Welcome to this guided meditation session.
Today we will be focusing on gratitude,
Appreciation and empathy.
Before we begin,
Make sure that you are in a relatively quiet space and turn off any devices that might be distracting.
Now,
Please find a comfortable sitting position,
Either on a chair or on the floor.
You can use a cushion if you need.
Sit in a way that allows you to be at ease and free of pain for the next 10 to 15 minutes.
Now that you are sitting comfortably,
Gently close your eyes and soften your shoulders.
Open your chest a little bit and take a few nice and deep breaths.
Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your nose.
If you notice some tension in any particular part of the body,
Use your exhalation to release as much of it as you can.
Breathe in,
Filling your lungs with fresh air and breathe out,
Letting go of any mental or physical tension.
As your body begins to relax,
See if you can bring a sense of gratitude to your mind.
You can be grateful just because you have this time to dedicate to yourself.
You can be grateful because you are present right here with your breath or for anything else that comes to your mind right now.
And as soon as you feel that spark of genuine gratefulness,
Bring a little smile to your face.
Let's make that spark of gratefulness grow and expand now.
Bring to your mind anything that you are grateful for in your life.
Maybe someone like a friend or a partner,
Or maybe something like your home,
Or anything that plays an important part on your life.
Visualize it as clear as you can,
Bringing a deep sense of appreciation with it.
Expand it to your whole body.
Let your whole being get immersed in these feelings of gratitude and appreciation.
If you feel like,
You can whisper thank you,
Either verbally or mentally.
And take a few moments to stay there,
Enjoying this beautiful feeling of gratitude.
That there are many others who unfortunately cannot enjoy such things.
Use this reflection to generate empathy and understanding towards other people.
And to reaffirm your sense of appreciation for what you have.
Send those feelings of gratitude outward.
Infuse them with good wishes and radiate them towards others and towards yourself.
Make gratitude your practice for today.
Noticing the importance of even the small and seemingly trivial things.
And again,
Bring a little smile when you feel that spark of appreciation coming from within.
Now bring your awareness back to the whole body.
And your mind?
Take a moment to simply observe and acknowledge your present state.
And whenever you feel ready,
Slowly start wiggling your fingers.
Moving your shoulders,
Stretching your neck,
And gently open your eyes.
