Good morning and welcome to this gratitude meditation.
This is a great session to listen to in the morning just after waking up.
Waking up with the sun gives us an excellent opportunity to begin the new day with renewed appreciation.
Take a few moments to bring yourself out of sleep into a light wakeful state.
You may open your eyes if you'd like or allow them to stay closed.
Take a deep breath in invigorating the lungs,
Waking them up and give your body a nice stretch gently waking it.
Our thoughts are often scattered first thing in the morning drifting to our responsibilities,
What we're having for breakfast,
Our commute,
Our work duties and everything else that vies for our attention day to day.
So before the mind wakes up completely this morning we're going to create a blank canvas.
Taking a nice deep cleansing breath in and release letting it go.
Clearing the mind of any leftover concerns from yesterday and any stress about the future.
Setting an intention to start fresh today.
Placing both hands lightly on the stomach area and breathe into them becoming more energized,
More alert,
Aligning yourself with willpower and the intention to start your day in gratitude.
Feel this invigorating energy flow underneath your hands and spread throughout the body.
Continue to hold your hands on the center of the stomach,
Your energy center.
Now visualize the sun.
Imagine it coming up over the horizon.
See it illuminating everything it touches,
Oceans,
The hills,
The grass and your skin.
Feel it touching your body,
Warming it,
Waking it up.
Hear the birds chirping and the roosters crowing as they greet the sun.
See the flowers opening gratefully tilting towards the light.
Tilt your head up like the flowers drinking in every ounce of sunlight.
Feeling it washing over and around you invigorating every part of your body.
Feel the sun illuminating your mind,
Bringing sunny thoughts to it,
Clearing away the lingering shadows of sleep.
Now let's repeat some positive affirmations to start the day off right.
Taking a deep breath,
A slow exhale,
Then repeat after me.
I am grateful for this day.
I am grateful for this day.
Add some emotion to the words by truly feeling the gratitude flow through them,
Not worrying about what your day will look like and letting go of expectation.
Simply expressing your thanks for waking up today.
I am grateful for this day.
Offering thanks for the sun.
I am grateful for this day.
Feeling gratitude flow through you as you breathe easily and enjoy this wonderful moment of pure appreciation.
I am grateful for this day.
And now repeat.
I am grateful for my body.
Feel appreciation moving through each body part as you say again.
I am grateful for my body.
I am grateful for my body.
Feeling it deep within your bones now as you continue to repeat.
I am grateful for my body.
Now repeat.
I am grateful for my mind.
Expressing thanks for your beautiful,
Unique,
Brilliant mind.
I am grateful for my mind.
I am grateful for my mind.
Feel appreciation move through your head as you continue to repeat.
I am grateful for my mind.
Next repeat.
I am grateful for everything I will experience today.
Say this again with strong conviction.
I am grateful for everything that I will experience today.
Good or bad.
Every experience makes us who we are.
Welcome the highs and the lows alike.
Knowing that everything is a lesson.
I am grateful for everything that I will experience today.
Every experience is an opportunity for growth.
Hold appreciation in your awareness as you continue to repeat.
I am grateful for everything that I will experience today.
Now you may choose a new affirmation to repeat beginning with the words I am grateful for and ending with the words of your choice.
Anything that you could return to throughout your day for inspiration and a dose of gratitude.
After you align with your affirmation,
Repeat it a few times,
Breathing deeply into the core of your body.
Deep inhales and slow exhales.
Once again,
Holding appreciation in your awareness.
When you're ready to end this session,
Go ahead and open your eyes if they've been closed.
Sit up straight and give the body another long stretch,
Extending the arms,
Reaching your fingers towards the sky,
Extending your legs and wiggling your toes and returning your breath to an easy natural rhythm.
As you finally rise,
Starting your day off on the right foot and carrying gratitude with you every step of the way.
