Our mind is a problem-solving device,
And if it has no problems to solve,
It will create them.
This ends up obscuring our view of ourselves and the world,
And takes us out of the present moment.
So today,
We are going to practice cultivating and recognizing moments of contentment,
And then deepening this experience with the practice of gratitude.
Start with a few deep breaths.
Feeling a full breath into the belly.
This gentle expansion.
Allow your spine to feel long,
Your chest to feel open and relaxed.
And now focusing on the relaxing quality of the exhale.
Noticing whatever tension you can.
Noticing this quality of ease.
And just allowing everything to be as it is in this moment.
And just see if you can get a sense of contentment right now.
It is simply not needing anything to be different in this moment.
Even when things aren't going well,
When we're having a difficult day,
There can still be moments of contentment if we just look.
We often get so fixated on the parts that aren't going well,
We overlook the moments where everything is actually okay.
Can you get a sense that everything is okay right now?
That nothing needs to be different in this moment?
Sure there's a lot we'd like to change,
Things we aspire to,
But see if you can just allow yourself to be content with this moment right now.
Forget about the future.
Forget about all your desires.
Forget about all the things you want or all the things that are wrong.
Come to this moment right now and see if you could just allow it to be what it is.
Our idea that we're having a bad day or that there is something wrong with our life or that we don't like this or that colors our perspective and our expectation.
We then project this experience,
Making it bigger,
More solid,
And it feels more true.
But this isn't reality.
In reality,
Each moment is new.
In each moment,
There's a possibility of having a different experience if we can just unfixate from our expectations and projections.
See if you can come back to that sense of contentment right now.
No matter what's happening in your life,
No matter what's happening right now,
See if you can just be okay with this moment.
In this moment,
There's no problem.
See how much you can embrace this moment,
Letting the past and future go and finding the sense of contentment.
We can now deepen this experience by exploring gratitude.
We fixate so much on what's wrong with the world,
With ourselves,
With others.
This is a result of our brain's negativity bias.
We focus on the threats to ensure survival,
But as a result,
We get out of balance.
Let's return some balance by exploring what we're grateful for.
See if you can conjure up some gratitude for the beauty in the world,
The miracle of life itself.
Are there people in your life that you're grateful for?
Are there parts of yourself that you're grateful for?
What are you grateful for in the natural world?
What else are you grateful for?
What arouses this gratitude in you?
On your next inhale,
Say thank you in your mind and breathe in this gratitude.
Just continue saying thank you on every inhale,
Breathing in this sense of gratitude,
Allowing whatever you're grateful for to come to mind.
On the inhale,
Breathing in thank you,
And on the exhale,
Again,
Thank you.
Inhale,
Thank you,
Exhale,
Thank you.
Keep going at your own pace.
Now sending this gratitude and appreciation out to the world,
To whatever or whoever comes to mind.
Thank you.
Practicing slow but full breaths at your own pace.
Notice what thoughts or images evoke the most gratitude.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And just relaxing,
Letting go of the practice,
Feeling into your body,
Noticing the impact this practice had on you.
The key here is to find where the resonance is.
Find what it is that you are actually grateful for and stay with the practice and the intention,
Allowing the feeling of gratitude to wash over you,
Soothe your nervous system,
And open you to life's beauty.
You may make an intention now to carry some aspect of gratitude into your day.
Thank you for your practice.
