Hi and welcome to this evening gratitude practice to close the day.
Begin by getting into a comfortable position allowing your body to be soft without straining resting your palms facing upwards and allowing all muscles to go slack letting go of any tension you may be holding.
Perhaps take a nice deep inhale and as you exhale let go of the day.
Great let's do that again.
Take a deep breath in and exhale sighing out whatever is left of today.
Feel your body become heavier as you welcome gravity.
Imagine the calming energy of Mother Earth washing over you bringing you a deep sense of grounding relaxation.
Feel your feet soften.
Notice your legs growing heavy.
Feel your torso relax,
Your abdomen soften.
Allow your entire being to be soft as you feel this wave of calming relaxation wash over you.
Continue by relaxing the arms as you feel them grow heavy and long.
Notice your jaw is relaxing,
Your lips are soft,
Your tongue is resting in the base of the palate and as you allow the face to soften relax the skin on the forehead.
Soften the cheeks and let the eyes rest deep in your head.
With each breath you take your body sinks into a deeper state of relaxation.
Now as your physical body is relaxed let's shift our awareness to the breath noticing the rising and falling of each breath.
Feel your body absorbing each breath to the fullest and let your breath permeate every corner of the body filling you up with relaxation and calm.
As you exhale let go of today.
As you inhale visualize health and harmony entering your entire body from the soles of your feet to the tips of your fingers.
Exhaling whatever is left of today.
Softening the breath just noticing it without wanting to change or control it.
And as we are settling into this guided meditation practice I want to share this quote with you from Zig Ziglu who was an American World War II veteran,
Author and mostly known as a motivational speaker.
Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.
The more you express gratitude for what you have the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.
Zig Ziglu.
Gratitude is an emotion and as such we should be able to feel and experience the emotion in our physical body.
Just as anger or frustration manifests itself in the form of a tight chest or shortness of breath,
Gratitude too has a physical sensation.
It can feel like warmth in the body or a sense of groundedness,
A slowing of the breath,
Spaciousness in the chest and heart,
Uncontrollable tears or an automatic smile.
I know when I'm experiencing gratitude because for me it's not just a concept in my head I can actually feel it in my body.
Grateful living is a way of life which asks us to notice all that is already present and abundant from the tiniest things of beauty to the groundest of our blessings and in doing so to take nothing for granted.
We can learn to focus our attention on and acknowledge that life is a gift.
Even in the most challenging times living gratefully makes us aware and available to the opportunities that are always available.
Opportunities to learn and grow and to extend ourselves with care and compassion to others.
Small grateful acts every day can uplift us,
Make a difference to others and help change the world.
So before you go to sleep tonight think of everything that you are grateful for that happened today.
This is a great way to shift into a positive mindset and have a good sleep.
I'll give you a moment to run through your day as if you're looking back watching a fast-forwarded movie from the moment you walk today to the present moment right here.
Now that you have visualized your day pick three moments that really stood out.
Don't stress it doesn't have to be a big thing it can be as simple as enjoying a walk in the park or feeling the warmth of the Sun today.
I remember after I came out of hospital in 2019 after being in an induced coma I felt so extremely grateful to have the wind blowing through my hair.
It was the most simplest thing but I still feel that gratefulness today.
Perhaps you really enjoyed a moment with a loved one today or you spend time with a friend talking about your feelings.
Perhaps you're really proud of an achievement that you've been wanting to do for a long time or maybe you really enjoyed helping someone in need.
As you think of these three highlights today I want you to really bring a feeling of deep appreciation to those three highlights.
You can imagine as if you're bringing those three moments into your heart and you're really feeling the sensations of gratitude,
Appreciation,
Thankfulness,
Love,
Joy,
Bliss and let it move throughout your whole body from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
Maybe you notice a gentle smile on your face.
How lucky are you to live this life,
To experience these things.
How much do you have to be thankful for?
Your body,
Your health,
Your family,
Your friends,
Your home.
You are so incredibly loved and blessed and bountiful and I just wanted you to know that today.
So I'm going to leave you to soak up these feelings and sensations that you have generated and know that these are always here for you.
They are just a few thank yous away.
And as we near the end of this practice feel free to stay here a little longer and drift off into a peaceful sleep whilst listening to these relaxing sounds.
Or you can gently start to bring your awareness back to your surroundings,
Hearing the sounds around you,
Noticing the surface beneath you,
Gently wiggling your toes and your fingers and open your eyes when you are ready.
In
