GRATITUDE
For the first time since I’ve been practising yoga, I cried in savasana.
A few years ago I went on a yoga retreat in Valencia and after we came out of savasana a lady was crying, although, it didn’t look like sad tears. A few of the other ladies went up to hug her and assured her it was ok and great to release like that. Since then I’ve always thought.. why haven’t I cried in savasana? Am I not ‘releasing’ enough? Am I not present enough? Do I even have enough to let go and release with?!
So whilst feeling the tears come out of my eyes and down my face, I tried to notice, to understand, where this feeling was coming from.
Gratitude.
It wasn’t necessarily an emotional class, with soothing spa music, it was hard work and to hip hop music but the final song really caught me. I lay there with my eyes closed and noticed how open my hips felt. We had done a 26 mile bike ride earlier that day so I was really happy to be laying down. Then all of a sudden I was getting flashbacks of what a wonderful 2 weeks we have had in Australia with the family for Christmas and NYE. Such wonderful life long memories, a lot of laughs and great food and adventures. Of course as a family we piss each other off, embarrass ourselves, make fun of one another but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This will be a trip to remember and we have all been so lucky and fortunate to be able to have an experience like this. From eating Christmas dinner on the restaurant tram to driving along the great ocean road to welcoming 2017 altogether and everything in between, it’s been a wonderful time. At the end of the class I felt such a relief emotionally and physically, causing me to reflect more on my time here.
It’s so important to be aware of gratitude. What exactly is gratitude you ask? Gratitude is thankfulness, noticing simple pleasures, living your life in the present moment, shifting your focus from what your life lacks to being aware on a continuous basis of how much you have to be grateful for! There are many benefits, physically and mentally for people who practice gratitude, such as more positive emotions and less anxiety, a stronger immune system and higher performance levels.
“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
In my last few days in Melbourne, I noticed more and more posters and spray paintings of the same Buddha following me all over the city in the most random spots! This felt somewhat comforting to me. Buddha represents a variety of things including:
A symbol of peace of mind
Encourage an atmosphere of wellbeing and calm
May provide inspiration to deepen your own practice of inner peace
My experience in Melbourne has been a gentle reminder for me to appreciate. Beginning with day 1 when I saw this graffiti quote in the city centre.
To everyone who has or has not yet cried in savasana, it may happen once, it may happen every so often, it may never happen at all but one thing to remember and apply in all situations, “Just let things happen. Let if flow. Don’t force it.”
Namaste x
