Attitude of gratitude ............................Jonnemarie Kahwaty

Attitude of gratitude Giving to others is a gift to yourself

BY JONNEMARIE KAHWATY

As we age, increased aches and pains, losses, or even the state of the world can make it seem easier to find things to complain about than to be grateful for. However, gratitude is a powerful emotion that, with regular practice, can be accessed by any person at any time and in any situation. It’s not only one of our best tools to shift perspective when we are feeling low, but also, studies show that an effective daily gratitude practice confers mental and physical health benefits such as reduced anxiety and fear, increased motivation, and feelings of peace. The spirit of the holiday season and the optimism of an approaching new year make this a great time to bring gratitude to the forefront of your heart and mind. Doing so can improve your mood, your life, and the lives of those around you.

Shifting perspective can help us emerge from dark places, and gratitude gives us the means to do that. By reframing a situation to focus on its positive aspects, we become more hopeful, optimistic, and at peace with our circumstances. As motivational speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer puts it, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” No matter how bad life may seem, there is something to be grateful for—enjoying a cup of coffee, feeling sunshine, hugging a loved one. You can even work backwards to think of all the ways your situation could be worse; that’ll surely create more gratitude for what you aren’t having to experience. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. Our brain is a muscle; the more often we exercise certain neural connections, the stronger and more prevalent they become, the same way chest muscles

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” —Melody Beattie

get stronger with daily pushups. The more you replace negative thoughts with positive ones and reframe situations to find gratitude, the more natural the practice will become. The result is a more accepting, optimistic, hopeful, and joyful you! Using gratitude as a perspective shifting tool is an age-old practice but exciting new research shows that receiving gratitude can also bestow substantial physical benefits and shift prosocial circuity in the brain. On his podcast, Huberman Lab, neuroscientist Andrew Huberman shares the following steps to create an effective gratitude practice: • Think of a story in which you or someone else received gratitude. You can search for stories in podcasts, books, movies, articles, on Youtube, or even in songs. It’s important to find a story that resonates with you because you can’t fake a connection to feelings of gratitude.

Tip: To find a story that resonates with you, look for stories involving struggles you have experienced or that involve values you hold highest. For example, I value friends, family, and human connection. A life goal of mine is connecting with as many people as possible in meaningful ways, so I’m moved by stories that illustrate acts of kindness to strangers that spark connection, or stories that show gratitude for loved ones. • Reflect on the experience, maybe even jot down notes about what the story’s problem was, what the help was, and how it made you feel. If it was your own experience, maybe there’s a card or message you can read over to recall the emotions you felt at the time. • Spend one to five minutes associating with the story and sinking into the feelings of gratitude. Aim to perform this exercise at least three times a week.

Consistent and effective gratitude practice can increase serotonin, capacity for happiness, and resilience to trauma. You’ll also decrease inflammatory cells, activate beneficial circuits in the heart and lungs, and strengthen circuits in the brain associated with empathy, relationships, context, and applying meaning to experiences. This time of year, generosity is abundant, so embrace the season of giving and the benefits will be a gift to yourself. FY

Jonnemarie Kahwaty is a dance and fitness instructor, musician, and aspiring herbalist with a passion for holistic health and wellness.

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BIG WECK CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS

First off, happy holidays. I hope you and your family find peace, wellness, and prosperity.

However, while many of us should and do enjoy this season, let’s remember that the holidays are not a pleasant time for all. It can be a very sad time for people who have lost loved ones, those who feel they must give material things they cannot afford, the homeless, the lonely, and the lonely at heart.

I continually hope that people will unite and support each other every day of the year, but that is not always the case. However, if there could be a small window of time where people actually unite, forget, and forgive, I wish for the holiday season to be that time.

My favorite moment of the holidays? That’s easy. Six p.m. on Christmas Eve. I get in my car and drive around aimlessly looking at darkened stores—no traffic, no shopping, no anxiety. Just a calm peace.

Happy holidays and thank you from all of us at THE BIG WECK, Buffalo’s Oldies Station.

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December 2 Waltz Lesson and Social Dancing

WNY USADANCE 3010 hosts a waltz lesson followed by social dancing at its new venue! A variety of music will be played. Special price of $10 for all (student discount with ID). Email wnyusadance@ gmail.com for more information.

7:30-10:30 p.m., Grace Church

(2525 Eggert Road, Tonawanda)

December 3 Herman’s Hermits: An Olde English Christmas

Led by iconic musician Peter Noone, Herman’s Hermits performs holiday hits and tracks from the group’s career.

7:30 p.m., Riviera Theatre

(67 Webster Street, North Tonawanda; rivieratheatre.org, 692-2413)

December 21 FREE WNED Documentary Screening: Underground Railroad: The William Still Story

Important but largely unheralded, William Still was the director of a complex network of abolitionists, sympathizers and safe houses that stretched from Philadelphia to what is Photo courtesy of WNED and the Buffalo History Museum Photo by Joan Marcus now Southern Ontario. Underground Railroad: The William Still Story tells this dramatic story.

6-8 p.m., Buffalo History Museum

(One Museum Court; buffalohistory.org, 873-9644)

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

(646 Main Street; sheas.org, 847-0850)

December 26-31 ELF the Musical

This stage adaptation of the modern Christmas classic follows Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. When he discovers he is human, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Enroll Today!