“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

“Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhaha (Yoga occurs in a mind that ceases to identify with its vacillating waves of perception)” — The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Do the presented quotations strike a chord of understanding within you? Is their relationship obvious? Or do you find yourself wondering what in the world they could possibly have in common? Regardless of your reaction, they do, in fact, have a distinct connection…one that can be embodied and applied to enrich your experience of this Thanksgiving season.

During this special time, many people have certain traditions in which they take part. These could include any number of things, such as spending time with loved ones, cooking a particular dinner, or taking the time to recall what you are grateful for.

The first quotation represents the broad and ideal essence of Thanksgiving: a holiday not only to say the words and ‘go through the motions’ of displaying gratitude, but to truly find and express it within yourself, allowing it to touch the deepest parts of your being.

Taking the time for such an act is an extremely precious experience.

The second quotation represents a method to assist you in fully touching the spirit of Thanksgiving. It is one of the first four yoga sutras of Patanjali, which define the philosophy of yoga. This particular sutra serves as a reminder that yoga teaches you to step outside of the judgments and expectations of the mind, and instead be completely present with the truth of the reality before you.

Delving further into this and its practical applications, your yoga practice enhances your ability to clear and focus your mind.

But what does this mean? Through consistent asana and meditation, you train yourself to notice the sensations in your body, the thoughts in your mind, and your emotions.

Gradually, an awareness starts to reveal itself; one that rests steadily behind the fluctuating sensations in body, mind and emotions, one that allows things and life to unfold as they are, without trying to change them.

As this awareness grows, it translates off your yoga mat into everyday life, so that rather than letting your own judgments cloud your experience of reality, you see and accept yourself and the world more clearly…and most importantly, more openly.

Holidays, such as Thanksgiving, can be a challenging time to continue living from this place of awareness. Many times friends and family hold expectations that might be difficult to fulfill, creating unnecessary pressure. Further, you may have an image in your own mind about how the holiday ‘should’ be, or how things ‘should’ occur to make it a ‘good’ holiday.

However well intended, this is a useless exercise, which often creates unhappiness rather than finding the joy that is being sought. This is an example of an unclear or unfocused mind. Its perceptions, projections and expectations create a false image of reality, which can be so consuming that the experience of the true reality is often missed. As a result, the spirit of the holidays is often lost, they may not be enjoyed as fully as they could be, and the gem in how they develop from year to year may be overlooked.

As you enter into your preparations for Thanksgiving and reflect on your yoga practice, I strongly suggest infusing the benefits of your practice into the holiday season. Take the time to recall your ability to cultivate a clear and non-judgmental mind. Allow yourself to take 15-30 minutes to practice asana, breathing and meditation, so you reconnect to your own stable awareness. This will be doing a great service to yourself and your loved ones. As you truly embody “Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhaha” and remove any expectations clouding a clear vision of reality, you will then set the stage to live the essence of Thanksgiving and the gratitude that is intended. In this way, you will make space for yourself, your loved ones, and the details of the holiday to unfold as they will, thus fully embracing the treasure that can be found in this unique moment.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Amanda