Welcome to this morning meditation on gratitude.
Before we begin,
Please find a comfortable seat with your feet on the floor or lying down on your back.
Take a few breaths to feel your connection to the earth and how the earth supports your body.
Stay here for a moment allowing yourself to sink a little deeper into the present.
Feel your head,
Your shoulders,
Your hands,
And your feet.
Allow your body to settle gently into where you feel the most comfortable.
I invite you to begin by taking a long,
Deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Once more,
In through your nose and out through your mouth.
Find a comfortable pattern with your breath and take a moment to scan your body.
Where are you holding tension?
Where does your body feel relaxed?
If it feels comfortable to do so,
You may begin to breathe into areas of your body that need some extra support.
As you foster this awareness of your body and breath,
Begin to think about what gratitude looks like to you.
Maybe it's a light,
An energy,
Or a color.
Allow this image of gratitude to gently wash over you from your head all the way to your feet.
What does it feel like as you are filled with this feeling?
What comes to mind?
Allow yourself to observe without judgment what arises here.
As you are connected to your breath and allowing your gratitude to flow,
Imagine this energy like waves of water.
Let it find the space between your fingers,
The space between your toes.
Let this current of gratitude make its way to every corner of your being.
Maybe in this moment the faces of people you love come to mind,
Or your beloved animal companions.
As you continue to feel this current of gratitude across your being,
Call to mind three things you are grateful for,
Like people,
Animals,
Places,
Or experiences.
As you are filled to the brim with gratitude,
I invite you to send this feeling to what you called to mind.
Allow the rivers of your gratitude to meander their way out from the powerful sea within you and share this gratitude freely.
Allow these rivers to continue their journey from your heart to the heart of others.
I will leave you to sink into this practice for a few moments.
Begin to find your awareness again of your body and your surroundings and take note of how you feel.
How did it feel to swim in the waters of gratitude?
How did it feel to send this gratitude to those you love?
How do you feel now?
As you bring your awareness slowly back,
Gently ponder these questions.
Bring movement back to your fingers and toes.
Allow your breath to deepen.
And maybe give your neck a gentle stretch.
As we close this meditation today,
I encourage you to come back to this place,
To your vast sea of gratitude,
Whenever you like.
It is always within you.
Let's take one long,
Deep breath together.
In through your nose and out through your mouth.
Thank you for joining me and for taking the time to reconnect to you.
