Cultivating Gratitude

This guided meditation invites you to turn and focus on the gratitude of your body and for your being and this existence. It's easier to find gratitude externally, here I invite you to breathe with love, appreciation, and gratitude for yourself. I'm here to support you on this journey.

Transcript

Welcome everybody,

It's lovely to have you here.

Let's get comfortable,

Close down your eyes and you can even be lying down for this.

So yeah have any cushions,

Any blankets,

Whatever's going to make you feel most at ease and with that in mind just take the next few moments with the eyes closed to shift and move in a way that you can feel really cozy and held and supported.

Once you feel ready and in that place anchor your awareness into the breath and to begin with if the mind is a little fluttery anchor into these words,

Empty all of your breath out and as you next breathe in say in your mind,

I am breathing in and as you empty out,

I am breathing out.

Just gradually,

Gently making those breaths a little bit longer with these words attached for now,

I am breathing in,

I am breathing out and then for this next beat change that up and start to say to yourself,

This body is breathing in,

This body is breathing out.

This can be done through the nose or the mouth,

Whatever feels more accessible to you at this time and just notice how the breath is and where it's moving within you,

Within this body.

This body is breathing in,

Where does it touch?

This body is breathing out and then for these next few moments notice that space in between the breaths.

So as this body breathes in,

Notice how you feel when your body is completely full of breath and observing as you empty out that pause that is natural and taken where you're fully empty before the next breath arrives.

So point of focus and awareness is simply on that space between the breaths,

There's no need to hold for longer,

You're just observing yourself,

This body breathing and then in this next beat invite you to bring gratitude and a sense of appreciation and love to this breath that is coming in and out of this body effortlessly and easily.

This breath that delivers nutrients,

That delivers nutrients,

Oxygen to all of your vital organs,

Your muscles,

Your blood,

Through your blood to your tissues and then with this awareness of your body and of your breath I invite you to take your awareness,

Your brain,

Your mind down to the feet,

The furthest part from the brain and just notice without moving the feet how they feel,

The ball of the feet,

The big toes,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe,

How the sole of the foot to the heel feels and just seeing for a moment if you can connect the breath from your heart all the way down visualizing it traveling down to the feet and sending a level of appreciation and gratitude to your very own feet,

Thinking about how you get around each day or what the feet do for you,

Sending love down from your heart all the way down through to the feet through to the feet and then move down to the legs thinking about the upper and lower region of your legs and bringing an element of gratitude and appreciation from your love and your heart down through to the legs,

Considering the support that they provide you,

The stability,

Again how they get you from A to B and all of the other things that you experience through the use of your legs,

Some things that we maybe take for granted sometimes or we could do,

Considering that time that you climbed to the top of a really tall building using a lot of stairs or to a tall mountain or you went running or you did a marathon or whatever,

It could be big or small,

It doesn't matter,

Whatever in your own time you've experienced and that's something to be grateful for and where your legs powered the way and then move up into the pelvis,

That part of the body that connects the lower and the upper body together and send love and gratitude from your heart down into this space,

Seeing if you can get the breath to move into the tissues within the pelvis where the reproductive organs are,

Where the genitals sit,

It's a place of pleasure,

Let's be truthful,

A place of creativity,

A place of play,

So just take a moment even if this area can somewhat feel uncomfortable to sit with,

Notice it all and see what range of gratitude you can bring to this area,

What energy you can bring to this space,

Take another beat to breathe to your heart and down to the pelvis and then move up into the abdomen,

Place of our digestive region,

Our gut,

Perhaps also encroaching on liver and spleen,

All of these organs which help to nourish us and support us without us consciously thinking about it,

So for the next few moments breathe in a way that fills the belly with breath so that you are using the breath to aid that function,

How amazing is it that even by bringing this awareness to these organs it will help them function better in a way of love and gratitude for what they do,

Again even if this area can sometimes be more tricky to connect with,

This is the opportunity and the time to give this space the love that it is desiring,

Breathing love to your heart and down to the belly,

Allowing the belly to expand with the breath and thanking this area and moving up into your heart and just observing where the physical heart is and just seeing if you can even feel your heart beating inside your chest,

Can you visualize the size of it and seeing it pumping and feeling into the lungs as well and just considering again the functions that the heart and the lungs do without us consciously aware of them and how when we are conscious it brings even more benefits into the body,

Taking a moment to really be thankful for being here,

For listening to this and showing up to connect with your body and being here on this planet at this moment in this time,

Able to breathe,

Able to have your heart pumping,

Distributing the blood all around to your brain and all your vital organs,

Just take a moment to hold either physically or in your mind,

Hold the heart like you're giving yourself a hug and then with that kind of imagery in mind,

Take your awareness to the arms and to the hands and just considering all the love that you give and receive through the use of your arms and hands and consider the self-care that you provide yourself through showering,

Cleaning,

Nurturing your body,

Clothing your body,

Tending to yourself through the use of your arms and hands,

That connection that you gain to yourself to other people through touch,

Pets,

To children,

Take a moment to breathe into your heart and send love and gratitude for all that you receive through the use of your arms,

Hands and touch and then moving up into the face,

Relaxing your back teeth and feeling into your jaw and mouth and being grateful for this space of communication,

Of taste,

Of freedom to express yourself,

Your emotion,

Again of connection and of pleasure.

For a brief moment I want you to think if you didn't have the use of this space or you couldn't taste anything,

Kind of how dull life could be,

Other senses would heighten but just to bring this awareness of the use of your arms and your senses would heighten but just to bring this awareness of gratitude so that you welcome back all that you gain from this beautiful space and then move up to the nose,

Feeling into the right nostril and feeling into the left nostril.

Perhaps one is easier to breathe through and again firstly and foremost thanking your breath,

This is our primary breathing muscle and it helps filter out any toxicity and keeps us safe,

Makes the air purer but it also provides us with that joy of smell.

Just take a moment to consider your favourite smells that make your heart sing,

Make your spirit lift,

Maybe heart sing and spirit lift.

You're sending love from your heart up to this space within the nose,

Within your sense of smell and move your attention to the outside of the face,

To the ears and giving thanks to this space of listening,

Listening to others and supporting and helping others to create that bond,

That connection but also to the joys in music,

The sound of rain when we're cosy at home,

Sound of birds singing or your favourite animal noise,

Pet in the household,

Children laughing,

Your own sound of laughter.

Take a moment to breathe that in and feel gratitude for your ears and the sense of sound and then move back around to the eyes and you may notice a colour behind the eyes or a pattern and with the awareness at this space bring into your mind some of the most wonderful things you've ever seen,

Whether that is from climbing to the top of a mountain and there's this beautiful view to meet you as well as this sense of achievement,

Whether it is the sight of your loved ones happy and smiling,

Laughing,

Maybe it's the sight of a delicious meal.

Take a moment to consider all that you receive through the sense of sight to bring gratitude into your heart for this and feel up to the crown of the head,

Feel within the mind and just bringing an awareness and gratitude for your mind.

You can get active in there but it's aims to keep you safe and to guide you.

It can get a little confused sometimes but it's still something to be grateful for because it also is the space of wonderful things.

Now I'm going to invite you to in essence lift your awareness out of your body and kind of gaze down at this physical being,

This body,

This vessel that you get to enjoy life through.

Just take a moment to bring love,

Appreciation and gratitude to this vessel,

This body for all the experiences that you've had and are yet to receive and even bringing awareness and gratitude to some of the challenges that this body,

This vessel has had to face as they're the moments we grow and transform to and that is something to be grateful for.

Welcome yourself back into this body and just for a few moments I'm going to leave you in silence and consider all the experiences that have lifted your heart,

All the moments when you felt connected to spirit and in your own element if you like.

There's a part of your body that is easily disconnected from you.

You can either bring your hands there now or send this energy that you've cultivated,

Visualize it heading into that space of your body and then for these next few moments just being aware of this physical space and time,

The way that you're sat or laying down,

What comforts are around you that you can be grateful for and allow all of this to pour into your body and into your heart.

Slowly bring your awareness back to fingers,

To toes,

To your breath and as you are ready begin to open your eyes and come back into this space.