I’m dashing off for a yoga workshop this weekend with Elena Brower called The Art of Attention. Very excited to spend the weekend breathing, moving, and watching with her. Even more excited since she sent along this gorgeous article she wrote for HuffPo: The Art of Attention: From Complaint to Gratitude. In it, she talks about a teacher who offered her this mandate: No more complaining. Because, as you likely well know, that stuff is toxic, draining, not often productive. The more Elena noticed her complaining, the more space there was for gratitude to arise.

She offers us all this: “Experiment: next time you’re about to launch into a complaint, playfully shift over to the exact opposite possibility and try to find gratitude for the situation that almost became a gripe.”

It’s not about suppressing, but rather self-lovingly noticing and redirecting. I know I need constant reminders of this, but aside from necessary “letting it out” sessions, I always always feel better, happier and more balanced when I check my habitual kvetching, eye-rolling, and snarky asides. And turn them into a list of what’s working for me in the situation.

How do you manage your inner complainer? 

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