One of the activities that is now part of my schedule every day is the practice of gratitude. I have founded so many tangible benefits in my life that honestly now I can’t see my life without it. I had experienced that a gratitude mindset is a decision. If you focus on the positive aspects of your life, without attachment to challenges, you can appreciate and thank the wonders around.
A gratitude practice can be transformed into a habit with patience until the moment that it’s part of our lives. Practices makes habits and habits makes a kind of living. Even scientists had found that health can improve physically and psychologically, it lowers stress levels, strengthens relationships, helps to sleep better, creates empathy and compassion, and gives more positive emotions, like happiness and joy.
How I created a Habit:
List.
Make a list of all that things that comes to your mind of what are you grateful for. And keep it next to your bed or put it on your fridge where you can keep reading it.
Read.
First thing in the morning, read your gratitude list.
Meditation.
Meditate every day bringing your whole attention to the present moment (no attachments or judgments).
Activities.
Do everything thinking, why you will be thankful for it? For example, open the window to be grateful for a new day, do your hair beautiful to appreciate its natural beauty, cook to eat it with joy of the amazing taste and smell of it.
A second.
Take a moment to appreciate your work. Stop just a second to notice the process with admiration. There is no need to be a big thing.
Share.
Share a positive thought or message to someone you love with optimism.
Smile.
Smile to someone, making a chain of smiles. Imagine that your smile is going to make that person smile to another person, and that person to someone else and so on.
About your day.
As a family or with friends, take turns to ask during dinner about the "best" part and also the "amazing" part of the day (with details). This can be a great option to open a big conversation.
Follow.
Follow positive people in social media.
Post.
Share positive posts in social media.
Pictures.
Take notes or pictures of beautiful details you see or experience in your way.
Thanks.
Keep repeating the words "thank you" and "thanks" to everyone.
Stop.
Pause to see a flower or an insect and see its magnificent color, shape, maybe smell.
As you see, this is a matter of positivity, consistency, and patience. Start making your own gratitude practice. Take time to create it with joy and choose what fits your personality and kind of live. With time there will no need of any effort.
When we practice gratitude, we are creating a world of many more opportunities for us and those that surround us. We are expanding our energy to receive even much more. We will attract more abundance and even better relationships. A grateful mindset will be a celebration for life and can be contagious. The more you practice the easier it gets. It’s our choice to practice seeing the positive in life so it’s transforms into a habit, and later into our way of life.
The light in me, recognizes the light in you,
Namaste - Cecilia de la Rocha
Cecilia de la Rocha is founder of Yoga By Cecilia de la Rocha, a creative and enthusiastic yoga instructor with professional training in hatha & anusara yoga. Always willing to share more with people in a different, loving & fun ways. Her teaching is an innovative fusion of yoga, metaphysics, mindfulness and shadow work that has taught many families, from moms to be, to kids, to adults of all ages and limitations, and to celebrities who want to incorporate yoga as part of their lifestyle. She loves to facilitate privates and group workshops. For more information about her work, please visit: https://yogabycecilia.wixsite.com/yogalifestyle