How to Start a Daily Gratitude Practice in 3 Easy Steps

Whenever life’s stresses start to get to you, having a daily gratitude practice can really help put things in perspective. Taking a few minutes to recognize all the good things you have in your life can channel your mood to a more positive, contented place, which is known in yoga as santosha. There are many ways to start acknowledging gratitude, but the simple method described below works really well.

Ideally, do this in the morning when your household is quiet. It’s common to wake up in the morning in a pretty optimistic mood and you want to boost that feeling.

1. Come to sit as if for meditation. If the floor isn’t comfortable, you can sit up on a folder blanket or bolster or use a chair. Close your eyes and take a few breaths to anchor yourself in the present moment.

2. Think of three to five things that you feel grateful for on this day. It doesn’t have to be anything monumental. Just simple things, like:

The sun is out.
My family is in good health.
I can move my body.
I have a supportive parent/partner/friend/dog.

If none of these examples apply to you, come up with your own list.

Don’t overthink it; just accept what arises on that day. If you like, you can start a gratitude journal where you jot down each day’s thoughts but it’s also ok to just let them go.

3. Since you’re already in a practising mode, take a little extra time to do a few stretches. Moving your body first thing helps shake off the cobwebs and lift your mood. Again, no need to overthink. You can move intuitively. For example:

• If you are sitting cross-legged, begin to move your torso in big circles over your hips. After a few rotations, go in the opposite direction.

• Come onto hands and knees for some Cat-Cows. After several rounds, begin to exaggerate your movements so that your Cat takes your butt all the way to your heels. Slither your chest low to the ground and keep your elbows hugging your ribs as you come forward for Cow.

• From all-fours, tuck your toes and hover your knees over the floor. Then push back to Downward Facing Dog, keeping your knees slightly bent. Peddle your legs, then start lifting the leg that is bent off the floor and tucking that knee toward your chest. Do this on both sides a few times.

• If you have time for more, try the rest of our fluid morning flow or take your postures in any other direction you like.

You’ve set the tone for the day, but things can still go south now and then. If they do, take a moment for a deep breath and recall the gratitude list you came up with this morning. Use that to shift your perspective back to a place of positivity.