Lección 1
Cultivating Gratitude For God
In today's session, we will send gratitude to God, or a Power greater than ourselves, for our precious lives. We will acknowledge thankfulness for the conditions which come together to give us the extraordinary gift of life and acknowledge all living things with gratitude. We will find the beauty of interconnectedness between all things as a perfect reason for thankfulness, and find appreciation for opportunities to use individual talents and skills for the purposes which they were created.
Lección 2
Cultivating Gratitude For Parents
In today's session, we will acknowledge the gift of life that comes from God, or the Source of all Life, through a mother and father. This will be a lesson in all things to be thankful for that come through a specific lineage. We will discuss how things are passed from one generation to the next, such as spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical attributes.
Lección 3
Cultivating Gratitude For Teachers
Teachers guide students; that is their role. They help students to avoid trouble; they show students how to unlock their potential in order to grow and learn; they draw out the best qualities of students. Teachers deserve respect and gratitude. In today's session we will call to mind specific moments when a teacher or someone special stood up for us, transmitted their knowledge, and showed us through their example the importance of the teacher-student relationship. We will also look at emotions and the breath as inner teachers.
Lección 4
Cultivating Gratitude For Children
In today's session, we will focus on the qualities children bring into our lives, such as inquisitiveness, joy, and exuberance. We will find thankfulness for the gift of being able to see through the innocence of their eyes, and express gratitude for opportunities to care for those who are younger, or others less experienced who are in need of help and guidance. We will evoke the mind of the child, filled with curiosity and talk about dreams and projects that need nourishment in order to grow.
Lección 5
Cultivating Gratitude For Friends
In today's session, we will discuss universal examples of the power of community or fellowship within Buddhism, addiction recovery, and yoga. Our focus will be on unity and the sacredness of being intimately associated with like-minded seekers on a similar path. We will touch upon what Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke about as being part of a Beloved Community and explore all of these relationships through the lens of gratitude.
Lección 6
Cultivating Gratitude For The Body
In today's session, we will deepen our relationship with the body and all that it does for us. We will discuss major body parts, their functions, and find gratitude in the fact we can do all of the amazing things the body allows us to do. We will bring awareness to the power of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and discuss how to be thankful for the body and how to nourish all parts of the body with gratitude.
Lección 7
Cultivating Gratitude For The Mind
In this session, we will find gratitude for a mind which allows us to discern right from wrong; allows us freedom of choice; and offers myriad opportunities to learn and grow. We will recall people and things we love, and challenge the mind to send love and thankfulness to all people and things. We will realize that without the mind, gratitude does not have a place to be processed properly, and how the mind is quieted through a practice of gratitude.
Lección 8
Cultivating Gratitude For The Breath
Breath is the source of life; we will find gratitude for this essential fact. In this session, we will realize that awareness of breath is a means to return to the heart where all things are processed and integrated into thoughts, words, and actions. We will find gratitude for the power of the breath to anchor the mind and heart in the present moment, and for the ability of the breath to choreograph the mindfulness of movement.
Lección 9
Cultivating Gratitude For Challenges
In today's session, we will look at our challenges as moments of grace. We will discuss how assets become liabilities; how to look at the duality of all things. We will see that tests becomes our testimony; messes become our message; pain becomes our purpose. We will see that when challenges are overcome, we become uniquely qualified to help others, and find gratitude for obstacles and handicaps, even if we cannot yet see how they will change the trajectory of our lives.
Lección 10
Cultivating Gratitude For Opportunities To Serve
In our final session, we will discuss the benefits of service to others and how being of service can remove selfishness, self-obsession, and self-pity from our lives. We will learn that service is synonymous with humility; and it is a spiritual principle that ought to be practiced within all our affairs. We will also discuss the question: “Who can I help today?” as a mantra to be repeated each day.
