Welcome to this meditation practice centered on gratitude.
My name is Julia and I'll be guiding you through today's practice.
We'll be taking some time to cultivate a deep sense of appreciation for the many blessings,
Big and small,
That surround us each day.
Gratitude is a powerful practice that can shift our perspective,
Open our hearts,
And invite more joy into our lives.
As we move through this meditation,
Allow yourself to connect with feelings of thankfulness in both the mind and the body,
And to embrace any feelings or sensations that come up for you.
Take a few moments to find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Allow your spine to lengthen,
Your shoulders to release,
And your hands to gently rest in your lap or by your sides.
Soften or close the eyes,
And begin to turn your attention to anything that's coming up within your body.
Feel the connection between your body and the surface beneath you.
Sense the support that is holding you,
Whether it's the ground,
A chair,
A mat,
Or anything else.
Allow yourself to fully relax into this support,
Knowing that you are safe and held in this moment.
We're going to do a little bit of breath awareness.
If this is something that feels uncomfortable or challenging,
I'd encourage you to instead continue to focus on any sensations coming up within your body.
With your next breath in,
Begin to gently guide your awareness to the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen.
Noticing how the breath moves in and out,
Nourishing your body with life.
There are no thoughts that you need to have in order to breathe.
Your body just knows how to do it to support you.
Taking a moment to appreciate this simple yet profound gift of breath.
Deepening our practice,
Moving on to our physical body.
Bringing your awareness to your feet,
Noticing any sensations there and silently expressing thanks for your feet and all of the ways that they support you.
They're walking,
Standing,
Moving you throughout your day.
Now moving your attention up to your legs.
Feeling the strength in your legs and expressing gratitude for their ability to carry you,
To support you,
And to keep you grounded.
Bringing your focus to your hands and your arms,
Silently thanking your hands for all that they do.
The way they hold,
Create,
And connect you with the world around you.
Bringing awareness to your head,
To your brain,
All of the thoughts,
Feelings,
And emotions that it processes for you.
Bringing your awareness to your torso,
All of the organs that it holds,
The hard work that they are constantly and tirelessly doing for you.
Shifting your awareness to your heart space,
Feeling its steady rhythm beating without any conscious effort.
Taking a moment to offer deep gratitude for your heart,
Pumping its life-giving blood throughout your body.
If there's any area of your body that you want to spend an extra moment with,
Taking this time and breathing in feelings of warmth and appreciation.
Expanding this gratitude to your entire body,
Appreciating how each part works together in harmony to support you,
Your life,
Your goals,
And your ambitions.
Whatever the current state of your body is,
Allowing yourself to feel gratitude for having the strength to be here in this moment of appreciation.
Now we're going to shift our focus outwards from our body to our life beyond our physical form,
Reflecting on a person,
An experience,
A moment,
Or maybe a few of them that have brought you joy,
Comfort,
And learning.
You may wish to start with someone who means a great deal to you,
Maybe it's a family member,
A friend,
Or a mentor,
Expressing silent gratitude for this person's presence in your life.
Next,
Thinking of an experience or an opportunity that has allowed you to grow,
Even if this is something that challenged you,
Reflecting on how it helped to shape you and your life,
Feeling that gratitude for all that you learned from this experience and the way that it shaped you and who you are today.
Next,
Bringing to mind a location,
A place where you feel peaceful,
Safe,
Joyful,
Happy.
This might be your home,
A favorite spot in nature,
Or some place that you visited.
Visualizing this place and sending it some gratitude for the comfort and the happiness that it has brought to you.
As you continue to breathe here,
Letting those feelings of gratitude expand even further.
Imagine your appreciation extending out beyond yourself and your lived experience,
Touching everything around you,
Your community,
Your surroundings,
Seeping into the earth beneath you.
Offering silent thanks for the air that you breathe,
The food that you eat,
The sun that warms you,
All of the unseen connections that support your existence each and every day.
Feeling the energy of this gratitude growing within you and expanding outwards,
Like ripples in a pond,
Touching every aspect of your life.
With each breath in,
Allowing this feeling of thankfulness to fill your heart,
Your mind,
And your entire being.
Taking as much time as you need to rest in this feeling of gratitude and letting it soak in and knowing that this energy is always available to you whenever you need it.
Whenever you're ready to close this meditation,
Take a deep breath in,
Breathing in appreciation and sighing out anything you no longer need.
Giving yourself a gentle hug or a little wiggle and bringing that awareness back into your body.
Allowing your eyes to open if they were closed.
Carrying this sense of gratitude with you into the rest of your day and beyond.
Thank you so much for joining me here and sharing in this moment of gratitude.
