Hello and welcome.
For this meditation,
We are going to be moving into a somatic experience of gratitude.
Before we begin our practice today,
I want you to consider for a moment what happens in your body when you think about that place,
Person,
Or thing for which you are most grateful for.
I know for me,
My body will soften and a warmth fills the wide open space in my belly and chest.
There's a slight tingling in my arms of aliveness and a thirst for more.
When we feel the felt sense of gratitude,
We are really affirming life and inspiring love.
When we pause to open our own hearts to the gifts present before us,
We create a ripple of warmth throughout our being.
We create neural pathways to allow more appreciation to regularly permeate our being and we simmer in the ingredients most needed for homeostasis in the nervous system and body.
We really become radiant with this sort of quiet contentment.
This is why we somatically practice gratitude.
I'm going to guide you now through a simple three-part process for gratitude.
Wherever you find yourself in this moment,
I'd like you to take a seat.
When we meditate,
It's best to have a very strong spine,
Strong tall spine.
We want to keep a soft front and limitless mind.
Strong spine,
Soft front,
Limitless mind.
Then we bring our attention to our breath.
Breathing in,
I am aware of my in-breath.
Breathing out,
I am aware of my out-breath.
In-breath,
Out-breath.
Gratitude as a somatic practice is very much about feeling our bodies alive and awake.
I find the easiest way to begin is to physically place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly.
So just do that now.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
Notice what happens in your body as you touch your heart and belly.
You are here in this moment.
You are home noticing the power of your own love and attention.
And for this three-part process of gratitude,
We think it,
We feel it,
We absorb it.
So first we think of what we are grateful for.
And then we let it fill our body and senses.
We let ourselves receive the life force within that which we are grateful for.
And finally,
We absorb it as if we could open every pore and cell in our body to fully receive the spirit within that which we are grateful for.
So let me ask you now,
What is it you are most grateful for in this moment?
Someone you love,
Your favorite place in nature.
Maybe it's for yourself simply being present here in this moment.
What are you most grateful for?
Think it and now begin to feel it throughout your body as if it is medicine.
Feeding tissues,
Skin,
Your nervous system,
Eyes,
Belly,
Heart.
Open to fully receive this gift of gratitude throughout your entire being.
Think it,
Feel it,
Absorb it.
To become grateful is to think the mystery of this life for every moment we are alive.
When we are grateful,
Life rejoices with us.
To feel gratitude is to feel alive,
Awake,
Aware of this precious life.
A moment fully appreciated is medicine to the heart and soul.
And taking a deep breath and filling the body,
Finding some gentle movements if you need and opening your eyes slowly back open into this moment,
Into this room,
Your life.
As you move throughout your day,
Try to just keep your finger on the pulse of this feeling,
This moment.
To continue to reinforce the grooves and pathways of gratitude we have begun to excavate here today.
For the more that you familiarize the body with appreciation,
The more naturally it arises in your life.
And just remember,
Gratitude is accessible even amongst the swirl,
Chaos,
And darkness.
I thank you for taking the time to practice with me.
Be well.
