We are always evolving,
Constantly changing,
Moment to moment.
On a cellular level of course,
But also on an energetic level,
Which directly transforms our psychological and physical well-being too.
After trauma or suffering in our life,
As we begin a journey of healing,
Which may be quick or may be slow,
We will gradually transform and cultivate a life filled with more joy,
Love and inspiration.
You can start to take back your inner power,
Take back strength,
And take back parts of yourself that you thought you lost.
It's important for you to allow yourself to really enjoy this transformation.
You deserve to heal and to enjoy life to its fullest.
Our human brains tend to dwell on the negative,
Rather than put our attention on the more positive aspects in our lives.
These negative thoughts can be draining and they're not conducive to healing.
But thanks to neuroplasticity,
Our brains can be reprogrammed and create more positive mindset habits.
Gratitude practice is a powerful and enriching way to do this.
It's a practice where we put our attention on our strengths,
Accomplishments and positive qualities in our life.
The benefit of this is that it can help you to recognize your inherent worthiness and value as a person and start to cultivate feelings of self-compassion.
And this empowers you to be able to return the kindness to others and to the world around you.
It's beneficial to remember we're not only taking the path of healing for ourselves,
But also for those around us.
If we are feeling stronger and more aligned with our life's core beliefs,
We can be more accessible for others that we care for and more able to show love and kindness to the world around us.
So let's do a gratitude meditation together to begin to create beneficial and meaningful new pathways.
Before we begin,
Find somewhere comfortable to sit.
It could be on a meditation cushion or a chair.
As long as you're comfortable enough and your body can relax.
It's good to sit with your back straight,
But don't be too rigid.
Allow a sense of movement and softness in your body.
And as you begin to settle,
Bring your awareness in to notice your breath.
Notice the rhythm of your breath coming in and out.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your breath coming in and out of your nostrils and your throat.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your lungs,
Ribs and abdomen rising and falling with each in-breath and each out-breath.
And you don't need to be doing anything here.
You can just allow yourself to be present and inquisitive of what you notice in your body as you breathe.
Allowing yourself to gradually settle and relax into your body.
You can kind of give yourself permission to be here in this room,
In your body and in your own space.
And you could feel almost like there's a bubble around you,
Protecting you as you relax and breathe.
Whenever you're distracted,
That's absolutely fine.
There's no need to judge yourself.
There's no need to stop the thought or do anything with it.
Just kind of leave it for now and let it do what it wants to do.
And then gently bring your awareness back to your breath and back into feelings and sensations in your body as you breathe.
And now shift your awareness slightly to become aware of your out-breath as a resting and settling breath.
And follow the out-breath down,
Feeling your body relax deeper and deeper with each out-breath.
As you gradually begin to relax,
Move your awareness to become aware of your ground.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the weight of your legs weighing you down nicely into the ground.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the ground or the chair pushing up from below you.
The feeling of the ground really supporting you and holding you as you relax.
And notice whether you're really allowing yourself to trust that sense of ground and letting your whole body deeply relax and let go into it,
Breath by breath.
Begin to notice the room that you're in right now.
The space that you have to sit and meditate.
And think about the comfortable bed that you have to sleep in or the home that you're in.
Notice how things like these make it easy and comfortable for you to do the things that you love.
Think of the body that you have.
Even if it's imperfect,
Think of all the things in your life that it allows you to do and enjoy.
Take a while to think of family or friends in your life that you love and as you do that,
Notice the feelings and sensations in your heart.
How do you feel when you think of those in your life that you love?
Take a moment to think about the things that you love Take a moment to think about something in your life that you're really grateful for.
It could be anything.
It could be your pets or your work,
Your accomplishments,
Your home.
It doesn't really matter.
Just take some time to think about something that you're really grateful for.
And instead of visualizing it,
Try to really feel this in your body.
Notice the feelings of joy and love as you think of these things and let those feelings fill your heart and fill your whole body.
Now take some time to think about your own personal positive qualities.
It doesn't really matter what they are or even how small you think they are.
Just think about the qualities about yourself that you value and that you're grateful for.
And again,
Instead of just thinking about the things that you love,
And again,
Instead of just thinking about it,
See if you can feel this joy and love in your body and let those feelings fill your heart and fill your whole body.
Even take a moment to think about your healing journey.
Maybe notice how the struggles in your life have taught you something.
Maybe how they've shown you something about yourself or your life.
You could notice how far you've come in your healing journey and all that you've accomplished and the courage that you've had.
Or you could think about the inspiration and the motivation that you have for the healing journey that you're going to go on.
It's all part of your life and there's so much to be grateful for.
And let yourself enjoy this gratitude.
Notice if you're allowing yourself to feel grounded and present in your body,
Enjoying these feelings of gratitude,
Love and joy.
Notice how you feel in your body and allow your heart to be soft and open and spacious.
As we bring this meditation to a close,
Let's finish off by setting an intention for your day or for your life.
It can be anything,
Big or small,
It doesn't matter.
And as you think about this intention,
Notice how you feel in your body and know that it can be done.
Take a moment to think,
Are you in this life,
On this planet,
Just to get through it?
Or are you here to enjoy and celebrate your life?
Allow yourself to learn,
To grow,
To celebrate,
To make mistakes,
Have fun and pleasure and know what you want to bring into this world and what you like to get out of it.
So go out into your day with a sense of certainty and inspiration.
Life will reflect back at you what it is that you're looking for.
You are on a journey of healing now and although there might still be bumps and turns along the way,
If you can have a little courage and stay with it,
You will find that your life will gradually transform and you can enjoy deep feelings of joy and love.
This meditation is from my course Return to Joy Healing from Trauma where I take you through the steps that I've found were truly beneficial and rewarding in my own journey of healing.
So feel free to have a look.
The courses are a great space for you to take the journey step by step and also reflect back at me so that I can deeply support you and go with you on the journey.
Thank you.
