Today's practice will help you find peace and gratitude.
Take a few moments to settle in,
Allow your breath to flow freely now.
Encourage a smooth flow of breathing in and breathing out,
Dropping away from the thinking mind,
Releasing anything that distracts you from this present moment.
Now with a nice deep inhale and a slow exhale,
Bring all of your attention within,
Noticing your breath,
Noticing how your body feels,
Going deeper and deeper inside.
The outside world disappearing and a new scene slowly appearing around you.
And shapes and colors come into view,
Slowly brightening and sharpening as you look around.
Find yourself in a lush garden,
Surrounded by bright green bushes,
Beautiful statues,
Vibrant plants and flowers.
Take a few moments to look around,
Taking in your new surroundings.
Dig deeply into your imagination and paint this scene,
Letting your creative juices flow.
Feel the soft grass beneath your feet.
Hear the birds flutter and sing in the trees.
Breathe in the fresh,
Crisp air.
Walking slowly forward now,
You notice a path before you.
Its stones are smooth,
Glistening in the sunlight.
Step on this path and continue to walk forward,
Curious about where it leads.
With each step,
You notice that you are becoming more and more relaxed.
Peacefully following this gently winding path,
Soon you hear trickling water and find yourself before a great stone fountain.
Take a few moments to visualize this fountain,
Noticing the subtle details,
The curves,
The color of the streaming,
Splashing water.
You know that the water and this fountain is here to refresh you.
And you eagerly cup your hands and dip them into the flow.
Bring your hands to your lips.
You sip the water,
Drinking every last drop.
You feel overwhelmingly grateful for this water,
A deep appreciation you have never before experienced.
You are so thankful for this healing and rejuvenation.
Thankful for the opportunity to give your body what it needs.
Drinking more slowly now as you continue to express gratitude for this experience.
This fountain inspires you to appreciate the gifts in your life.
This fountain never goes dry so long as you keep gratitude alive in your heart.
Feel the water flowing through your body,
Inspiring even more gratitude to arise within you.
Imagine the water that flows from this fountain,
Touching everything in the garden,
Nourishing it,
Seeping down into the soil,
And traveling up the roots of every plant,
Every flower,
Providing water for the birds and the small animals that call this garden home.
Notice the way the water invigorates these living things,
The way it invigorates your body.
The grass beneath your feet is supple,
The trees above you are strong,
Their leaves glistening in the sun.
Filling your hands,
You fill your own cup of gratitude,
Expressing thanks along with all of the living things around you.
There is enough for everyone and you are always welcome to come here,
To this peaceful sanctuary to fill your cup.
At any time,
You have forgotten to appreciate the very essence of life.
You are called here to bask in this divine experience of receiving and expressing gratitude.
Bring to mind all the areas of your life that can use a sprinkling of gratitude.
Hold them in your mind's eye as you breathe easily and hold the water in your cupped palms once more.
Gratefully pouring the sacred water on these areas of your life,
Allowing the water to heal and rejuvenate these areas too.
Envisioning your life perking up and blossoming with renewed energy.
The water in the fountain flows effortlessly from you as effortlessly as the gentle water flowing from the fountain.
Breathing easily,
Simply enjoying your time in this garden for the next few moments.
Now it's time to bid the garden goodbye,
Once more expressing thanks for this experience and then slowly following the pebble path back to the beginning.
Allow the garden to fade from view with your next exhale and your current surroundings to materialize as you inhale deeply,
Opening your eyes.
Always remember that you can return to this garden whenever you would like to fill your cup with gratitude.
Thank you for practicing and taking a moment of self-care here with me today.
Namaste.
