Finding Gratitude: A Practice for Thanksgiving (and beyond!)

Jessica Mahoney
Nov 27, 2024
2 min read

This month's focus: Our heart chakra—bringing with it gratitude for everything one enjoys in life.

As we enter the holiday season it's a perfect time to reconnect with our heart chakra—remembering to focus on gratitude, love, and the deep connections that make this time of year truly special.

Much like Yoga, Gratitude is a Practice

Showing gratitude is something we choose to do. And like everything else in life, the more we practice it, the easier it becomes. Being grateful, not just when life is picture-perfect but especially when it isn’t, can be challenging - year, as with most things in life, with great challenge comes great rewards. And a simple shift in your mindset can make all the difference. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s no better time to lean into this simple yet powerful practice.

Gratitude invites us to shift our focus. Instead of getting caught up in what’s missing or what could be better, we take a moment to recognize all that we already have. It reminds us that there’s enough and, more importantly, that we are enough.

Shifting Perspective

When we practice gratitude, something remarkable happens: our perspective shifts. We go from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, from worry to peace. This shift doesn’t just make life feel a little lighter—it helps us notice the joys, connections, and opportunities that were there all along.

So, let’s take a collective breath. Inhale deeply and take a second to pause and reflect on a few simple things we often overlook:

The breath that sustains us, grounding us in this moment.
The body that carries us through each day, even when it’s tired or sore.
The people and connections that make life meaningful.

As you exhale, silently give thanks—for this moment, for your body, for the experiences and people that bring joy and meaning to your life.

This Thanksgiving, let’s carry that spirit of gratitude with us—not just for a day, but as a way of seeing the world. Because when we choose gratitude, we open ourselves to all the abundance life has to offer.

“Be thankful for what you have and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate

on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” - Oprah Winfrey