A Thanksgiving Ritual of Kindness

"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received.  Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling.  Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse."
― Henry Van Dyke

Yesterday I found my way back to one of my favorite places -- a yoga studio in a nearby neighborhood.  The teacher whose class I took always has something thought-provoking to share and this time she encouraged us to engage in a new Thanksgiving ritual during the month of November.  She suggested that every time we are tempted to complain about a situation, we should instead find something in the situation for which to be grateful.  For example, when we want to complain about how hard a pose is during yoga class, we can instead be grateful that our bodies can move the way they do and that we can exert ourselves that way.

Intrigued by the idea, I have been trying to put it into practice.  During yoga class, I enjoyed being appreciative instead of my frequent mental groaning.  Being thankful is a much kinder and more pleasant option.  And in just the day or so that I have been trying to live by this suggestion, I have found myself being kinder to myself and to others.