Mining the moment

I envision a vertical depth that’s possible in yoga, where advanced practice is less about achieving hard poses and more about penetrating the richness of your inner experience.

As you show up consistently and explore the subtleties in asana – even seemingly ordinary poses - you discover a profundity that expands as your awareness and sensitivity become more refined.

Getting the most out of a gratitude practice works in a similar way.

When we contemplate what brings us happiness, we might tend to think of extraordinary events like vacations or special nights out. However, research shows that consistently noticing and appreciating small, everyday positive moments has a much more significant influence on our overall contentment and wellbeing.

In other words, it’s the frequency of positive experiences - rather than their intensity – that shapes our lived experience of happiness.

Just as we can mine the depth of ordinary yoga poses to extract a more profound embodied experience, taking time to savor familiar yet pleasant experiences - like the warmth of the water as you wash dishes or the softness of your couch when you sit down to sip your morning beverage - adds greater joy to your life.

Yoga helps you to notice the goodness in ordinary moments. Gratitude helps you to magnify and celebrate it.

How wonderful to recognize how the two work together to amplify the sweetness that’s woven into the fabric of daily life and make it better.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! If you've never read Seth Godin's Thanksgiving Reader, you're in for a treat. I look forward to downloading it every year. Have a wonderful holiday.