Finding Gratitude In Difficult Times

Difficult times are a part of life. In this meditation, Elisha will guide you through grounding, presence, and uncovering the feeling of embodied gratitude and connection. As we practice this, we can create greater self-love, ease, and peace in our lives.

Transcript

So starting off with a couple deep breaths.

In through your nose,

Out through your mouth.

Allowing that opportunity,

Almost a permission to release a little bit into this space,

To this time together.

And just for these next 20 minutes,

There's nowhere to go,

There's nothing to do,

There's no problems to solve,

There's no messages to respond to,

This is just a space for you.

So taking a moment as you begin,

Just acknowledge yourself for taking this time.

Just for your own health and well-being.

You can almost begin with a sense of appreciation for yourself.

And as you're doing that,

Settling into an awareness of your body and being aware of if there's any tension or holding anywhere.

Just as an act of kindness towards your body,

See if you can allow that to soften or maybe even do a gentle stretch to open that space up.

Take your time.

And as you're doing this,

Noticing how your body is just naturally breathing.

And how with each inhalation,

You're literally taking in essential nutrients your body needs to sustain life,

This oxygen.

Breathing in and noticing the breath coming in,

To your nose,

Feeling your body,

Even maybe having an awareness of the cells of your body,

Drinking it in.

Sensing into the nourishment of this breath.

And just letting it go.

And just letting it go.

And just letting it go.

And just letting it go.

Now practicing deepening this into our hearts for a moment.

Imagine the breath was coming in through your heart and going out through your heart.

And beginning to bring to mind now something.

I want you to bring to mind a memory.

A memory of something you're really happy having happened,

Something you're appreciative for that had occurred.

This could be,

This could be the birth of a child.

It could be a meeting you had or a lunch you had or a time you had with a good friend or family member over a cup of tea or coffee.

This could be an accomplishment that you had on your own.

A proposal,

That could be anything,

Something that you had or anything,

Something from a long time ago or something more recently.

Just picturing it in your mind,

Whatever it is,

And allowing it to play out like a movie in your mind,

Really seeing the experience.

Who was there,

What was happening,

What was said.

Feeling so appreciative that this moment had occurred.

And I'm gonna do this two more times.

And so now picking another memory.

Again,

It could be something as small as being surprised by the smile of a stranger,

Or it could be something,

A little more weight to you,

Like the birth of a child or some big accomplishment that you had.

It could be a touchstone in your life.

Could be a spiritual moment.

Whatever it is,

Remembering it,

Choosing one,

Remembering it.

Really picturing it,

Envisioning it like as if you were there.

What was it about this moment that was so good,

That you're so deeply appreciative for having happened?

And so now,

You're so appreciative for having happened.

You may even notice as you're doing this,

A smile beginning to form in your heart,

Or in your body,

Or in your mind,

Maybe even on your face.

Just allowing yourself to have that experience,

Open to what's there.

Choosing one final moment,

Something,

Something from the past in your life,

Some memory.

Some memory that you can feel so grateful for having happened.

Something with yourself or with another person.

Could be a trip that you went on in a moment,

You saw this beautiful sunset.

Could be a deeply meaningful connection with another person.

Could be just something you've done on your own,

Some accomplishment.

Picturing it in your mind.

Allowing all the cells of your body to remember this moment.

What was it about this moment that felt so good?

Feeling it in your heart.

Take a moment to feel so grateful for this experience.

And so breathing in and just noticing the feeling that's here,

Whatever it is,

Just this moment of acknowledging.

Breathing out,

Just letting it be.

Allowing for a moment of reflective inquiry into what's here.

And then on the exhalation,

Just letting it be,

Letting it integrate.

Taking a moment to imagine the people that you care about,

The people that you love,

The people who are maybe closest to you,

Who are living.

Animals and people who you have the most contact with.

Maybe you don't have as much contact with them,

But you hold them dear to your heart.

Breathing in,

Whatever this experience was for you,

This sense of nourishment,

This sense of gratitude,

Appreciation,

Sense of joy,

Breathing in one for me.

Allowing it to fill the cells of your body.

Breathing out,

Imagining that flowing out.

And lighting up all those people.

This is if you have a superpower from your heart,

Breathing in through your heart,

This heart center of your body,

This sense of caring,

Encouragement,

Love,

One for me.

It's like you're sending it out,

Breathing out,

Imagining it lighting up all those people.

And also including everyone here,

People all over the world right now who are practicing with you.

Including them as well,

Breathing in,

Sensing that appreciation and appreciation,

That gratitude,

That awareness of the good,

Breathing in that,

Breathing out from your heart,

Allowing it to spread out to everyone here.

And as you're doing that,

As you're somebody here,

Also being aware that you're receiving that from all these people and all the people,

Everyone here is good memories,

Everything that deeply grateful for,

The appreciation,

The things that light them up,

The warmth.

As you're inhaling,

You're bringing that in.

Everyone's sending it to you.

Breathing out,

Allowing it to be regenerative,

Sending it back out.

Allowing it to expand out to the family and friends and the networks of everyone here.

Imagining that,

Seeing that from all around the world,

Seeing this expansion of this network,

Touching all the people that they care about and that they love,

Allowing it to expand even from there,

Breathing in,

Taking in everyone's appreciative experiences,

Memories,

Feeling in that way,

Allowing it to light you up as they're sending it to you,

Allowing it to expand your heart,

Breathing out,

Allowing that to,

Then have the ripple effects across people they care about and are connected with until you see it ripple and ripple and ripple,

Until it surrounds the entire globe,

Breathing in,

Taking in,

Everything that everyone's sending to you right now.

Breathing out,

Seeing your breath go out and create ripple effects across the entire world until it's completely surrounded with this sense of loving-kindness.

So breathing in one for me,

Taking it in,

Breathing out one for everyone.

Thank you.

.

.

.

Your mind is drifted,

Taking a moment to take note of that,

Gently guide it back.

Spend the next just few moments breathing in one for me,

Taking it in.

You can even imagine the joy and gratitude of all these people around the world being sent into you,

Taking it in,

Breathing out,

Allowing it to regenerate,

Sending out these types of wishes,

These intentions,

This energy.

.

.

.

Now just taking a moment to bring it back to you,

Now just seeing what's here,

How you're feeling physically,

Emotionally,

What's present.

There's a sense of glow or smile within you,

Just have it and enjoy it.

There's a mixture of feelings,

Allowing that to be held within a field of being welcome.

As we bring this practice to a close,

I'm reminded of the practice like this of Hafiz's poem,

Which you've no doubt maybe heard before,

How Did the Rose Ever Open Up and Show to the World All Its Beauty?

I felt the encouragement of light against its being.

Otherwise,

We all remain too frightened.

Until May,

In the hours and the days and the weeks ahead,

You take time to feel more of the encouragement of light against your being or find it.

I know in the Mindful Living Collective,

That's like a huge intention,

Is to be a source of that,

Be a source of light against your being.

Otherwise,

We all remain too frightened and we know there's a lot of that and there's a lot of money being put towards creating more fear.

We need as much as we can to take hold of our attention and point it in directions and put it in spaces where there's going to be more of an encouragement of light against our being.

We can be like the rose and open up and show to the world all our beauty.

What would it be like if there were more roses around opening up and showing to the world all its beauty instead of recoiling and being too frightened?

We need more of that.

We need you.

We need you to do that.

You doing that for yourself is not just for yourself.

That's for all the people you come in contact with too.

And it's regenerative.

.

Reviews

I was really able to remember meaningful memories that brought me great joy.

So good. So good for me. So good for me now. 🙏🏻💞

Just wonderful! Thank you for reconnecting to joy 🙏

It felt good to give and receive. Thank you. ❤️❤️❤️

Wonderful. The authentic ending moments made me smile and nod. Thank you!

Great voice, pacing excellent, with just right silence for space to experience my own process.

Thank you for this beautiful meditation of giving and receiving!

Wonderful and beautiful journey. Om Shanti Ananda.

Thank you for expressing yoir gratitude.

Loved this meditation - thank you! 🙏🏼

This is one of the most effective meditations at reprogramming my brain for positivity and opening my heart.

Oh this was perfect this morning! Thank you so much!

Just want I needed , to remember gratitude , it’s so important and I had lost myself a bit through not appreciating what I do have and thinking of all I don’t . Very insightful.
Thank you

Very welcome meditation for the times we are experiencing. Thank you.

First time ever I'm thinking 'I would like to be a rose. A beautiful rose. For myself. Ánd for the world around me.' Great thought.. thank you for the inspiration

Thank you for the kind reminder to be the light that i was intended to be, Namaste💜🙏🏼💜

Thank you 🙏! This is so appreciated and vital...that we choose to see the Light and BE the Light during this time when so much is drawing us into Fear even though it isn’t always intended to do so. Tapping into beautiful memories was comforting for me.

Thank you for reminding me/us of the light against our being, I’m taking this intention with me today.

Happy that I did this meditation this morning. Now my day starts with a better opening, like a rise!

🌿✨💜✨🌿 Thank you. Xxx