Gratitude cultivation.
This practice combines creative visualization,
The breath,
And an awareness of the vibration cultivated within the heart center.
The guided practice will take you through different aspects of blessings in your life.
The main aim of the meditation is to generate a palpable expansive feeling of gratitude within the heart center.
This practice can be experienced seated in your meditation position or lying down in Shavasana.
Take a moment to establish your posture.
Ensure a lovely symmetry of the placement of the legs and the arms,
The shoulders,
The hip bones.
Bring a length to the spine and take a moment to scan how you're feeling as you enter the practice.
Notice the character of your natural breath.
Notice how your body feels.
Notice how you feel within your heart.
And now our practice of gratitude cultivation will begin.
Bring all of your awareness to the natural breath and don't change your breath in any way.
Just allow the natural breath to ease and lengthen under the gaze of your awareness.
Notice the feeling of the breath as you draw it in through the nose.
Feel how far you can detect the inhalation as it enters the body.
And as you exhale,
Notice the difference in the quality of the breath that's leaving the body,
Carrying with it tension,
Tightness,
Toxins.
Feel all of the contact points of the breath as it draws in through the nostrils and tracks down towards the bottom of the lungs.
And as you exhale,
Feel the full release of all the things you're holding that no longer serve you.
The breath for this practice is the engine room for the energy that you're cultivating in your heart.
I want you now on your next inhalation to have the feeling that you're breathing down into the space around your heart.
You can visualize the breath as a beautiful stream of light,
Prana,
The energy breath flowing down into the heart space and surrounding the space of your heart.
And as you breathe out,
You're simply draining the breath,
Retaining the energy and the focus of the heart center.
With every breath,
The heart becomes more animated,
More expanded,
More receptive.
Anahata,
The heart chakra,
Is represented by the twelve petal lotus in the tantras.
For these next twelve breaths,
Have the feeling that each petal opens gently,
Unfurling within the twelve petaled lotus of your heart.
Through your awareness and the energy breath,
You will feel the heart center activate.
Some of you may feel a flutter in the chest,
For others a sense of expansion and deeper breathing.
For some it's a feeling of possibility or hope.
However your heart chakra presents to you in this meditation.
Gently observe.
Bring to mind now your body,
Your physical form.
You may envisage yourself standing in front of a mirror.
Really see yourself.
Look into that reflection that has accompanied you your whole life.
Acknowledge your form,
Your curves,
Your movement,
Your beauty.
Acknowledge the marks left on your body from walking fully through this life,
The lines from smiling,
From frowning,
The marks from the sun and the elements,
Perhaps the marks from bearing new life into this world.
Feel into the strength and the vitality of your form.
Feel into your uniqueness,
Your signature.
Acknowledge your health,
Your vitality,
Your body's ability to heal.
Allow your heart to fill with gratitude for this rare and wonderful blessing.
Breathe in your thankfulness.
Breathe this energy of gratitude into every cell of your body.
Bring to mind now the people who channel love into your life.
Really see them,
Your children,
Your partner,
Sisters,
Brothers,
Close friends.
It may be an acquaintance you love freely or a person you have known and loved your whole life.
See these loved ones surround you with open hearts.
Allow your mind to remember the small ways this love has expressed to you,
Key events in little messages or silent exchanges,
In kisses,
Embraces,
Touch,
Or acts of kindness.
With an open heart space,
Receive that love fully.
Breathe it into your system and radiate it out again to the channels of love.
And know how rare it is in this world to experience such sweetness.
Now bring to mind your home,
The space where you dwell,
Where you feel safe,
Where you can retreat and replenish.
Feel the energy of your home space.
Visualise the objects in your home that you love,
Fabrics,
Art,
Books,
Flowers.
Remember where they came from.
Perhaps they were gifts,
The beautiful things you'd found in your travels and that you love.
Feel how they were all meant to be there,
Expressions of you.
Bring to mind the colours you have threaded through your home space.
Acknowledge the colours and beauty that animate your home.
Now in your mind's eye,
Take yourself to your favourite part of your home.
Perhaps it's the kitchen where the family gathers or you nourish yourself.
Perhaps it's around a table or your bedroom or a favourite chair.
Perhaps it's your garden or your balcony.
Place yourself there and see it in as much detail as you can.
Allow your heart to fill with the love you have for this space.
Sense how grateful you are to have the use of it at this time in this life.
Receive into your heart all the energies and support this space offers you.
And as you breathe out,
Radiate it out into the space,
Into your entire home,
Your gratitude.
Now bring to mind the flow of abundance in your life,
Your friendships,
The delicious nourishing food you have,
The arts,
The laughter.
Bring to mind your clothes,
Perhaps your jewellery,
Your shoes,
The books that you read,
The car that you drive,
The courses that you do.
Bring to mind the extraordinary palette of choice you have to learn,
Discover,
To explore and save a life.
See it spread before you like a feast of experiences.
Acknowledge the abundance in your life,
The rich blessings.
Feel how rare they are.
Fill your heart with gratitude for the rivers of blessings in your life.
Breathe in that abundance,
Receiving it fully into your spirit.
And breathing out,
Radiate your gratitude into this field,
This feast.
And finally now bring to mind your spiritual journey,
Your quiet inner self.
Allow the resonance of your innermost self now to fill your heart.
Acknowledge the tools you are currently using to nourish your spirit,
Inspiration,
Movement,
Your meditations,
Your personal rituals,
Your ability to ponder.
Acknowledge the opportunity you have in this life to come back to yourself,
To fulfill your spiritual journey.
Acknowledge the fact that you are even aware of your inner aspect,
That you dwell from this place.
Allow your heart to fill with gratitude for the possibility of fulfillment that your life offers you in every moment,
In this very moment now.
And now for the last 12 breaths of this practice,
Stream the energy breath to the heart and feel the gratitude that you've cultivated permeating every cell,
All the spaces in between and your life field that surrounds you.
Our practice of gratitude cultivation has now concluded.
Thank you.
