It feels good to express gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness. Research shows that it’s good for you. It has been proven that gratitude allows positive attribution, which protects against stress and depression. Also, appreciation can increase overall life satisfaction. The fact that there is a day dedicated to appreciation is lovely, but positive psychology research has shown that daily gratitude practice is crucial to happiness. Yoga’s many paths offer us several ways to practice gratitude.

Use a Sankalpa or intention to incorporate more gratitude into yoga. A powerful guide to your yoga practice can create a sense that you will feel and express gratitude in all situations and at all times. You can start or finish your yoga practice by reflecting upon three recent experiences for which you are grateful.

Incorporating more poses that open the upper body, especially those that activate the Heart and Throat chakra, is another way to bring gratitude into your hatha practice. Try holding these poses for a few extra breaths if you already use them. These asanas can be supercharged by focusing and remembering your gratitude, Sankalpa.

Gratitude mantras

Chanting a mantra is one of the best ways to activate gratefulness and thankfulness. You can use two mantras with mantra mediation or chant these mantras a few times as an invocation to your asana. Translating the Tibetan mantra OM Mani Padme hum is hard, but it cultivates compassion, kindness, and gratitude. The Sanskrit phrase Om Lokah Saastah Sukhino Bhavantu can be translated as “may all living beings everywhere feel happy and free.” It encourages gratitude, forgiveness, kindness, and peace.

The mantras should be chanted with full focus and attention and in groups of 108. Mala bead is often used to count mantras. You can increase the power of your practice by using mala beads made from a gratitude stone. Green garnet, blue tiger’s eye, green aventurine, and green apatite are stones that promote gratitude.

Anjali Mudra, or the prayer pose with hands in front of the heart and gently bowing head to end your yoga practice, is a great way to finish your practice feeling grateful.