Gratitude

"Gratitude is confidence in life itself. It is not sentimental, not jealous, nor judgmental. Gratitude does not envy or compare. Gratitude receives in wonder the myriad offerings that support every single life."  ~ Jack Kornfield

Priscilla, a 39-year-old woman who was part of my teacher training program in 2008, was in remission from thyroid cancer. She was a high school English teacher, had a four-year-old daughter and was featured in this Yoga Journal article about caring for her parents during her battle with cancer. She was sensitive, fun and had a way of connecting genuinely with each of us. She told me during that time that she used to be really competitive in her practice, both with herself and others, but that since her cancer diagnosis, she began to focus on what she could do rather than what she couldn't. It was a statement of pure gratitude and changed the way I practiced.

This month, I'm going to practice focusing on what I have rather than what I don't and what I can do rather than what I can't. This is much harder for me to do off the mat than on. I'd love for you to join me.

Oh, and to her surprise and delight, Priscilla got pregnant that year with her second daughter. She is now an assistant preschool and kindergarten instructor, teaches yoga and continues to practice gratitude.