The Effects of Gratitude on Your State of Mind

By Drs. Blair & Rita Justice

Here are some reflections on what science has to say about gratitude, which has been called the “forgotten factor” in happiness research.

Psychologists Robert Emmons at the University of California at Davis, and Michael McCullough, at the University of Miami, are foremost researchers in field of gratitude. What they have learned so far is that gratitude is good for you, really good for you.

In an experimental comparison, people who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). It doesn’t end there.

Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based). And there’s more. Young adults who practice a daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) had higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to the group that focused on hassles or thinking of how they were better off than others. The researchers keep adding to the list benefits that come from practicing gratitude.

Given all the benefits, how interesting it is that we designate only one day to giving thanks.

Heart and Soul
Researchers have found that when we think about someone or something we really appreciate and experience the feeling that goes with the thought, the parasympathetic – calming-branch of the autonomic nervous system – is triggered. This pattern when repeated bestows a protective effect on the heart. The electromagnetic heart patterns of volunteers tested become more coherent and ordered when they activate feelings of appreciation.

There is evidence that when we practice bringing attention to what we appreciate in our lives, more positive emotions emerge, leading to beneficial alterations in heart rate variability. This may not only relieve hypertension but reduce the risk of sudden death from coronary artery disease.

The more we pause to appreciate and show caring and compassion, the more order and coherence we experience internally. When our hearts are in an “internal coherence state,” studies suggest that we enjoy the capacity to be peaceful and calm yet retain the ability to respond appropriately to stressful circumstances.

Neurobiologically, gratitude is nested within the social emotions, along with awe, wonder, “elevation” and pride. It can be both practiced and experienced.

Soul and Serotonin
An example of practicing gratitude is volunteering to help others in return for having been helped. As an experience, it is felt in the same frontal regions of the brain that are activated by awe, wonder and transcendence. From these cortical and limbic structures come dopamine and serotonin, the chemicals for feeling good inside.

Gratitude, then, can be a total body experience and beyond – meaning the deepest and widest gratitude comes from the soul and that part of the brain – the amygdala – that registers “soul” experiences.

So when we look at snow-capped peaks or golden swatches of changing aspen or the Milky Way at night from high in the Rockies, our souls sing and our bodies are suffused with streams of dopamine and serotonin, the gifts of gratitude. In short, feeling gratitude and appreciation on a regular basis helps heal us at every level of our being.

"MAY YOUR HEART FINDS GRATITUDE IN THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS"

~In Gratitude
Lydie Ometto
innerseayoga.com

Chai Recipe

Ingredients:
Spice ingredients for one pot of tea:

    1/2 of a star anise star
    10-12 whole cloves
    6-7 whole allspice
    1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon bark (or 2 short sticks)
    6-7 whole white peppercorns
    1 cardamon pod opened to the seeds

Other ingredients:

    1 cup water
    4-6 cups whole milk
    2 heaping tablespoons of a high quality full-bodied broad-leaf black tea (Ceylon, or English Breakfast if a broad-leaf Ceylon is not available) Sugar

1 In a 2-qt saucepan, add spices to 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat; let steep for 5-20 minutes, depending on how strong a spice flavor you want.

2 Add 4-6 cups of whole milk to the water and spices. If you don't have whole milk, you can also use non-fat or low-fat milk, just add some cream to it, a few tablespoons. Bring the milk and spice mixture just to a boil and remove from heat.

3 Add the tea to the milk and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes to taste. (Option at this point - reheat to a simmer and remove from heat.) You can add sugar at this point, or serve without sugar and let people put the amount of sugar in they want. Traditionally, sugar is added before serving.

4 Strain into a pot. Serve. Add sugar to taste.

5 Let yourself fully enjoy it :)

Prep time: 30 minutes  ~   Makes one pot of tea.

Much light and beautiful Holidays
w. Love ~ Lydie Ometto
Innerseayoga.com


thank you for Elise Bauer :)

A Healthier Edge - Oatmeal Crunchy Apple Pie

This decadent pie is loaded with juicy apples and adorned with a streusel-lover's crunchy topping. The pie is best served the day it's made. If you're short on time, skip making the crust and look for a ready-made whole-wheat pie crust in the freezer section of a natural-foods store.

Ingredients
    1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup(s) whole-wheat pastry flour
    1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
    4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
    2 ounce(s) reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchatel)
    2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
    3 tablespoon(s) ice water
    3 Granny Smith apples, medium, peeled and thinly sliced
    3 medium McIntosh apples, peeled and thinly sliced
    1/2 cup(s) light brown sugar, packed
    1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
    2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup(s) whole-wheat pastry flour
    1/3 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
    1/4 cup(s) light brown sugar, packed
    1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
    1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
    2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
    2 tablespoon(s) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
    1/4 cup(s) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

    To prepare crust: Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese using a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture is pebbly. Add oil; stir until evenly moistened. Sprinkle water over the mixture; toss with a fork to combine. Knead the dough in the bowl a few times. Gather into a ball, press into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
    Roll the dough into a 14-inch circle between 2 large pieces of parchment or wax paper. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Tuck the overhanging dough under, forming a double-thick edge. Crimp the edge with your fingers. Using a fork, prick the dough in several places. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes.
    Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
    Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, about 30 minutes.
    To prepare filling: Combine apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the apples and toss again; mound the filling into the cooled crust. Coat the crust edges with cooking spray, return the pie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
    Meanwhile, prepare topping: Combine 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or a fork until evenly distributed. Stir in orange juice concentrate and nuts.
    After the pie has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and scatter the topping over the apples. Return it to the oven (covering the edges of the crust with foil if they're browning too quickly) and bake until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling around the edges, 20 minutes more. Cool for at least 1 hour before serving.  

* from Eatingwell.com

"Happy ThanksGiving"

with love, Lydie Ometto

www.innerseayoga.com