Hi,
I'm so pleased that you're here today.
My name is Alexandra Nash and I'm a certified unplugged meditation teacher.
I hope that your week is going great.
Today,
We're going to focus on gratitude.
Did you know that gratitude can increase happiness by as much as 25%?
One scientific study actually proved that people who express gratitude daily felt consistently happier by 25% compared to their happiness levels before the study.
Gratitude has also been proven to improve sleep,
Self-esteem,
Energy levels,
And overall health while reducing depression and chronic pain.
So let's give this gratitude thing a go together today.
All right,
Let's begin by taking two deep breaths in,
In through our nose and out through our mouth.
Start to slow down your breath.
Feel your belly rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.
In through that nose and out through the mouth.
Take a moment to feel your entire body.
As you keep breathing deeply,
Maybe let your knees fall to the sides.
Feel how your sit bones are really grounding you into the surface.
Relax your shoulders,
Your neck.
Try to relax your jaw.
Unclench your teeth.
Relax your forehead and lips.
Gently close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you.
And as you're taking another deep breath,
Try to focus all of your energy at a place right at the center of your chest,
Your heart,
Or your gut.
Wherever gratitude lands for you.
Keep taking those deep breaths and take all of your focus and energy into that center place where your gratitude is.
Today we will break down gratitude to three levels,
A process that I've truly enjoyed from one of my colleagues.
We're going to divide gratitude into gratitude in,
Gratitude out,
And gratitude up.
Let's start with gratitude out.
What are you grateful for externally today?
It can be anything from your friends,
Your family,
Your work,
Your pets,
Your house,
Your home.
What are you grateful for externally today?
Keep breathing deeply into your center of gratitude and ask yourself,
Where does my gratitude out lay today?
And as you're taking another deep breath,
Let's focus our gratitude inwards on ourselves.
What are you grateful for about yourself?
Is it your ability to listen?
Is it that you always keep your word?
Is it that you always have time for someone that needs you?
Is it that you prioritize your own needs and health?
Is it your gardening skills?
Is it your love that you have for making other people laugh?
Let that land with you and focus.
What are you grateful for about yourself?
Keep breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
And now on your next deep breath,
Let's focus our gratitude up.
It can be up to the spirits,
The universe,
To nature,
The treetops,
The sun,
Whatever up represents for you.
Keep taking deep breaths into your center of gratitude and focus your gratitude up.
Are you grateful for the moon in the evening that shows up with consistency?
Are you grateful for the feeling that something is guiding you through life?
Are you grateful for the sun that shows up to warm your skin and tickle your heart?
See wherever gratitude up lands for you today.
And now just let all of that go on a deep exhale.
Keep breathing deeply for a few more moments and imagine a warm golden light of gratitude coming out from your heart and spreading to every inch of your body.
Feel the love and the warmth as it spreads through you.
Gently take two more deep and long breaths.
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Maybe stretch a little.
Sit up carefully.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
I hope you will feel a little extra grateful today.
This is also a nice exercise to write down afterwards if you have a pen and journal to just scribble down what you're grateful for.
Thank you for meditating today.
I hope that you can find gratitude in all the small moments in your week ahead.
See you next time.
