Week One: Essential Yoga Practice Gratitude Series: Heart Meditation

Our First EYP Gratitude Series:  As we enter the month of November, as the fall and winter holidays are fore-front on our minds, we at Essential Yoga Practice cannot help but begin with our first “Gratitude Series.” In this month of Thanksgiving, we want to focus on the mother of all virtues, ‘Gratitude.”  This is the foundation of any practice. It is an interesting thing to note that anytime we begin a journey, at some time we return to recognizing how all of our forward steps are because of someone or something that supported us, and our heart center, our heart chakra swells with deep appreciation.  In this month, we encourage you to start or continue with a meditation practice as part of your “Dinacharya,” your morning routine, focusing on “Gratitude.”  Meditate on the heart center to get in touch with the concept that gratitude lives there.  Then shift to an asana practice to become more aware of the shoulders, chest, and heart.  While in each asana, build time by concentrating on the breath and heart center, to go deeper, to note what arises deep within the heart. 

There are different seeds of gratitude in your heart, with you since the time of your conception, and they are compassion, love, and kindness.  Practice some of these heart and shoulder opening asanas to allow these seeds to come to fruition in your life:  Warrior I, Locust, Bow, Wheel, Cow Face Pose, Eagle, Camel, Shoulder stand, and pranayamas like Ujaai, and Viloma I.  Stay with your heart, knowing that gratitude is there, and the seeds will sprout to all areas of your life:  Family, friends, work, community… Rest your focus on this during your meditation practices this month, and your understanding of how you are supported will deepen. 

What is the fragrance of gratitude?

Essential oils that support the focus on gratitude include:

•   Equal parts Wild Orange & Frankincense

•   Douglas Fir

•   Helichrysum

•   Rose

Try this meditation:

Rest your mind on the field of gratitude.  It comes from deep in the heart. You don’t have to do anything, just sit with this thought and feel what happens when your mantra, your one-pointed focus is “gratitude.”  Stay with this as long as you like, bring your hands to your heart in anjali mudra, (hands in prayer) and bow your head to the Divine within you, around you and through you.  Do this practice regularly to grow those seeds of gratitude and you will enjoy not only feeling supported but recognizing that is a sweet responsibility to support others. 

On this year anniversary, what are we thankful for? 

     -   Divine Grace

-       The gifts of Yoga, a 5,000 + year old practice of wellness

-       Aromatherapy from around our world, gifts of the Earth

-       Our families who supported us while we worked on this creation of Essential Yoga Practice book, DVD, tear-sheet class teaching guide, Essential Yoga Sangha online course, website and SM platforms.  We’ve come a long way!!

-       The many people who came into our lives to help create it all, and

-       YOU, our audience! We can’t wait to get to know you more! Now we want to hear from you, what are you thankful for?