Page 19 - Jan-Feb 2020

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE - AN EXPERIMENT
Leigh Gavarkovs
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around” ~ Willie Nelson
I am privileged to teach a Counseling and Communications course to our Fitness and Health Promotions students at Humber. The course runs concurrently with an internal internship, where the students actually get to work with a client, as a support to that endeavor. The benefit for all of us, is that before you can help anyone make changes, you need to look to your own house, first. This course runs on self-reflection.
I noticed three weeks ago, that the students were tired and sluggish, as per usual at mid-term. There was a lot less smiling, and a lot less participation in class. As our unit that week was Emotional Intelligence, I decided to run a little experiment. As each student walked in, I asked them to tell the class about one good thing that happened to them in their day, so far. It was probably the fact that this was at 8:00 am, but no one could come up with anything. I gave them a worksheet that had 5 sections to fill out, with headings like: “5 Things to be Grateful For” and “1 Person Who is a Positive Factor in my Life”. The room got quiet as the students began
GONG
to fill the worksheet out. Next, I had the students pair up. One student had to divulge the contents of their worksheet, while the other student had to practice active listening. The most amazing thing happened. The students who were discussing their worksheet began to smile. The room grew more energetic, and the listeners became totally engaged. By the time we were done, everyone there was relaxed, smiling and ready to fully participate.
This was a great reminder to me that even in moments where the drudgery of life seems to permeate everything, it is so important to not only give time every day to reflect on the good things in life, but to also express that gratitude either in writing, or just by telling someone about it. There is a lot of information out there about the positive emotional effects of expressing gratitude, and I got to see this first- hand. Fitness is a holistic thing. Emotional fitness is crucial to a vital and happy life, and expressing gratitude is a great tool.
I am so filled with gratitude for my new community here at the RCYC, and for the opportunities that I am given on a daily basis to help others feel good!
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is an ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique that involves meditation, controlled breathing and movement exercises.
Mondays @ 11:45 am , 8 week program January 13th – March 9th (no class Family Day)
Please register online or contact fitness@rcyc.ca for assistance.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 • KWASIND 19
SPORTS
QI