Hello and a warm welcome to this grounding in gratitude meditation.
My name is Derek Hill and I'm a teacher here on Insight Timer and I'm very grateful for your presence here today,
Wherever in the world you may be connecting from.
Today's meditation is intended for times when we want to cultivate deeper appreciation for life,
When we need to recognize the good,
The healthiness and vitality that is present in our lives and the world around us,
When we may have forgotten the many wonderful things which have nourished us,
Supported us and which can continue to do so when we bring them into awareness.
Gratitude can be a spontaneous experience,
It can bring feelings of joy,
Appreciation and connection,
But the real power of gratitude lies in how we intentionally cultivate it,
How it can shift our minds from habits of negativity towards noticing the good in life,
How it tunes into the richness of the whole world and experience and the interconnectedness of life,
How it helps us build resilience and a more positive outlook by embedding this deeper in our emotional memory,
Deeper into our very foundations by grounding us in gratitude.
It can therefore be done anytime,
Day,
Afternoon or evening and as you return to this practice over time,
It will reach more parts of your life in more supportive ways,
More things we can be grateful for.
So to begin the practice,
Finding a comfortable position,
Whether sitting,
Standing or lying down and bringing now what you need for additional comfort,
Warmth or ease and bringing an awakeness to your posture but not tensed,
So you know you are here,
Supported and grounded.
Your shoulders and arms can be relaxed by your sides,
With your hands resting in your lap or by your sides also and giving yourself a moment to recognize what is present in your awareness right now.
Allow whatever is here to arise,
Thoughts about the day ahead,
Reflections about the day that's passed,
Images,
Ideas,
Sounds or sensations or feelings in the body.
Making some space and allowing them all to be as they are,
Not wishing for things to be another way,
Not seeking anything,
Just allowing what is here.
And knowing in the practice ahead,
If at any point you are pulled away by distractions or thoughts,
Simply acknowledge that this is what a busy mind does,
This is okay,
All minds do this.
And then gently,
Without judgment and with understanding,
Bring your attention back,
Back to wherever you're focusing your attention and we'll begin by bringing our attention to the body,
To where you sit,
Stand or lie down,
To the space you occupy,
To the space around the body.
Noticing now where your physical body meets the surface you rest upon,
The surface you stand upon.
Noticing the feelings of direct contact,
Of pressure,
Of connection.
Your legs,
Your back,
Your arms making contact,
The pressure,
The connection,
The weight.
Noticing how the surface,
The chair,
The bed or ground support your weight,
How it meets the contours of your body,
How it does the job of keeping you upright,
Keeping you balanced,
Holding your posture and position.
Pause to notice this at each point.
Noticing any movements or slight adjustments you make as you do this.
Noticing the body settle more with each breath you take.
Just noticing,
Not trying to change anything,
This is how it is right now.
And now that we have found a comfortable position,
Perhaps a small release of physical tension or a sense of ease or comfort,
Bring your attention to the breath,
Wherever you notice the breath the most.
And follow the breath now with gentle attention,
Not trying to change the breath or breathe in a particular way,
Just noticing it as it is.
Noticing how it fills your body on the in-breath and releases on the out-breath.
Following the breath now in the short silence ahead,
With this in-breath and this out-breath.
Noticing how a breath gently moves the body,
Noticing how we do not have to make ourselves breathe,
Noticing how the breath brings deeper calm,
Rest and grounding to the body.
With this in-breath and this out-breath.
And now that we've found deeper stillness in the body and breath,
I'd like to invite you to bring to mind one or two things you are grateful for.
These may be events,
Relationships,
Experiences,
Skills,
People,
Animals,
Qualities,
Aspects of nature.
They may be things you've encountered today or another day.
They may be things that are always present.
Allow them to come to mind,
And continuing your focus on the breath as you do this,
No rush.
And when those reasons to be grateful rise up in awareness,
Hold them here.
Recognize what value they held for you,
What you are grateful for.
If it was a situation,
How it brought happiness or joy to your life.
If it's a person,
How they support you,
Care for you,
Or nourish your well-being.
If it's a skill or quality,
How it makes your life more comfortable or creates more opportunity.
Breathing with it,
Feeling the sense of it connecting with your body.
Now taking a moment to say some words of gratitude aloud or silently,
Whatever works for you.
I am grateful for this.
This supports me in my life.
May I appreciate this more often.
These things are a real gift and I'm grateful.
I'm truly thankful for this person in my life.
This skill or quality serves me well.
Choosing these words or others that work for you,
And saying them now as you breathe them in to your body,
Into your being,
With this in-breath and this out-breath.
And staying with the breath,
Feeling grounded in gratitude,
Thankful,
Appreciating,
Nourished and connected until you hear the bell at the end of the practice.
And when you're ready,
Slowly,
Gently,
Moving your body,
Your fingers and toes,
Rolling your shoulders and blinking open your eyes.
Doing this slowly,
Intentionally,
Grateful for the moments of calm you've cultivated,
Grateful for the gratitude you've expressed,
Grateful to feel grounded in gratitude.
Thank you for joining me today.
