Hello and welcome to this meditation.
This meditation is about expressing gratitude for the little things in life,
The day-to-day gifts that can go unnoticed.
Let's just begin by calming the mind and as you sit or lie down,
Just become as comfortable as possible,
Allowing your mind to become more comfortable too.
So I invite you to close your eyes now and start to focus on your breathing.
Breathing a bit more deeply than you usually do and exhaling a bit more slowly.
Just observing the breath and find that it's a great way to bring in the mind to the state of focus.
Just taking your time breathing.
Go ahead and just focus your attention on your breath.
Now shift your awareness from your breath back to your body and while you do that,
You can feel the floor beneath you.
Thinking about the room or space that you're in,
Ask yourself,
How does it feel to be here?
What is this place like?
Begin to take notice of the little things around you that you might take for granted as you go about your busy days.
Thinking of this room as a shelter,
A haven,
One that keeps you safe from the outside elements,
Keeping you well protected and comfortable.
Maybe just notice the air on your skin and notice what it feels like,
Warm or cold.
Just appreciate the temperature of the air that surrounds you.
Just take a moment and notice the sounds in your room now.
Perhaps you hear a ticking clock,
Maybe the hum of a fan or the murmur of voices around you.
You may pause this recording or lower the volume if necessary as you observe.
Rather than thinking of these sounds as noises or distractions,
Just lend some appreciation to them.
Thinking of each sound as an opportunity to explore your surroundings and becoming more mindful of all the moving parts that exist here.
Just listen,
Being fully present.
Go ahead and just breathe deeply now and see what you can smell.
Going deeper,
Uncovering scents that you may not have realized existed before.
Inhaling through the nose as you pick up on the subtle aromas.
Perhaps you smell the wood or the floor beneath you or the walls around you.
Perhaps you can smell plants or soil or you may notice other scents shifting in through the window.
Just breathe,
Allowing yourself to explore and appreciate this moment of mindfulness.
Now begin to extend your awareness to outside of your immediate surroundings.
Thinking about your entire home and everything within it.
Bringing to mind the things that you use every day to help you run your life more smoothly.
Clocks,
Refrigerators,
Sinks,
Clothing.
Just imagine yourself going through a normal day,
Just moving a little bit more slowly through it,
More mindfully.
You can see yourself taking your time,
Getting dressed,
Washing up,
Eating and working.
Imagine taking the time each day to express gratitude for all these modern conveniences.
Trying not to dwell on the haves and have-nots.
Simply appreciate every aspect of your daily experience.
Just continue to breathe deeply,
Setting an intention to move more mindfully throughout each day,
Starting now.
Go ahead and extend your awareness even further now,
Thinking of the world outside.
Maybe think of a blue sky above,
The sun,
The trees that offer you shade,
And the soil beneath your feet.
Thinking of the seasons,
Autumn with its deep rich colors and crisp breeze.
Maybe you picture the perfect winter day,
Complete with a warm cup of tea or coffee and a comforting fireplace.
Breathing in the dewy freshness of spring,
Watching the flowers bloom as the sun returns to the earth.
Think of the slow lazy days of summer,
Soaking up the sunlight,
Savoring the sweet ripe roots and the cool refreshing drinks.
Just continue to express appreciation for the changing of the seasons and the gifts that each one brings.
Realizing it's easy to find gratitude for everything that runs smoothly in our lives,
But how about the bumps in the road?
We can be thankful for those little life lessons as well.
The spilled milk,
Maybe the flat tire,
Long grocery lines,
All of little errands or minor annoyances that pepper our days.
Each mishap offers a chance to slow down,
The chance to live in the present moment and focus our attention on the matters at hand.
Imagine navigating these bumps in the road with grace and ease.
Effortlessly going with the flow and keeping a cool calm head.
Adopting a come what may attitude.
Just take a deep breath in,
Pulling there deeply into your body and a slow letting go breath as you release all stress.
Then another deep inhale and a slow exhale,
Releasing expectation.
Once again,
Just slow breaths letting go of anything that prevents you from experiencing gratitude.
Release all blocks,
Just letting them dissolve.
Breathing in clarity,
Breathing in relaxation and exhaling all that doesn't serve you anymore.
Just releasing it.
Engage with a peaceful steady rhythm of your breath as you continue to invite gratitude into this experience.
The author GK Chesterton said,
When it comes to life,
The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.
Just let this sentiment sink in for a moment.
The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.
And I would offer it's best to commit to turning all of our for-granted's into gratitude.
Mindfully walking through our lives,
Making an effort to notice more,
Feel more and see more.
Just continue deep breathing while you deeply integrate this idea and taking everything with gratitude.
Now becoming aware of your body once again,
Feeling the floor beneath you or the chair beneath you.
Feeling again the air against your skin,
Hearing the sounds around you.
As you slowly allow your eyes to open,
Taking everything in.
This is your life.
You're here.
As you continue day or night,
Remember to take everything with gratitude.
Thank you.
Be well.
