Once you have found your meditation posture,
It could be sitting on a chair with the soles of your feet against the ground,
Or on the floor with your legs crossed,
Or lying down in what we call Shavasana in yoga.
Check if there's anything that needs adjusting.
Your clothes,
The position of your feet,
Or your hands,
Or maybe you want to cover yourself so that you don't feel cold.
For the first few minutes of this meditation,
I want you to simply arrive in the here and now.
Don't control anything.
Feel the earth supporting your weight,
The temperature of the air,
The clothes on your skin.
Do you notice any smells?
What do you hear?
Now,
I want you to direct your attention to your feet,
To the toes,
The soles of your feet,
The heels,
The ankles.
Think of all the different surfaces your feet have walked on.
Grass,
Rocks,
Sand,
The floor of your home,
Other people's floors,
Sidewalks,
Carpets.
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your feet?
Thank you.
Move your attention to your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs.
How many places have you been able to visit thanks to your legs?
How many nights have you danced?
How many kilometers have you run?
How many mountains,
Stairs,
And steep streets have you climbed?
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your legs?
Thank you.
Direct your attention to the pelvic area,
Your glutes,
Your hips,
Our center of vitality,
Of stability,
Our sexual energy,
Our point of connection with the simplest,
The most natural,
The most human aspects of life.
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards this part of your body?
Thank you.
Direct your attention to your belly,
Where your intestines are,
Where the magic happens,
Where we absorb everything we eat and drink to no more and no less than to stay alive.
To your spine,
Each of its vertebrae,
In the entire nervous system,
To your abs,
That muscular band that keeps us upright and protects so many internal organs.
It's hard to overestimate its importance.
But when was the last time you felt gratitude towards your digestive system,
The strength of your core,
Your spine?
Thank you.
Move your attention to your chest,
Your lungs.
Notice how they inflate with each inhalation and deflate with each exhalation.
Even if you're only aware of your breathing when you sit to meditate,
Like right now,
Your body keeps relentlessly inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling and exhaling.
And your heart,
The one that speeds up when you get scared and stabilizes with the caress or the hug of a loved one.
The one that has not stopped beating since you were inside of your mother's womb.
Do you hear it?
Do you feel it?
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your lungs,
Your heart?
Thank you.
Direct your attention to your neck,
Where your voice comes from,
Your way of communicating with the world,
Of expressing yourself.
Remember all those times you sang in the shower,
All the times you used your voice to tell stories,
Teach,
Shout,
Forgive,
To show anger,
Love,
Sadness,
Joy.
Do you notice any tension?
Is there anything that has been left unsaid?
Anything you need to let out?
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your neck,
Your throat,
Your voice?
Thank you.
Move your attention to your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your hands,
And think about everything you have been able to do just today thanks to them.
Work on the computer,
Cook,
Eat,
Shower,
Hug,
Caress,
Hold.
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your hands?
Thank you.
And now direct your attention to your head,
Your mouth,
Your nose,
Your eyes,
Your ears,
Your mind.
Relax your jaw,
Relax your brow,
And recall the most delicious taste you have ever tried,
The most pleasant scent you have ever smelled,
The most beautiful sound you have ever heard,
The most stunning landscape you have ever seen,
The face of a loved one,
Grandmother's cooking,
A sunset,
The fragrance of a flower,
The song that takes you back to your childhood.
When was the last time you felt gratitude towards your mouth,
Your nose,
Your ears,
Your eyes,
Your mind?
Thank you.
Finally,
I want you to look at yourself from above as if you were a bird.
Observe yourself without judgment,
Without criticism,
Just enjoying how it feels to inhabit your body,
This temporary yet wonderful home that life has given you to walk it,
Experience it,
Enjoy it,
Live it in gratitude.
Thank yourself for the gift of this little moment of peace,
Because whatever may be happening in your life right now,
We can all thank God,
The universe,
Life,
For giving us a body,
Health,
And the ability to be here now.
