5-Minute Reset - Appreciate Everything

So often, we get caught up in scanning for problems or spend the better part of our day troubleshooting. This 5-minute meditation invites you to intentionally shift your awareness toward gratitude and appreciation. Research from UC Davis shows that cultivating appreciation directly results in greater happiness, better physical health, improved sleep, and a more optimistic outlook. It's this practice of gratitude that puts us in the feel-good state of appreciation which is the very thing we keep searching for. You'll realize that the serenity and joy you keep chasing isn't up ahead, at the end of the road or off in the distance. It's right here, available to you in any moment you choose.

Transcript

Welcome to today's short meditation on appreciation.

A study out of UC Davis showed that cultivating gratitude and appreciation directly results in greater happiness,

Better physical health,

And improved sleep.

And it also gave participants in the study a more optimistic outlook.

So in this practice we're going to intentionally shift our awareness toward gratitude and appreciation in order to start to reap some of these incredible benefits.

So let's begin.

Take a moment to let go of any tension you're feeling in your body as you allow yourself to relax.

And close your eyes.

See if you can let go of whatever's come before this moment and anything that's coming after as you gently ease into being here and now.

Let's take one deep breath in,

Inhale,

And exhale.

Let's start by appreciating your breath.

With each inhale try to cultivate a feeling of gratitude and appreciation for your constant loyal breath always here with you,

Tirelessly providing you with the air that sustains you.

Now I'd like you to visualize the space you're in right now,

What's around you.

Take a moment to appreciate something in that space.

It might be a soft carpet or a comfortable chair,

Maybe a cozy bed or a beautiful window.

Pick one thing and try to find the feelings of appreciation for that one thing.

Now bring your awareness to something in your life that's going well.

It can be small.

For this meditation,

The more specific the better,

And try to keep it simple.

Clean water,

A comfortable bed,

A quiet moment for yourself.

Try to find genuine appreciation for it.

What does it feel like to appreciate what's going right?

Feel those feelings.

Take a deep breath in appreciation,

Inhale.

Now see if you can think about something that you've accomplished.

What's something you did that you can be proud of?

So often we get caught up in scanning for problems,

Or we spend the better part of a day troubleshooting,

But we don't always take the time to appreciate what's gone well.

What's gone well for you?

Maybe you showed up when it was hard,

Maybe you chose yourself when usually you wouldn't.

Maybe you just got through a difficult day.

Can you cultivate the feeling of gratitude and appreciation for your ability to step up when it's required?

Again,

Try to really feel those feelings.

Let them permeate your entire being.

It's this practice of gratitude that puts us in the feel-good state of appreciation,

Which is the very thing we keep searching for.

So it's through this practice that we realize the serenity and joy that we keep chasing,

And we realize it's not up ahead at the end of the road or off in the distance.

It's right here,

And it's available to you in any moment you choose.

Thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today.

I'm Ilya Grace,

And until next time,

Trust in your practice and in your own inner guidance.

And allow the universe to work its magic.

Reviews

That was lovely! It truly did shift my perspective and my heart to gratitude and to see the beauty in the simple things. Thank you!