The

The One night this week, I woke in the middle of the night, and after a long time of tossing and turning, I returned to something I hadn't visited in a while. At the end of yoga classes,

the final pose is always shavasana, where you lie flat on your back with your eyes closed

and try to release the yoga practice, release your tension, release what's gone before and what's

coming next, and just be still for five to

ten minutes. I loved the idea of letting go of everything, consciously releasing and relaxing

as a practice. Much like meditation, it feels like pushing the pause button on life, on all your

worries and concerns, your to-do list, everything. After a particularly difficult yoga class

where I felt like I had really asked my body to do some challenging things, I felt

inspired to thank each part of my body. I began at my feet and said silently in my mind,

thank you feet, thank you ankles, etc. all the way up my body. The first time I did this, I actually got a little teary-eyed.

I had never thanked my hands or my lungs or my heart or my eyes before.

I left that yoga class feeling better about myself than I had in a while.

So this week, as my mind whirled with thoughts and worries, I remembered this old gem of thanking my body, so I tried it. I removed my pillow from

beneath my head to lay perfectly flat like I would on my yoga mat, closed my eyes, and began to

scan through my body, shining appreciation on each part. I don't remember making it past my lungs,

so I can safely say it worked. I was glad to remember this exercise for more reasons than it helping me get back to

sleep. There is so much pressure we put on our bodies, the thoughts we have about them, and the things

we require of them daily. But just being thankful for exactly what your body is and what it is doing for you

in this very moment is powerful. It is very easy for me to recall all the times I've been critical

about my body, but much more challenging to think of the times I've celebrated and appreciated

it. This is an especially potent practice to do after illness, surgery, when going through anything

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