I am your meditation guide,
Diana Simpson.
This is a gratitude meditation,
Connecting to the happiness within.
Take some time to relax into the blessings of the season with this guided meditation on gratitude.
As you put your attention on all that you have to be thankful for,
You will connect to the happiness that is part of your inherent nature.
Gratitude is the natural theme of the autumn season.
From making gratitude lists to sharing what you're grateful for at your Thanksgiving table,
There are various ways you can express your thanks throughout this holiday season.
Yet gratitude starts from within.
Before you can express your gratitude in an authentic way,
It's important to connect to all of the goodness in your life within your own heart first.
Gratitude meditation can set your day on a new course and can place your entire life on a different trajectory.
Try this gratitude meditation on your own or with others to feel your happiness expand during this season of thanks.
Before you start,
Get settled into a comfortable position that will allow you to feel relaxed yet alert.
You can sit on the floor or in a chair.
Just be sure to sit in a way that your spine can be long and upright.
Try to eliminate any disruptions or distractions for the duration of this meditation.
When you're settled,
Take a deep and cleansing breath.
As you exhale,
Soften your eyes.
Close your eyes if you feel comfortable or simply turn your gaze downward.
Let's begin by simply bringing your awareness to the breath.
Taking a long,
Steady breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Another inhale through the nose,
Softening the belly and exhale through the mouth.
And one last time,
Breathing in through the nose and out the mouth.
Coming back to your normal breath in and out of the nose.
We'll start a gratitude for your senses.
Let's bring your awareness to what you can hear.
Without labeling the sounds,
Simply notice your ears ability to hear.
Give thanks to your ears for working so well and for allowing you to hear everything that makes up this moment.
Thanks to your ears for letting you hear the voice of your beloved,
Your favorite song and the birds singing outside.
Now notice your sense of smell.
Offer your appreciation to your nose,
Allowing you to smell fresh baked cookies,
Your baby's newly washed hair and the unmistakable scent of a campfire.
Without your nose,
You couldn't taste your favorite meals or breathe in the ocean air.
So give thanks for your ability to smell.
To your taste buds now,
Offering your gratitude to your tongue and mouth for letting you taste your favorite coffee drink and the array of food that nourishes your system.
Thank you to your lips for kissing your partner or your children or pets.
Offer your heartfelt thanks to your sense of taste for letting you engage with all the flavors of the world.
Now notice what you feel with your skin.
The temperature of the air on the parts of you that are exposed.
The texture of the clothing that is keeping you warm.
The delightful sensations on your fingertips that let you feel the electricity in your heart when holding hands with your soulmate.
To the skin that lets you feel the texture of sand at the beach.
The sense of breeze on your neck.
The warmth of a blanket when you're cold.
Or the warmth of the sun on the back of your neck.
Thanks to the skin for helping you feel your life.
And now to your eyes.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Can you send waves of gratitude to these magical eyes for letting you see the world around you?
For making it possible to make eye contact with your best friend?
To see the smiling face of your child and the community you have chosen to surround yourself with.
Gratitude to your eyes which let you see art,
Nature,
And beauty in all its forms.
To whatever degree your eyes let you see,
Thank them for all they do.
For letting you take in the world around you through the windows of your soul.
Now take a deep breath and notice how you feel in your heart.
Connect to a feeling of expansion in your chest as you let yourself truly savor the full spectrum of your senses.
Now let it go.
Come back to your breath.
Breathing in and exhale.
Now let's offer gratitude to the people in your life.
Bring to mind someone in your life who is easy to love.
Picture this person sitting in front of you.
See them smiling at you and through your heart space,
Thank them for being in your life.
As if wherever they were at this very moment,
They could receive your gratitude.
Shower them with this energy of love.
And gratitude for simply existing.
Now pick another person.
Repeat this with as many people as you like.
Remembering that offering your gratitude to one person doesn't take it away from anyone else.
Just choose the first few people who are coming to your mind.
Thank them for being in your life.
Bring to mind now someone who has made your life easier.
Thank them for whatever they have done to help you out.
Recall a teacher in your life.
Someone who has shown you the way in either a formal or informal way.
Thanking them with your heart for teaching you on this journey.
Finally send your love and gratitude to every single person you have encountered so far or will encounter in this day.
Thank them for making your day more interesting and richer.
Now take a deep breath and gather up all the people in your life into your heart.
Holding them there for a moment.
And then let the image of them go.
Return to the balance of your breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Gratitude now for your material possessions.
Turn your attention to the possessions that have the most meaning for you.
Give your thanks to the items you have like special jewelry or relics that have been passed down to you from family or were given to you for a specific purpose.
Thank your possessions that hold special meaning for you.
Offering appreciation for the memories they hold.
Offer your thanks now to the home you live in and all the amenities that keep you safe.
You feel nourished and healthy.
To your comfortable bed,
Your fully functioning kitchen and the running water in your bathtub.
To the walls that keep you warm in the cold weather and the windows that open to cool you off when it's hot.
To the roof that protects you.
We say thank you.
Now to your clothing,
Your shoes and all the items you have been able to buy that keep you active and thriving in this world.
The books,
The tools and electronics that allow you to connect with others.
Learn new skills and broaden your horizons.
Gratitude to the money you give and receive.
Gratitude for your paycheck,
Your savings,
Your bills and your abundance.
Release any guilt or sense of shame about thinking your material possessions and instead truly appreciate them.
Gratitude to the present moment.
Take another deep breath in and exhale.
Connecting to this moment.
Now open your eyes and look around you and offer your gratitude for everything in your presence that is holding space for you to be in meditation right now.
Giving thanks to your circumstances and livelihood which give you the chance to sit here in stillness and to be grateful.
To your health and physical capabilities that make it possible to sit quietly and improve your outlook and well-being.
To the silence,
The calm,
The life,
The love,
The tears,
The joy and everything in between.
There is gratitude.
Be grateful.
And with that,
Take a final deep breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
I invite you to bring a smile to your face.
Bring your hands to your heart in a prayer shape and seal your meditation with this gesture of respect and devotion.
Notice how you feel and set the intention to bring this gratitude forward into your day.
Namaste.
