Cultivating Gratitude: On and Off the Mat

Gratitude is more than a simple thought or feeling, it’s an active practice. On the yoga mat, it begins with awareness of your breath, your body, and the present moment. When we step onto the mat, we often bring our judgments, our stress, and our “to-do” lists with us. But through yoga, we create space to notice what is already here.

1. Gratitude for Your Body
Every pose, every stretch, and even every wobble is a reminder of what your body allows you to do. A simple seated twist can awaken appreciation for your spine. A strong plank or balancing pose invites gratitude for your strength and stability. When we notice these capabilities, we shift from focusing on limitations to celebrating what is possible.

2. Gratitude for the Breath
Your breath is constant, even when life feels chaotic. By connecting to it on the mat through conscious inhalations and exhalations we can create a sense of calm and resilience. This awareness teaches us to return to gratitude when stress arises off the mat: a moment to pause, breathe, and reset.

3. Gratitude as Mindful Presence
Yoga encourages us to live in the present. When we are fully present, we notice small joys, a warm sunbeam through the window, the sound of wind in the trees, or the first sip of morning tea/ coffee. On the mat, presence helps deepen poses. Off the mat, it transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for appreciation.

4. Gratitude Through Compassion
Being grateful on the mat extends naturally into compassion for ourselves and for others. Recognizing our own efforts and challenges can open the heart to kindness. We start to see the efforts of others, feel connected, and act with generosity.

5. Making Gratitude a Daily Practice
Consider starting or ending your yoga session with a brief gratitude reflection. Name three things you are grateful for, like physical abilities, supportive friends, or even challenges that teach resilience. Notice how this practice softens tension, clarifies perspective, and infuses life with a sense of abundance.

Gratitude on the mat isn’t just about feeling good during practice, it’s about how that translates into action by carrying awareness, appreciation, and kindness into every part of your life. Each pose, each breath, each moment is an opportunity to practice gratitude.

1–2 Minute Gratitude Breathing Exercise

1. Easy Seated Pose

• Sit comfortably with a tall spine.
  

• Close your eyes, relax your shoulders.
  

• Take 3 deep cleansing breaths: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.
  

2. Heart-Opening Inhale

• Inhale deeply, lifting arms overhead, palms facing each other.
  

• As you inhale, silently think, “I welcome gratitude.”
  

• Exhale, lowering arms slowly, imagining tension leaving your body.
  

3. Side Stretch with Breath

• Inhale, reach right arm overhead and gently lean left.
  

• Exhale, return to center and repeat on the other side.
  

• With each exhale, silently express gratitude for your body and its abilities.
  

4. Seated Twist with Awareness

• Inhale, lengthen your spine.
  

• Exhale, twist gently to the right, placing left hand on right knee, right hand behind you.
  

• Take 1–2 breaths here, silently acknowledging something you’re grateful for.
  

• Return to center and repeat on the other side.
  

5. Closing Gratitude Breath

• Return to center, hands resting on knees or heart.
  

• Take 3 slow, deep breaths.
  

• On each exhale, silently say a gratitude statement: “I am grateful for this moment,” “I am grateful for my strength,” or “I am grateful for my breath.”