Kick up the Flavor of Gratitude this Holiday Season

Gratitude is a wonderful attitude! Adding Appreciation as another ingredients makes it even better!

As the holiday season approaches, many of us begin a familiar ritual: reflecting on the year gone by and taking stock of our blessings. Thanksgiving serves as the starting line for a race towards an "attitude of gratitude." While we may sprint out of the gate with the best intentions, the fervor of our gratitude often wanes, much like New Year’s resolutions that fizzle out by mid-January. But what if we could elevate our gratitude practice to cultivate a deeper, more lasting appreciation?

To explore this idea, it's essential to distinguish between gratitude and appreciation. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they resonate differently within our minds and bodies. As spiritual teacher Abraham Hicks notes, "When you feel gratitude, often you are looking at a difficulty that you have overcome, but there is still some of that 'struggle' vibration present. Appreciation, however, is the absence of fear and resistance and carries the same energetic vibration as love." This distinction can fundamentally shift how we experience the holiday season and beyond.

Imagine sitting down to create your gratitude list. You might jot down familiar blessings: your home, your health, your family. But take a moment to scrutinize that list. Are you expressing gratitude in comparison to what you had before, or what others may possess? This form of gratitude, while valid, carries a lower vibrational energy. It often stems from a place of lack or comparison, which doesn't truly nourish our spirits.

Conversely, when we operate from appreciation, we align ourselves with higher vibrations of joy, love, and abundance. By embracing appreciation, we invite more positivity into our lives. As Chef Emeril says, how can we add that "BAM" of appreciation to our gratitude lists? If you’re grateful for your home, think about what you appreciate about it: its convenient location, the comfort of its décor, the love of family, friends and pets felt inside its walls. If health is on your list, consider not only being grateful for it but also appreciating the choices you make to maintain it. Such as your diet, exercise routine, and self-care practices.

This shift from gratitude to appreciation can be transformative. When we transition from a headspace of thinking to a heart space of feeling, the energy changes dramatically. Gratitude is a cognitive action, while appreciation is a visceral emotion. Imagine the benefits of spending more time in your heart rather than your head, especially during the often frenetic holiday season.

As a yoga instructor who incorporates chakra work into my teachings and work with my clients, I recognize the heart chakra as the bridge between our lower and upper chakras. This center embodies self-love, love for others, joy, abundance, and forgiveness. When you think about the loved ones in your life, consider how it feels to express your appreciation for them. You might instinctively place your hand on your heart; a physical manifestation of the deeper connection you feel.

For those who prefer more facts than feels, consider the science behind this practice. Deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, which plays a crucial role in regulating the parasympathetic nervous system. This system calms the body, slows the heart rate, and elevates levels of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Therefore, when we are able to move from our analytical minds into our feeling hearts, we can breathe more deeply, which triggers measurable and beneficial physiological reactions.

Let this holiday season be a time to kick up the flavor of gratitude by infusing it with the essence of appreciation. The Bam! By embracing this approach, we may find ourselves not only counting our blessings, but also truly celebrating them in a way that resonates within our hearts and uplifts our spirits. By consciously shifting our focus from gratitude to appreciation, we make room to cultivate a more vibrant, joyful experience in our own lives as well as the lives of those around us.

Namaste, happy, healthy holidays!

Lauri