The Discipline of Gratitude

I started out the day at a boarding school helping form the teaching team for the IMPACT-School self-defense program. I taught the first in a series of five self-defense classes to a group of Older Women in Nes Ziona. I enjoyed the companionship and the professional fulfillment of advancing a year-old project to its pre-pilot stage. I enjoyed sharing an energetic hour with a group of bright, lively and challenging women. However,  I can't say that I experienced "gratitude" while attending to either of these things.

When did I feel truly grateful today? When I got home from the IMPACT-School meeting and finally sat down to a late breakfast (more like "brunch). When I actually lay down for a delicious hour-long nap before setting off for Nes Ziona. When I came home with the time, energy and desire for a half-hour sunset run.

The things that gave me the most pleasure were not the high-profile, atteniton-getting events of the day. They were the mundane, sweet pleasures of living---food, rest, exercise.

Soon, I will ascend the stairs to end my day with one of my favorite non-activities: sitting down on my meditation cushion for 20 minutes of being truly present: upright, breathing, and grateful. Just grateful.

And every night as I ascend those stairs I start coming up with a dozen reasons why I shouldn't meditate that night--- too tired, too late, too much on my mind, etc. etc. The only thing that gets me down on the cushion and allows me to experience the pleasures and benefits of my daily meditation is simple, down-and-dirty discipline.

It's the same with running. With karate practice. And, especially when times are tough,  with gratitude itself

In his Blog post, Learning To Consider Gratitude a Discipline, Joshua Becker reminds us to stop thinking of gratitude as a random emotional state. Like other deeply beneficial practices, gratitude is a discipline that can be cultivated and nurtured. And its fruits are sweet and substantial: less stress, more happiness and healthier relationships. A truly worthwhile body-mind-soul investment.