Hello,
And welcome to this morning gratitude meditation.
My name is Elliot and I'm a meditation instructor in Melbourne,
Australia.
It's a privilege to be here with you on Inside Timer.
This morning meditation will allow you to help you start the day with gratitude and to remember in the midst of challenges the many gifts that you are grateful for.
We'll be using the breath,
Awareness,
And gratitude as tools to open ourselves into a blissful state for the day.
Settle into a cross-legged posture with the hands open facing upward,
Or if you're lying down make sure your head is supported and your hands are at your sides with palms facing up.
Maintain a straight back with its natural curves.
With the face slightly upturned,
Allow your focus to rest between the eyebrows and then gently invite the eyelids to close,
The mind to settle,
And the body to relax.
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Take a good,
Full,
Deep breath in through the nose and let it go out the mouth.
In through the nose,
Out the mouth.
Tuning our awareness into the freshness of this breath.
Clearing out the lungs and respiratory system from any stagnant energy left over from sleep and inviting the fresh,
New,
Morning air into the body.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
Begin to observe the rise and fall of the chest and belly as your breathing slows.
Follow the trajectory of the breath as it enters both nostrils,
Making its way down the back of the throat,
Expanding the belly and chest as it fills the lungs,
Bringing oxygen and nourishment throughout the entire body.
One more full inhale and on this exhale,
Release any remaining stagnant energy or tension left over from the night.
Feeling it pass out of the body and being welcomed by the world in which it will be recycled to make fresh air again by the trees.
Now close the mouth and begin exhaling with the nose.
We'll begin this gratitude practice right here with the breath.
It's quite easy to take the breath for granted.
It flows in and out of its own volition and we rarely mind it unless it acts up.
The breath is life and what a fantastic gift it is to wake up and breathe.
Bring your awareness to the physical body,
Becoming aware of it from the crown of your head all the way down to the toes.
We often judge our bodies for what they can't do,
But rarely stop to marvel at all they're capable of achieving,
Oftentimes without any conscious effort on our part.
Besides breathing,
What is your body doing right now that you can be grateful for?
Throughout the day or night,
What can your body do that you are grateful for?
Continuing to breathe in and out of the nose with a sense of ease and appreciation.
In rise,
Out fall.
In rise,
Out fall.
In rise,
Out fall.
Now,
Shift your awareness to yourself,
Your character,
Your persona.
It's really easy to be self-critical and to pick ourselves apart when we're so identified with our psyche.
While bringing some gentle observation to our own nature,
Our own character,
Let's softly utter what personality traits we can be grateful for.
Perhaps they're parts of us that we worked hard on or came naturally to us.
Or perhaps they're things we are currently focused on improving within ourselves and making progress with.
Whatever they may be,
What makes you uniquely you that you can acknowledge and send some love to?
In through the nose.
Out through the nose.
In through the nose.
Out through the nose.
And now,
Moving your awareness to the external physical world around you.
What do you have in this world to be grateful for?
Could it be a home to live in?
Nourishing food to sustain you?
A bed to rest in?
Clean water to drink?
What freedoms do you have in this world?
These are often considered basic necessities for some,
But keep in mind that these are gifts that so many people will not have the opportunity to be fortunate enough to enjoy today.
Let's take a moment to send gratitude for these things we have.
In rise.
Out fall.
In rise.
Out fall.
In rise.
Out fall.
Out fall.
Shift your awareness now to the people in your life.
We do not get from point A to point B alone.
Within almost every single act we make,
There are many others involved who may have dedicated part of their life to enhancing yours whether you know about them or not.
Who supports you?
Who encourages you?
Who inspires you?
Who brings joy into your life?
Bring these people to mind and silently send them gratitude from your heart.
You may find it useful to put your right hand upon your heart for this part.
In expanding.
Out contracting.
In expanding.
Out contracting.
In expanding.
Out contracting.
When we no longer take life for granted,
We become available to the power of gratitude.
Increasing our awareness to include more of what we're grateful for raises our energetic levels as we increase our connectivity to the world within and around us,
Which we wouldn't be able to keep ourselves alive without.
In this sense,
Gratitude can keep a thread of honesty in our daily experience,
Which wards off nasty thoughts and emotional activity because we are reminded that we are not going through this life alone and a disconnected painful existence is not necessary and we are part of something much,
Much greater.
Through gratitude,
We can live in awe and become available to the inherent goodness of the world.
From this place of gratitude,
Move into your day knowing that there will be obstacles and challenges to face and whether you can't change those or choose not to always choose to remember the many gifts that you are grateful for.
When you feel ready,
Begin to bring some gentle movements into your body.
Take a big breath in through the nose,
Open the mouth and let it go.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
In your own time,
Begin to open the eyes.
A closing quote by Lionel Hampton.
Thank you for sharing your meditation practice with me.
Namaste.
