Good morning and welcome.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning.
My name is Mark.
Let us now take a few moments to settle in,
To gently arrive and land in this brand new day.
Let your body become still,
Let your breath soften and deepen,
Let your mind know this moment is for you.
Inhale deeply now and exhale slowly,
You've made it to this moment and that is enough.
Let's begin this day now with quiet gratitude.
Bring to mind something that you're grateful for on this new day this morning,
It doesn't necessarily have to be big,
Maybe a soft pillow,
A good night's sleep last night,
The quiet of the early light,
The scent of your first cup of tea or coffee.
Whatever arises for you,
Just let that be enough.
Feel the warmth of this appreciation in your body and try to notice where it lands,
Maybe in your chest,
Your face,
Your hands,
Wherever you feel it,
Just feel that appreciation.
Let that energy gently spread all through you,
As if your whole body is waking up to this new day with a great big thank you.
Now allow your mind to stretch gently,
See if you can name three things from yesterday or earlier this morning that bring you even the smallest piece of joy or peace.
Simple,
Honest,
Real.
One at a time,
Bring to mind three things.
Let each one come with a soft inward whisper,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you.
Feel what shifts when you stop and pause to notice.
This is the power of starting your day in gratitude,
You create a tone of appreciation that lingers long after the moment has passed.
Now place one hand over your heart,
Feel the rise and fall beneath your palm,
Feel the breath,
The warmth,
The steadiness,
Even here,
Especially here,
You are held.
Silently repeat the following,
I welcome this day with appreciation,
I meet this day with presence,
I begin this day with gratitude.
Now allow the breath to deepen,
As you inhale,
Imagine drawing in light,
As you exhale,
Imagine sending out peace.
Again,
Inhale,
Imagine drawing in light,
Exhale,
Imagine sending out peace.
Bring your awareness to the sounds around you,
The light in the room,
The new energy of this day beginning.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Feel your body waking up and bring one final moment of thankfulness to whatever the day has in store ahead.
You don't need to know what the day will hold,
Only that you will meet it with an open heart.
If you found this simple practice helped you feel grounded and grateful,
You may wish to deepen the journey of gratitude.
I've created a 30 day gratitude journaling course here on Insight Timer,
A gentle daily way to begin or end your day with mindful appreciation.
Each session includes a short reflection and a journaling prompt.
I've tried to design it to help you build a meaningful habit of gratitude each day.
You can find it on my profile and you're warmly welcome to join me anytime.
But for now,
Thank you so much for being here this morning.
May your day unfold with kindness,
Presence and moments worth remembering and being grateful for.
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
