03 Oct Trade Expectation with Appreciation

When you trade your expectations for appreciation your whole world changes in an instant. Any sort of expectations can stop us from looking within ourselves and growing as an individual. Adopting an attitude of appreciation may not seem like much of a change, until you realise that when you have an expectation, you are placing a demand on yourself or another person.

Expectations are really just an ideal of how we see, or experience a situation. In comparison appreciation is viewing, feeling and experiencing the situation for exactly what it is in that present moment. These ideals can be limiting as they refrain us from looking internal, whilst constantly encouraging us to blame the external of how we are feeling. Expectation is also looking forward to what you hope to gain, or looking to the past for what you had or had not received. Expectation has no room for the present. Appreciation, on the other hand is strictly about right here and right now. You appreciate what you have, and what is around you. Your assets as well as your possibilities, both in the present, a far more productive place to be.

How do we change these expectations to appreciation? I know easier said than done but if we pause, take a moment to look within and acknowledge our feelings, then we are able to consciously release our expectations and see the situation for exactly what it is. Practicing appreciation changes our perspective, it changes our energy field and allows us to be more grateful of ourselves and the world around us.

As we know through yoga practice most of what we experience on the mat can be transferred into our daily lives. How do you find yourself reacting when you are un-expectantly caught in traffic, do you get aggravated or do you show appreciation mindfully observing the situation and responding in the best manner. Do you avoid situations that may become uncomfortable or do you immerse yourself in the unknown with an open mind?

Switching expectations for appreciation shouldn’t be limited to the yoga studio. First on the mat then off the mat let’s expand our yoga practice by releasing expectation and exchanging it for appreciation.