It's a simple phrase we are taught at a young age and encouraged relentlessly to use. Share your appreciation and embrace an attitude of gratitude. However, sometimes these eight letters don’t quite cut it. Sometimes you need to say more, to show your appreciation in a bigger way.

The gratitude postcard that over 200 Montrealers recently sent out.

letters that move the world

Over 150 yogis gathered on a chilly, -22 degree Friday night at the Montreal Athletics Association for the Expressions of Gratitude event hosted by the four lululemon athletica stores on the island of Montreal. This evening of yoga, meditation and chocolate truffles was inspired by the book "Letters that Move the World” that explores the magical feeling of knowing someone is truly grateful for you. We all know this feeling: it a warm tingle of happiness and a sense of pride to know that you matter to someone else. This, of course, can be reversed: to show another how much you appreciate them.

Ambassador Melissa Colleret lead a yoga class before the postcard-writing began.

the science of gratitude

One of the two authors, Jason Loken, spoke to this feeling and described the physiological changes that have been measured in the body. The changes in hormones, neurotransmitters and heart rate literally transform our being. Ambassador Melissa Colleret used this as a reference point to create a class that flowed through our favourite poses. Each pose expressed gratitude, appreciation and compassion through the body, a path that our hearts followed. The asana practice linked to a guided meditation as Mel encouraged the guests to dig deep and connect with a space of gratitude inside them.

Melissa taught that when you practice compassion in your body, your heart will follow.

who are you grateful for?

Who are you grateful for? Is it a friend, a co-worker, the gentleman who drives the bus or the girl who serves you your morning coffee? Once a person stood out, the guests were given the opportunity to write a postcard to these individuals. We mailed out over 200 postcards; 200 pebbles tossed into a mailbox to cause tiny waves that can grow into a tidal effect of gratitude.

Take some time to say thanks.

tell them

The simplicity of bringing a pen to paper to write a postcard to say ‘thank you’ comes from the choice to act. It starts with one person choosing to act first rather than waiting for others. Gandhi’s well-known encouragement to ‘be the change we want to see in the world’ can propel us forward with the knowledge that ‘my life matters’ and each of us can be that person who acts for another.

Who would you share your gratitude with? Who would you address your postcard to?