Why Gratitude Us Healthier Makes and The Mini Form for Tai Chi Beginners

Why Gratitude Makes Us Healthier
--by Ocean Robbins,

Our world is pretty messed up. With all the violence, pollution and crazy things people do, it would be easy to turn into a grouchy old man without being either elderly or male. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism.
But consider this: Negative attitudes are bad for you. And gratitude, it turns out, makes you happier and healthier. If you invest in a way of seeing the world that is mean and frustrated, you're going to get a world that is, well, more mean and frustrating. But if you can find any authentic reason to give thanks, anything that is going right with the world or your life, and put your attention there, then statistics say you're going to be better off.
Does this mean to live in a state of constant denial and put your head in the sand? Of course not. Gratitude works when you're grateful for something real. Feeling euphoric and spending money like you just won the lottery when you didn't is probably going to make you real poor, real quick. But what are you actually grateful for? It's a question that could change your life.
Recent studies have concluded that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods and even the survival of our marriages.
As Drs. Blaire and Rita Justice reported for the University of Texas Health Science Center, "a growing body of research shows that gratitude is truly amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits."
In one study on gratitude, conducted by Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., at the University of California at Davis and his colleague Mike McCullough at the University of Miami, randomly assigned participants were given one of three tasks. Each week, participants kept a short journal. One group briefly described five things they were grateful for that had occurred in the past week, another five recorded daily hassles from the previous week that displeased them, and the neutral group was asked to list five events or circumstances that affected them, but they were not told whether to focus on the positive or on the negative. Ten weeks later, participants in the gratitude group felt better about their lives as a whole and were a full 25 percent happier than the hassled group. They reported fewer health complaints, and exercised an average of 1.5 hours more.
In a later study by Emmons, people were asked to write every day about things for which they were grateful. Not surprisingly, this daily practice led to greater increases in gratitude than did the weekly journaling in the first study. But the results showed another benefit: Participants in the gratitude group also reported offering others more emotional support or help with a personal problem, indicating that the gratitude exercise increased their goodwill towards others, or more tehnically, their "pro-social" motivation.
Another study on gratitude was conducted with adults having congenital and adult-onset neuromuscular disorders (NMDs), with the majority having post-polio syndrome (PPS). Compared to those who were not jotting down their blessings nightly, participants in the gratitude group reported more hours of sleep each night, and feeling more refreshed upon awakening. The gratitude group also reported more satisfaction with their lives as a whole, felt more optimism about the upcoming week, and felt considerably more connected with others than did participants in the control group.
Perhaps most tellingly, the positive changes were markedly noticeable to others. According to the researchers, "Spouses of the participants in the gratitude (group) reported that the participants appeared to have higher subjective well-being than did the spouses of the participants in the control (group)."
There's an old saying that if you've forgotten the language of gratitude, you'll never be on speaking terms with happiness. It turns out this isn't just a fluffy idea. Several studies have shown depression to be inversely correlated to gratitude. It seems that the more grateful a person is, the less depressed they are. Philip Watkins, a clinical psychologist at Eastern Washington University, found that clinically depressed individuals showed significantly lower gratitude (nearly 50 percent less) than non-depressed controls.
Dr. John Gottman at the University of Washington has been researching marriages for two decades. The conclusion of all that research, he states, is that unless a couple is able to maintain a high ratio of positive to negative encounters (5:1 or greater), it is likely the marriage will end.
With 90 percent accuracy, Gottman says he can predict, often after only three minutes of observation, which marriages are likely to flourish and which are likely to flounder. The formula is that for every negative expression (a complaint, frown, put-down, expression of anger) there needs to be about five positive ones (smiles, compliments, laughter, expressions of appreciation and gratitude).
Apparently, positive vibes aren't just for hippies. If you want in on the fun, here are some simple things you can do to build positive momentum toward a more happy and fulfilling life:
1) Keep a daily journal of three things you are thankful for. This works well first thing in the morning, or just before you go to bed.
2) Make it a practice to tell a spouse, partner or friend something you appreciate about them every day.
3) Look in the mirror when you are brushing your teeth, and think about something you have done well recently or something you like about yourself.
Sure this world gives us plenty of reasons to despair. But when we get off the fast track to morbidity, and cultivate instead an attitude of gratitude, things don't just look better -- they actually get better. Thankfulness feels good, it's good for you and it's a blessing for the people around you, too. It's such a win-win-win that I'd say we have cause for gratitude.

Off to Tai Chi

Catch up with Ruth on my way to Tai Chi

Passing Dervish where I investigate the subtleties of the Short Form with Ray and give Reconnection treatments.

Shandon's steeple calls me.

Across the river

And up Shandon Street  for an on going investigation of the Long Forms,  Figire 8's and  other Tai Chi topics.

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It's already dark when we head back across the river and I'm looking forward to even more Tai Chi in Blackrock.

Anybody can have their dreams come TRUE , just find your dream and work at it.  Believe and when you need help just go ahead and Ask . The Universe is always looking for ways to give Us our best life.

What an inspiring email from a Tai Chi friend

Dear Ann
I took a brief look at your website this morning.  I like the simple thought that what we give our minds to will grow, and I have found it true.
I always believed I couldn't sing, although sometimes by myself in the kitchen I recognized that the noise I was making wasn't altogether bad, but if I tried to join in with a carol, I felt I had no idea how to pitch my voice, and just grumbled they always played everything too high.  Then a few years ago - when I was 75 or 76! - I went along to a 'Third Age' group and plucked up the courage to sing.  I kept that up, and was surprised to find my voice revealed itself as stronger than I had imagined, and also I could cope with the high notes.
I've enjoyed it so much, that last September I joined a 'Singing from Scratch'  evening class, because I can go more frequently there, and there is more teaching.  Now, at 81, I've discovered I am a soprano!  It's like a new lease of life, and a whole new persona I didn't suspect was in me.  Around Christmas we did a couple of concerts where all the singing groups perform.  At one of them I was the only soprano who turned up, so I sang the tune and the rest harmonised with me.  I still can't believe it.
Tai Chi is the basis of my singing, not only because of the posture, but because I realised that to reach the high notes I had to relax and sink, as well as projecting out of myself to whoever was listening.
This is a lot about me, and in some ways seems the opposite of what you are saying, but I thought you might be interested .  It is not the amount of time that  we give directly to our interests that is important, is it?  All kinds of things in my life came together once I overcame the fear and led me to what I had always longed to do.  It's never too late.
Best wishes to John and your daughters, and love to you.
Pat

This weeks lesson and a winter walk.

Here is the beginning of the Mini form for the Monday and Tuesday classes.

 

  Last night's snow fall  transformed our morning walk.

                                The  field looks new to me.

Garry is bouncing with excitement !

               

Turning for home the sky takes my breath away !

So blessed to have had this walk.

My story of Garry

Here he is , Ruth (my daughter the history lover )  named him Garabaldi , but we mostly call him Garry.

Just look into his beautiful loving eyes, he is the most affectionate dog I have ever met.

Always ready to roll over and open himself completely to the cuddle.

              He loves to come off for the morning walk.

Splash around in the stream.

                                                And play with Susie.

                He leads the way home, bounding along  too far ahead
                                      to be caught on camera.

                                                 

     
   This is different where have we come today?

 
       We are in Blarney John's car needs its NCT

    It is a nice to see the sky from down here.

     You are right its a whole different perspective.

  And I like  the big picture too .

   

Come on Susie we must go home .

Someone wants to be  reconnected.

Video Lessons for this weeks classes are below the text.

"What we pay attention to in our lives  grows " !  I have found this to be true.
Lester Levenson says " If you are spending time ' figuring out your problems ' you are just planning to have them again. " It took me a while ( maybe even a year or two ) to fully understand this statement. Now I can see that it is just another  way of saying,  " What we pay attention to in our lives grows. "

 But don't take my word for this try it out in your own life.
 Begin by writing a gratitude list every day , start to pay more attention to all the aspects of your life that are working for you.
 If you are reading this you are one of us lucky people who can read and have access to a computer .
 How lucky are we to have had the opportunity to learn these skills. How lucky are that someone provides us with electricity so our computers ,  laptops etc work.
 Reflect just for a few moments now on all that you have around you , take the time to notice and appreciate your surroundings. Be specific , say Thanks for your favourite coffee cup , the scarf you love,  the look of love in your pet's eyes, all  those things in your life that make your day.
 I have found that by reflecting on them and writing them down I'm more aware of them during the day  ( paying attention to what is working for me) and since I have been doing this I seem to be getting more and more of what works in all aspects of my life. It's as if appreciation is a fertilizer that allows more good to grow.






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Attention preparation beginning . The first posture of the Short Form .









Front and rear views of our lesson for Monday night's class.

Happy practice !