A Yoga Sequence For Inspiring Gratitude

It can be easy to forget all the blessings we have in our lives when we face challenges or obstacles. Gratitude is a simple and easy practice that anyone can start today to begin leading a more positive life. The simplest way to cultivate more gratitude is to take a few minutes each day to sit in meditation, or to simply think of things you are grateful for throughout the day.

Cultivating the daily practice of gratitude in our lives can:

• Improve our relationships
• Make us more compassionate
• Cultivate a happier disposition
• Create space for positive and transformative growth
• Improve our health by boosting our immunity, improving our sleep, and lowering blood pressure

To sequence a home gratitude yoga flow, focus on calming and grounding poses that help you get in touch with the energy of gratitude. Some poses you could consider are poses where your arms are stretched outwards to symbolize the outreaching of giving to someone else.

Some calming poses:

1. Tadasana (Mountain) with arms reaching upwards
2. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
3. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
4. Dandyamana brahmanasana (Balancing Table Pose)
5. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)

Some grounding poses:

1. 1. Balasana (Child’s Pose)
   2. Halasana (Plow Pose)
   3. Standing Forward Fold
   4. Uttanasana (Happy Baby)
   5. Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Twist)

Gratitude Mini Sequence

Start your gratitude flow by coming into a simple seated, easy pose. Begin to take in deep slow breaths in and out, focusing on elongating your exhalations and inhalations. Next bring your hands to your heart center and bring your awareness to the movement of breath around your heart center or heart chakra area. Continue to breath deeply here. Bring to mind 5-10 things or people you are grateful for. Allow that energy of love and appreciation to fill your body, heart, and soul. Stay here for several moments and allow yourself to bask in this beautiful feeling of gratitude in your heart. ❤️

1. Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Allow yourself to release and let go in Child’s Pose. As you ground down and surrender towards the mat, imagine as though your hands are outreaching out to receive more things to be grateful for in your life.

To do this pose, begin on your hands and knees. Sink your hips back towards your heels as you reach your arms forward. Relax your belly onto your thighs and rest your head towards the mat. Take several long deep breaths here.

2. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)

Seated Forward Fold helps us to relax our mind and bodies. As you do this pose, focus on surrendering into gratitude for the things in your life that you appreciate. Feel the grounding of the earth beneath your sit bones as you root them into the ground and feel appreciation for the earth supporting you.

How to:

1. Begin in staff pose
2. Root down evenly through your sit bones
3. Begin to slowly hinge forward at the your hips, working to keep your spine lengthened
4. Reach your hands towards your ankles, shins, feet, or toes

Allow your neck to be relaxed here and feel yourself melt into this stretch.

3. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)

As you come into Warrior I Pose, allow your arms to reach up towards the sky as if you are receiving more things to be grateful for in your life. You can also imagine as if your arms are outreaching to give to someone else.

How to:

1. Begin in Mountain Pose
2. Step your feet apart several feet and pivot your back foot in about 45 degrees and bend your front knee to 90 degrees with your toes pointing forward
3. Keep your front knee stacked over your front ankle
4. Lengthen up through your ribs and point your tailbone down towards the mat as your lengthen your arms up towards the sky
5. Hold for several breaths and switch sides

4. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)

Warrior III is a grounding and energizing pose. When in this pose, again imagine the outreaching of your arms forward are reaching to give to another person. Allow the feeling of giving to fill your heart. Feel the earth beneath your grounded foot, supporting you.

How to:

1. Begin in Mountain Pose
2. Root down into one foot and leg as you reach the opposite leg behind you
3. Engage your core and reach your arms out in front of you
4. Imagine as if you are creating a straight line with your extended leg, torso, and arms
5. Relax your head as you gaze down or towards your fingers
6. Hold for several breaths and switch sides

5. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

Ground down through your standing foot and reach your arms upwards. Imagine the opening of your arms as if they are tree branches opening up to the sky and earth around you, ready to receive all the good and blessings in your life.

How to:

1. Ground down through one foot and engage your standing leg
2. Lift the opposite foot and allow it to rest on your ankle, shin, or upper thigh
3. Engage your core and keep your gaze soft and focused in front of you
4. Option to bring your hands to heart center in prayer here or come into a full Tree expression with your arms reaching up towards the sky

6. Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Twist)

Stretch and detoxify your body and mind with this deep twist. As you melt into supine twist pose, allow yourself to linger here for a few breaths longer than usual. Allow your mind to relax and your heart area to fully open as you express your gratitude for your life.

How to:

1. Begin by lying down on your back and draw your knees into your chest
2. Allow your knees to softly fall over to your left side and extend your arms out to a T-shape
3. Option to bring your head to gaze in the opposite direction of your knees
4. Hold for several breaths and switch sides

How to End Your Gratitude Practice

End your practice by sitting in easy pose with your hands on your heart. Ground down through your sit bones and elongate the spine up towards the sky. Relax the muscles in your body and face. As in you inhale, breathe in thankfulness and as you exhale, imagine breathing out the word joy. Feel that joy radiating out into the world. Repeat for several minutes.