Happy New Year! One of my favorite practices to honor the turning of the calendar year is to offer gratitude and praise for the blessings I currently have in my life. In the past, making resolutions left me feeling like I wasn’t good enough in the moment. Consumer and diet cultures want us to believe that we aren’t enough so that we keep fueling their efforts with our feelings of inadequacy. My antidote to this is to bring awareness to the parts of my life that are working and to really devote some gratitude to these parts.

When I was pregnant, I remember feeling frustrated that my body couldn’t do the same kinds of activity that I was used to. I struggled with feeling like I wasn’t doing enough and if I didn’t do what I was used to then I would gain too much weight. This fear and anxiety kept me from enjoying the miracle my body was actually performing.

The Yoga Sutras teach a practice called Pratipaksha Bhavana. Basically this means when you are feeling negative thoughts, practice thinking an opposite more positive thought. Part of the practice here is simply noticing when we are caught in a negative thought pattern and then having the courage to step outside the pattern and invite in a new way of thinking.

Here’s how it worked for me in that moment: I’m feeling frustrated at what my body can’t do. I notice I’m having this disturbing thought. I turn toward this recognition with compassion. From this place of awareness, I then make a conscious choice to instead consider “what CAN my body do right now?” Coming from this place of curiosity helps to open new pathways of possibility.

Although my negative thoughts didn’t just vanish, practicing gratitude for the conditions of happiness that were present slowly helped me change my experience. I began to embrace the evolution of my yoga practice. I found strength in new places I hadn’t noticed before. I softened in places that I had been holding for way too long. I found new ways of moving my body that felt supportive and invigorating. Ultimately, by practicing gratitude, I invited a radical acceptance for the conditions of my life. My anxiety and fears lessened, and I was able to feel the joy of being pregnant and the miracle of life.

As we enter 2024, I am grateful that my body is both supple and strong. I am grateful that I can make milk to nourish my toddler. I am grateful for my family and the precious gift of being a mother. I am grateful that I am good enough just as I am and if I choose to invite a change in my life, it is from an empowered and autonomous place. I am grateful for the privilege of teaching yoga and leading circles. I am grateful for you and for our connection. I hope to see you on the mat in 2024!

May this year be rooted in gratitude for the little joys & blessings that make up each present moment.