You can close the eyes or lower your gaze and soften your focus as you settle into the body.
Wiggle the shoulders,
Wiggle your butt,
Feel the feet on the floor,
Bringing awareness into the body as you notice how the body feels right now,
Letting your awareness catch the breath and ride the breath in and out as you feel what your chest feels like as it expands and relaxes,
As you feel what the air feels like going through your nose.
And when the mind wanders,
You simply come back to wherever the breath is,
With no judgment,
Maybe some loving-kindness.
And bringing to mind when you receive something freely given.
It could be something big,
A life-changing act,
Or something small,
Maybe a smile exchanged with a stranger.
And then notice in the body how it felt to receive.
Where in the body do you feel that?
Who was the source?
What was the source of that gift?
Notice any thoughts that arise out of this memory and any connections you make with this feeling in the body of having received a gift.
Noticing in the body what it's like to have received a gift,
To have received someone or something's generosity.
How do you name that level of gratitude?
Is there warmth?
Is there light?
Any humility?
Keep breathing into that experience and let that settle into the body.
If it's there to say,
You may express your gratitude in your mind to the person or thing or circumstances that were the source of that gift.
And just come back to the breath.
Now shift your awareness to a time where you gave generously.
A time where you extended kindness,
Support,
Care,
Expecting nothing in return.
Could have been time,
Could have been money,
Could have been a few kind words,
Or even a smile with a stranger.
And just let yourself feel what it felt like to give.
Noticing where in the body you feel that.
And what do you associate those feelings with?
Joy,
Lightness,
Warmth.
Notice if there's any gratitude present for you in your experience as the giver.
Now bringing both of those experiences together,
Look for,
Notice how similar the experience in the body is of giving and receiving.
When you receive,
You were touched by someone's generosity.
And when your gift was accepted,
You were also filled with gratitude.
Notice they're two sides of the same hand.
Their eyes together.
Inhale and receive the generosity of life.
Exhale,
Giving back from that fullness.
Inhale,
Noticing how gratitude expands the heart.
Exhale,
Letting that gratitude naturally move into generosity.
Maintain that rhythm of gratitude and generosity on the breath.
Noticing how it feels in the body.
Intentionally cultivate gratitude and generosity.
When you're ready,
You can take a few more breaths.
Open the eyes and come on back.
