THREE BREATHS OF GRATITUDE THE YOGA DIARIES
A
couple
of
months
ago,
I
made
a
commitment to myself and to my therapist,
BY CHRISTINE BOYD MILLER, PHD
who also happens to be my yoga teacher, that each day I would meet what she calls a “daily
Finding the time and motivation to practice yoga feels nearly impossible these days. As 2020
continues
horror
movie,
to
I
roll
feel
by
like
a
unsettled,
B-grade
displaced
within myself. This past year started off for me with the tragic death of my sister. Then came
the
through
frenetic
the
injustices,
American
pandemic,
devastating
sociopolitical
evacuations,
and
montage
turmoil,
minimum viable practice (DMVP.)” This is the minimal
time
and
energy
with
which
I
can
attainably commit to my practice, that being at
least
one
breath.
I
challenged
myself
to
begin with three breaths a day and for each of those breaths, contemplate something for which I am grateful.
racial
wildfire
zoomschooling.
Most
recently, my mom moved out of her nursing home
to
come
live
with
us.
These
have
all
become reasons I tell myself that I don’t have time for yoga.
Most days I remember to do my DMVP and consider it a sacred moment to connect my
When my yoga teacher’s home burned down and she stopped teaching virtual classes, her personal excuse
tragedy
to
stop
became
practicing
my
convenient
yoga,
full
stop.
Once again, I found myself spiraling down a whirlpool of excuses, and consequently selfneglect.
body,
breath,
slowly
built
myself
and
on
self
to
pausing
with
this
for
a
the
earth.
practice
breath
or
I’ve
and
find
two
and
acknowledging gratitude throughout the day. This is an especially soothing practice when I feel stressed or frenzied, which is often. Just one breath and a gentle nod of gratitude is a
I haven’t participated in a yoga class since
pinpoint of light through the fog.
summer, before the evacuations and my mom moving in. I am finding ways to reintegrate whispers,
snippets
of
yoga
into
my
days
though. I remind myself that yoga isn’t just about attending a class or committing to my
My
favorite
breaths
The
soothing
into Yoga
can
be
as
simple
as
recognizing
the
with
porch.
things
mat.
place
mind
thankful
easily
when
I
the
is
now
grateful
for
practice
gratitude
fresh,
and
I’m
to
outside
three on
smoke-free
becomes
for.
my
one
Nature
practice sound
of
of
often
is
the pops
gratitude. the
my
air
I
water
am that
calm ebb and flow of my breath as the air
bumbles over the rocks in the creek outside
caresses
of
repetitively
my as
lungs, the
effortlessly,
ocean
does
the
and shore.
my
kitchen
and
the
towering
redwood
trees that feed us oxygen and give us shade
Yoga is pointing my toes upward and rooting
in
to the ground through my arches while I’m
relationships come to mind like that with my
the
navigating the smart tv for my mom. I stack
son
my vertebrae one on top of the next and drop
alongside my sister. I’m grateful for shelter,
my shoulder blades, growing tall like a tree.
food,
With the smallest of steps, ever so slowly, I
quickly thoughts of gratitude bubble up once
find myself moving forward.
I get started.
or
summer.
having
health,
and
Other
had
44
safety.
times,
profound
precious
It’s
years
amazing
how
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