Welcome to the Gratitude Meditation.
I'm Dr.
Colleen Pearson,
The Eclectic Psychologist.
To begin this meditation,
I would like to invite you to sit comfortably.
Adjust your posture so that you are sitting in an upright position with your spine straight.
Let your eyes close,
Relax your shoulders,
Soften your jaw,
And let go of any tension in your body.
Take a couple of deep,
Full inhales,
And exhale fully,
Releasing all of the stale air from your lungs.
Inhale fresh oxygen,
And exhale fully.
Do that a few more times.
Focus your awareness on your breath.
Use your breath as an anchor to your awareness.
Pulling your awareness again and again to the experience of breathing.
As you inhale,
Allow your awareness to follow your breath.
Moving into the body.
As you exhale,
Allow your body to relax.
Inhale awareness,
Exhale relaxation.
Inhale awareness,
Exhale relaxation.
As you inhale,
Feel the air coming in through your nose,
Down your throat,
Into your chest,
And filling your lungs.
As you exhale softly,
Relax your body,
Soften your muscles.
As you feel your breath,
Continue to concentrate on the sensations in your body.
If you find your mind wandering,
Simply notice that it has wandered.
Let the thoughts go,
And gently bring your mind back to the breath.
From this state of relaxation,
Allow yourself to ponder the question,
Who or what do I appreciate in my life right now?
In and out,
And ask yourself again,
Who or what do I appreciate in my life right now?
Notice the first thing that comes to mind,
And bring your attention to it.
Continue to breathe,
Allowing yourself to focus on that first thing that came into your mind.
There are many things in life that we can be grateful for,
But for this meditation,
Focus on one aspect of your life that you appreciate most in this moment.
Continue to breathe,
And focus on that one thing.
Visualize it clearly,
And notice the feelings that arise in your body.
Breathe in and out,
Focusing on your feelings of gratitude.
Try not to focus on any thoughts.
If thoughts arise,
Just let them pass,
And come back to focusing on how you feel as you visualize something you are grateful for.
Deep inhale,
Full exhale.
Continue to picture this one thing that you appreciate right now,
And notice how you are feeling.
Scan your body with your awareness.
Notice different areas and how they feel.
Notice the sensations in your body as you focus on gratitude.
Observe these sensations and appreciate them,
Enjoy them.
Breathe in and out,
Feeling gratitude for that one thing.
Continue for a few moments more.
Now deepen your breath and bring awareness back to your whole body.
Feel the environment around you,
The sound of my voice.
Take as much time as you want,
And when you feel ready,
You can slowly open your eyes.
