Hello and welcome to our meditation practice.
Make your way into a comfortable position.
Checking in to make sure that the hips and shoulders feel relaxed.
Arrange your body so that the front,
The back,
And the sides of the body all feel opened.
And when you're ready,
You can let your eyes soften and close.
Observe your whole body together.
Being aware of any sensation of discomfort or pain.
Any symptoms of stress within your body.
Trying to simply make a mental note of them.
Without letting them consume your attention.
Gratitude is about recognizing goodness.
Both within and around us.
By identifying the good thing that we value and appreciate.
We're not ignoring our pain and stress.
But just choosing to not focus on it.
The discomfort might be there.
But we choose to focus on things like our strength in handling the discomfort.
The parts of our body that are working really well.
And the people that support our life.
Even the discomfort itself can offer the opportunity to learn about ourselves.
If we investigate the pain,
We can see how to best move forward.
Maybe taking a break or avoiding a task or situation if needed.
Maybe even asking for help and support from the people who care about us.
Appreciating the whole body.
The parts that feel good and the parts that have discomfort.
Appreciating each breath that gives us the opportunity to experience life.
Keeping awareness in the whole body.
We'll inhale and silently repeat,
Thankful for this body.
And exhale,
Repeating,
Thankful for this breath.
Breathing in,
Thankful for this body.
Breathing out,
Thankful for this breath.
Breathing in,
Thankful for this body.
Breathing out,
Thankful for this breath.
Appreciating your current state just as you are right now.
And if your mind has wandered to focus on some other thing that are uncomfortable or unpleasant.
Simply bringing yourself back with the next breath in.
Thankful for this body.
And releasing the breath,
Thankful for this breath.
Feel your whole body here.
And the gratitude you've cultivated through this practice.
Start to reconnect with the room around you.
And when you feel ready,
Slowly open your eye.
Gently move your body and mindfully transition back into your day.
