Welcome everybody and thank you so much for winding down your day with me.
I'm Joe Longo and we're about to move through an evening gratitude meditation as we prepare to relax and drop into our slumber.
This is our time to slow down,
To soften,
And to let the day come to a gentle close.
Find a comfortable position,
Either lying down on your bed or sitting upright with your back supported.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose,
Gently hold the breath,
And then exhale fully through your mouth.
We'll repeat that a couple of times.
We'll take a slow deep breath in through the nose,
Gently holding on the top,
And then exhaling fully through the mouth.
And again,
Breathing in slowly and deeply,
Filling up the lungs,
Gently holding the breath,
And then letting it go.
And now one more time,
Inhaling peace,
Filling up the lungs,
Hold at the top,
And then exhaling any tension or stress,
Letting it all go.
Allow your body to begin unwinding,
Let your shoulders drop,
Soften your brow,
Soften your forehead,
Soften your jaw,
And just feel the weight of your body sinking deeper and deeper into the surface beneath you.
And now gently bring your awareness to the crown of your head.
Imagine a soft golden light resting here.
As you breathe,
This light begins to flow down,
Releasing tension and bringing ease.
Let the light move into your forehead,
Smoothing away the thoughts of the day.
Feel the light move through your eyes,
Allowing them to soften.
And the light travels down into your cheeks,
Into your jaw,
And releasing any tightness.
Let your mouth relax.
With every breath,
This golden light continues downward into your neck and shoulders,
Dissolving any heaviness or anything that you're carrying from the day.
This is your opportunity to let it go,
Allowing the light to move from the shoulders into your arms and hands,
Bringing in a sense of calm,
A sense of relaxation,
A sense of surrender.
With your breath,
This golden light moves down through your chest,
Circling your heart,
Softening and opening,
Washing away any heaviness that you may be holding on to from the day.
And again,
This is the time to let it go,
Let it go,
Let it release.
Our light now flows down into our stomach,
Easing and calming,
Softening the belly with the breath.
And from the soft belly,
This light flows down through your hips,
Your thighs,
Your knees and calves,
Allowing each muscle to unwind,
To soften and to let go.
And finally,
This golden light moves all the way down,
Circling your ankles,
Moving into your feet and toes.
Feel yourself completely relaxed,
Safe and supported.
And now that your body is relaxed,
Let's invite in some gratitude.
Move the gratitude into the heart.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to bring peace to the mind and body.
Take a slow breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow one thing from the day to come to mind that you're grateful for.
It may be something small like a smile,
A kind word,
Or the feeling of the sun on your skin.
Hold that image or that memory in your heart,
And notice how it feels to focus on this moment of gratitude.
And now bring to mind a second thing that you're grateful for today.
Allow it to arise naturally.
And again,
With your breath,
Hold this gratitude in your heart.
Breathe into it.
Feel the warmth and appreciation spreading through your body.
And now one more,
A third moment of gratitude.
It could be a person,
An experience,
Or simply the gift of being here right now.
So,
Feel your heart expanding as you hold these three moments of gratitude.
Imagine them glowing like light within your chest,
Radiating peace throughout your body.
If your mind begins to wander,
It's okay.
Gently return to the feeling of gratitude.
Gratitude for the day.
Gratitude for your breath.
Gratitude for this moment right now.
And now let it all go.
You don't need to hold on to anything.
The gratitude remains even as you soften deeper into rest.
And in this deep rest,
Visualize yourself lying beneath a blanket of starlight.
The sky above is vast and quiet.
Each star shines with peace,
Guiding you into stillness.
Allow your breath to become slow and steady.
There's nothing to do.
There's nowhere to go.
You're safe.
You are cared for.
You are home.
And as you drift towards sleep,
Repeat silently in your mind,
I am grateful for this day.
I am at peace with where I am.
I welcome deep nourishment and rest into my body.
Feel your body melting into the support beneath you.
Feel your heart resting in gratitude.
And let yourself be carried into a deep rest and a deep renewal.
As this meditation comes to a close,
Allow yourself to drift off naturally.
Or remain in this peaceful state as long as you wish.
