What are you grateful for?

(November 29, 2021)

How was your Thanksgiving Day?

My husband and I invited a few friends to our nature farm and had a very peaceful and happy potluck luncheon.

As we enjoyed a traditional feast of grilled turkey, creamy mashed potatoes with gravy sauce, pecan pie, and a special coleslaw salad, a participant asked everyone, “What are you grateful for?”

――He asked the question because of the day, but I was impressed that it was a question with the essence of happiness; that is, looking at yourself, knowing each other well, and creating harmony among the people.

Recently, I noticed that more people around me have been looking back on the year by sending Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards and New Year’s cards. They are thanking family, friends, and other people, thanking their work and something great to let them alive now.

My mentor, who taught me how to live a wonderful life, said, “A person’s gratitude can lead them to happiness.” According to him, a person’s anger, jealousy, and complaints at the opposite of gratitude darken their lives. By suppressing them, being humbled toward other beings, and having a feeling of appreciation, we can have the hearts and minds be purified, and fate itself will open the paths to the bright future.

The purpose of yoga is not just to practice asana (physical poses) to adjust and make your body healthy, but also something beyond that—to “restrain your mind.” In addition, it is said that reaching the beautiful “Self” in the deep core of the mind through meditation is the ultimate and blissful goal for yoga practitioners. And even in meditation practice, it is essential to envision the object you most appreciate.

What are you grateful for?