Yoga and Gratitude go hand-in-hand.  The heightened self-awareness that we gain when practicing yoga also helps us to experience self-gratitude. 

Yoga teaches us how to calm our minds and connect with that space that is void of ego and rich in heart - it is from this place that we are better able to see the world around us and find grace and gratitude in everything. 

Below is a list of quotes/anecdotes from my "21 Days of Gratitude" campaign from November 2008.  ENJOY!

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. H.U. Westermeyer

I am thankful for the ebb and flow of business.  When things get slow, I can take walks... experiment with new, yummy recipies... read that book that's been collecting dust ... and even start on the cool new idea that I've tucked away in the back of my mind.  As I like to say, "It's ALL GOOD!"

O Lord, who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. William Shakespeare

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you. Sarah Ban Breathnach

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Denis Waitley

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melodie Beattie

Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot. The Hausa of Nigeria

Gratitude requires a kind of deep courage.  It's a choice we can make not only for ourselves, but as a way to connect with everyone else.  That's where the beauty lies, in this sense of connection that, in the end, sustains us.  Jack Kornfield

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. Johannes A. Gaertner

[The most fortunate are those who] have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy. Abraham Maslow

My website was down all day Friday - yes, I was extremely frustrated and unhappy with the technical difficulties.  But at the end of the day, I was also very GRATEFUL for this experience.  Why?  Because it brought to my attention (in a glaring way!) that I need to make some changes as soon as possible.   This "bad" experience actually made it more obvious to me that by taking some action sooner rather than later, I could improve the quality of my site and also incur less cost in the long run.  Just goes to show that if you look hard enough, you'll see the silver lining.  And isn't that more pleasant and productive than staying annoyed?!!  :)

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart

I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God. Hellen Keller

I am grateful for rainy days, fireplaces and homemade hot chocolate with fresh whipped cream!!!

Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting. Author Unknown

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.  William Faulkner

We've all heard the stories like this.... you're stuck in traffic and running late to catch a flight.  You're catching the flight to attend a very important meeting whose outcome may be crucial to the success of your business.  You miss the flight and you curse your bad luck, God and all the people around you; you become STRESSED OUT and miserable!  The next day, you learn that the flight you had missed had crashed and all it's travelers were killed.  Wow... all those bad feelings are quickly replaced by a overwhelming sense of gratitude. This is not to say that we should not feel anger or disappointment when things don't go as we plan or hope; this is human nature and part of our learning experience.  But let's remember there's always a "Big Picture" of which we are typically unaware.  When things don't seem to be going right, let's take a step back and remind ourselves of this "Big Picture".  And then, let's not wait to be grateful for it.

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. Frank A. Clark

When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.  Chinese Proverb

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't know something For it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations Because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge Because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you're tired and weary Because it means you've made a difference. It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings. Unknown Author

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