What I am Grateful for this November, and always

Hellloooooo Harlem Yogis !

I just got back from voting with my guy  and am still recovering from our Halloween / Marathon weekend. (I’d argue it was a double marathon for all the parents out there managing sugar-addled, daylight-savings-non-compliant children.) 

I’m exhausted. But I’m also so, so grateful.

Grateful for the gorgeous tree outside my window.Grateful for the absolute Absolute Party that is Halloween in Harlem (shoutout to the amazing crew at @MarcusMeetsMalcolm!).Grateful for the Magic. of the NYC Marathon — and for the incredible @HarlemRun cheer station, which is, without question, the best place to watch the best race in the best city. (And yes, I’ll never miss a chance to brag that it all started years ago right here at Harlem Yoga Studio!)

And, as corny as this may sound, I’m grateful for... gratitude itself.

I’ve said this countless times, but it bears repeating: aside from my yoga practice (And of course my number 1 cheerleader) , nothing has made a bigger positive impact on my life than starting a gratitude practice over a decade ago.

It’s simple: every morning I write down three things I’m grateful for — and three more before bed. (Some nights I don’t manage to write them, but I always think them.) These days, my son and I do our “gratefuls” together at bedtime,) And just like training the body — learning to hold a one-minute plank, to move easefully through Sun Salutations and sit comfortably in meditation, to run the marathon(!) — the mind can be trained to live in a space of gratitude.

This doesn’t mean pollyanna optimism, or spiritual bypassing around the very real issues around us. It means seeing what’s wrong, working to make it better, and still finding the beauty, the magic, and the love all around us.

As always, our November theme at Harlem Yoga Studio is Gratitude.💛 What are you grateful for, Harlem?

✨ ✨✨Comment here, or on our Instagram — one lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a FREE MONTH of unlimited classes at HYS!

With deep gratitude,