{"id":7942,"date":"2021-11-18T12:10:12","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T17:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogavibes.com\/blog\/?p=7942"},"modified":"2021-11-18T12:11:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T17:11:26","slug":"cultivating-a-gratitude-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yogavibes.com\/blog\/meditation-pranayama\/cultivating-a-gratitude-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Cultivating a Gratitude Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Methods to Try<\/b><\/h3>\n

Gratitude Writing<\/b><\/h4>\n

The results of a <\/span>study<\/span> <\/a>from 2015 on the effects of expressive writing show that participants who wrote letters expressing gratitude to others reported \u201csignificantly better mental health\u201d than those who did not participate in this practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s day! You can also try keeping a gratitude journal, where you write down the good that happened to you each day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mindfulness and Meditation<\/b><\/h4>\n

Practice staying present in the moment. Appreciate the beauty and goodness that is always around you. Don\u2019t let thoughts of the past or future bog you down. Truly focus on the here and now. It\u2019s not easy, but just like anything else, practice makes perfect. Try this <\/span>mindfulness meditation on gratitude<\/span><\/a> with <\/span>Jude Johnson<\/span><\/a> on YogaVibes!<\/span><\/p>\n

Turn Gratitude into Action<\/b><\/h4>\n

If writing and meditation aren\u2019t your style, try showing your gratitude through other means. Try these ways to actively show your gratitude:<\/span><\/p>\n