and now. It’s not easy, but just like anything else, practice makes perfect. Try this mindfulness meditation on gratitude with Jude Johnson on YogaVibes!

Turn Gratitude into Action

If writing and meditation aren’t your style, try showing your gratitude through other means. Try these ways to actively show your gratitude:

• Say thank you. Sounds easy, right? It is! A simple thank you can change everyone’s day.
• Tell people that you are grateful for them. We are never promised tomorrow, so make sure those in your life know that you appreciate them!
• Donate or Volunteer. Find an organization in your community that supports a cause you believe in. Then, get involved! Helping others is the ultimate gratitude practice.

If you need a place to start, we just discovered VOMO, a volunteer platform that can connect you with local organizations. You can search by your zip code and by the cause that you’d like to support.

Looking for other ways to celebrate the season of giving and gratitude? Join us for a livestream class during your holiday!

Thursday, November 25: Pre-Turkey Flow with Rachel at 9:30am est 

Friday, November 26: Rest + Digest with Lydia at 1pm est