Go ahead and sit comfortably,
If possible with your feet on the floor and your hands rested gently in your lap.
We're just going to take a few minutes out of your day for a simple meditation.
Go ahead and sit with a straight spine,
With a sense of dignity and calm.
Let's just start by observing your breath,
Noticing what part of your body is holding your breath,
Your neck,
Chest,
Your back,
Your abdomen,
Your throat.
There's no need for judgment,
Just observation.
And as you do that,
I want you to take three deep breaths with me before we begin.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Now allow your breath to return back to its normal rhythm.
And if you feel comfortable,
Close your eyes.
You may even notice a slight curl in your lips,
A light smile,
If that feels comfortable for you.
I want you to reflect on your most recent meal.
Let's take a moment and think about whatever it was that you were eating.
You can't think of something recent,
Think of a favorite food.
I want you to think about what you enjoyed about that food,
The taste,
The texture,
The smell.
And as you think about those things,
Let your mind wander into what the food did for you.
How it gave you energy,
Sustenance.
Just having an awareness of that connection between what you're eating and how it plays a role in your daily life,
Allowing you to give to the world your gifts.
Just take a breath for a moment.
Observe whatever emotions may come up,
Images may come up,
And I want you to think about that food that you ate and the hands that prepared it.
It might have been your own hands,
The hands of another person.
Feeling a sense of gratitude that your hands could create a meal,
That your body could digest that meal.
Gratitude for the hands that created the food,
Prepared it.
I want to reflect on how the food got to your plate.
How was it packaged before it came to you?
Thinking about the person who participated in that,
The person who transported the food,
The person who planted the seeds,
The groovy ingredients that landed on your plate.
The person who harvested that food,
The person who processed the food.
I know you may have an awareness that many people were involved in nourishing your body.
I want you to imagine those people.
I want you to breathe and breathe in gratitude.
Sending them thanks and love,
For them helping you to nourish your body.
Recognizing how others have participated in a simple meal being put on your plate.
From the grocery store clerk,
To the waiter,
To the chef,
To the person delivering food,
To the processor,
To the farmer.
You may also notice a sense of awe.
How something so simple as your meal could touch so many lives.
I just want you to take a moment,
In that sense of awe,
Gratitude.
To turn that awe inward.
It's amazing how your body can take in nutrients,
Convert it into energy,
That fills your brain,
Which propels your body,
Allows you to do the great work that you do.
You do not do this work alone.
Other people play a part.
In your life,
People you don't even see.
So while you hold gratitude for them,
Still hold gratitude for you.
An awareness of how amazing you are.
Your mind and how it works.
Giving thanks to yourself.
Just taking a moment to acknowledge the goodness that is you,
That is in the other.
When you're ready,
Come back to your breath.
Just have an awareness of any changes,
Or what has stayed the same.
No need to interpret it,
Just awareness.
Awareness of the magnificence of even your breath.
Holding awe and gratitude for your life,
And where you are connected to others.
You are not alone.
Thank you for joining me.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Observe the world around you.
And may you carry that gratitude with you throughout your day.
Namaste
