Love and gratitude and exercise

So, slow as I am, it struck me once again this morning about how we (well, read I), really need to get on with it and stop making excuses! It's not someone else - no one is coming in to do the run, take a walk, stretch the muscles, do the yoga, or even say the prayers of gratitude for you (or more correctly, me). 

It was a good early start and I managed a quick run in the predawn hours before my 7am depart to London. One big tick for some exercise done. And challenges overcome - do you know how great the temptation to snuggle back under the covers at 5.20 this morning?!

Sitting behind 3 men on the train I totally forgot about exercising my love and gratitude practice though and went into indignation, albeit with an amount of appreciation for life choices I've made!! Had I been Julia Roberts, wittily in Notting Hill or similar, I'm sure if have made an intelligent, cutting retort but I left it and tried to let their comments on various women, political situations pass.

I'm not sure at what point the penny dropped but by the time I was on the platform I'd remembered! Sending love and gratitude (silently) to everyone passing me was a great way to get back in touch with my appreciation for humanity. And, bless the men I'd perceived as misogynistic, racist types too, aside from other things, they truly made me appreciate the beauty of life once again.

Echart Tolle talks about how our training ground in mindfulness is real life, messy, chaotic family life, hectic business life, day to day normality, not merely reaching states of internal peace on retreat. Accepting, loving, being on a daily basis. Whilst I absolutely agree, some of us (and here I definitely mean me), need a training ground too. Practice enables us to find the peace we're seeking amidst the chaos. So maybe set aside some time, take 5 minutes to yourself and start to learn to love, to say thank you for all your blessings.

At one point, in a difficult situation I was recommend to read The Gentle Art of Blessing and since have recommended it onwards to many clients and people. It really relates to a simple but life changing practice and I'd love to recommend it here too.

With love and gratitude. Thank you for reading this and wishing you a love filled journey through life,

Em x