Maintaining an Attitude of Gratitude

At the end of every yoga class I teach I ask my students to 'take a moment to have a thought or prayer of gratitude.' At that point in the day, after a full-body yoga workout, calming breath work and relaxing savasana, it's not a huge challenge to have grateful thoughts flood our mind and heart. When times are good, our thoughts are positive. Just like when we hear the sound of our child's voice or receive a warm, generous hug from our partner, it's natural to feel thankful for the love and opportunities in our lives.
But what about those other times? Is it possible to have thoughts of gratitude during the times when we're stuck in traffic, late for an appointment and that annoying other driver decides to jump the queue because he is that much more important than the 50 other drivers waiting to make the same turn? Or how about the times when that loving partner has done the very thing that you have asked him/her kindly five million times not to do? Is it possible to have feelings of gratitude for that person at that moment?

Can we weave these thoughts and prayers of gratitude into both the positive and negative moments of our lives?
A year ago when my son was visiting for the holidays we were driving around Dubai and we were stuck in one of those aforementioned traffic jams, complete with queue jumpers. As the driver, I was noticeably frustrated and I'm sure that there were more than a few colourful, angry words coming from my lips. Noticing my angst, my son calmly said, 'Mom, don't get so upset. This just means that we get to spend a little more time together." What a turn-around his words caused to my mood and attitude. Suddenly the queue jumpers weren't selfish jerks, they were people who gave me the chance to spend a little more time with one of the most important people in my life.

Similarly, instead of being upset about an argument with a loved one or colleague, I can feel thankful that we have the opportunity to face issues that need to be cleared up.
Over a year ago I wrote about a being attacked in a taxi during a trip to Central America. When I was eventually released from the taxi by the driver and his accomplice I was emotionally shaken but not seriously physically hurt. I remember that I felt flooded with feelings of gratitude. I felt grateful to God for providing inner strength in a situation where I felt powerless but I also felt grateful to the thieves who attacked me. As strange as it may sound, I still feel grateful to them for not doing all of the horrible things that they could have done.  They had a choice about how far they would take their criminal activity. I had a choice about how I would deal with the feelings I had in the aftermath of the attack.
Each and every one of us can choose which attitude we will adopt in our daily lives. Will you choose an attitude of blame, anger, frustration and negativity or will you adjust your focus to see all that this particular challenge offers you then offer a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity?
Spring is a time of renewal, a time of starting over. Why not give your attitude a make over and adjust your focus to highlight the countless opportunities in your life to concentrate on gratitude?

Fields of Yoga Dubai 
April & May 2015 Class Schedule

Mondays @ the home studio, 60 aed pp 

HATHA FLOW in the Garden 7:30pm-8:45pm

Wednesdays @ the home studio, 60 aed pp 

YIN YOGA 7:30pm-8:45pm

Saturdays @ beach in Umm Suqeim 1

 SUNRISE BEACH YOGA 7am-8:15am

prebooking essential: fieldsofyoga@gmail.com or 
+971(0)50 284 4374 SMS or WhatsApp

Happy Easter!

Fields of Yoga Dubai classes are paused for the Easter holiday from 27 March - 5 April.  I look forward to seeing you back on your mats and practicing with me on March 6th.  Wishing you all a beautifully blessed Easter!
Peace,
Julie

Love Thyself

14 February 2015
Two days ago while being pampered in the salon by my favourite stylist, I asked her if she had plans for Valentine's Day. "No" she replied softly, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"You don't need a boyfriend" I countered, "Love yourself! Why don't you do something nice for yourself?"
She hesitated then rolled her eyes, "Sure, I'll go home, look at myself in the mirror and say, 'I love you! I love you!' and buy myself flowers."
I sensed her doubt about my suggestion of doing something for herself on the day that has come to represent romantic love. "But if you don't love yourself first, how can you expect anyone else to love you? I think it's a great idea to buy yourself flowers and tell yourself how much you love yourself!"

In order to be the best partner, parent or employee, isn't it necessary to care for ourselves first? How often have you skipped your yoga practice to attend to the needs of family, work or friends? I've heard students say that they won't take a mere 30 minutes from their daily responsibilities to focus on asana, pranayama or meditation even though their body aches, their minds feel cluttered or their stress levels are at a maximum. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that most of us spend more than 30 minutes a day on social media where 99% of our attention is on other peoples' lives.

So many of us forego taking care of ourselves and instead opt for focusing on our partner, our children, our work and really anyone else except ourselves.  Whether it's due to a fear of being perceived as selfish or because we believe that we don't deserve to be a priority in our own lives, more and more of us are opting to focus on anything and anyone other than ourselves.
The fact is, however, when you function at an optimal level physically, mentally and spiritually, you have much more love, attention and energy to give to those around you. If you "selfishly" take time for yourself, you will have more to offer to those who need you.

So whether you're single, married or somewhere in between, make every day your Valentine's Day. Take care of yourself, pamper yourself, love yourself and the love you have within you and around you will grow exponentially and, as Lucille Ball so wisely said, "...everything else will fall into place."