Welcome to this gratitude focused mindfulness meditation.
Find a comfortable place to be in your body.
Seated on the ground,
Support beneath the hips.
Seated in a chair,
Feet on the ground.
You can lie down or you can stand.
Whatever position you take,
Feeling supported,
Relaxing through shoulders,
Face,
Fingers and toes.
Aware of your natural rhythm of breath and bringing to mind some object that you are thankful for.
A non-living object,
Perhaps a gift you received from someone,
Something you found.
Whatever object you are thankful for today,
Bringing that to mind and notice what sensations arrive in the body.
Is there a release of tension and excitement?
Do you feel warm or cool?
And keeping in mind this object you are thankful for.
Aware of thoughts and memories that arrive.
Noticing what comes to mind.
Perhaps a memory of a place you found this object,
Of the person who gifted it to you.
Keeping in mind what you are thankful for,
This object you are thankful for.
Notice feelings and emotions that arrive.
Relaxing,
Calm.
There may be a mix of emotions.
Letting hear that connection of emotions,
Thoughts and sensations in the body.
Placing no value judgment on how you feel or what comes to mind in the context of this object you are thankful for.
And saying to yourself out loud or silently,
I am thankful for,
And whatever that object is.
Letting go of this object,
Bringing to mind a place you are thankful for.
A place you have been,
On vacation,
A trip.
A place in your home,
Perhaps your home.
Or some other place you frequent that brings you comfort,
Joy.
Where this place is,
Here again bringing to mind or becoming aware of sensations that arrive in the body as you bring this place to mind.
What do you see in this place?
What do you hear,
Smell?
Are there tastes associated with this place?
Noticing sensations that you feel as you bring this place to mind and sensations that you imagine as you bring this place to mind.
And keeping in mind this place you are thankful for,
Notice what thoughts or memories arrive.
This feelings and emotions that arrive.
And aware of that connection of emotion,
Thought,
And sensations in the body to this place you are thankful for.
Bringing to yourself out loud or silently,
I am thankful for.
And whatever that place is.
Bringing go of that place,
Bringing to mind some person or living thing you are thankful for.
Bringing to mind the support this person gives,
Kind words,
Encouragement.
This could be a person,
A pet,
A plant,
Some living thing that you are thankful for today.
And as you bring this person or living thing to mind,
Notice what sensations arrive in the body.
What thoughts or memories arrive?
Your feelings or emotions?
Feeling again that connection of sensation to thought,
To emotion in the context of this living being you are thankful for today.
Imagine letting go of this living thing,
This person,
Pet,
Or plant.
Bringing to mind yourself.
Holding gratitude for you.
Imagine seeing yourself standing before a mirror and all of the acts of kindness,
All of the support and service you have shown to others.
And tuning here into that internal space of gratitude and love,
Showing gratitude and love for yourself.
Aware of sensations in the body that arrive as you think of being thankful for yourself.
Notice any comfort or discomfort and aware of thoughts or memories as you hold gratitude for yourself here in this moment.
And bringing awareness to feelings and emotions as you hold space for gratitude for you.
Again,
Placing no value judgment on how you feel,
Thoughts that arrive,
Sensations in the body,
Simply being aware,
Feeling that connection,
And saying to yourself out loud or silently,
I am thankful for me.
I am thankful for me.
Imagine letting go of yourself,
Bringing to mind whatever you consider to be greater than yourself that you are thankful for.
This can be an entity,
You might call it God,
Universe,
Collective consciousness.
This might be community,
Nature.
Whatever you consider to be greater than yourself.
Bringing to mind what you are thankful for here.
As you bring to mind this entity or concept or this community that extends beyond you,
Aware of sensations that arrive in the body.
The weight of the body.
Tension or release of tension.
A warmth or coolness.
Keeping in mind this thing greater than you that you are thankful for,
Aware of thoughts or memories.
Quotes,
Ideas,
Philosophies that come to mind.
A memory of an experience that seemed perhaps otherworldly or brought you to a deeper connection with nature or your community.
And bringing to mind or becoming aware of feelings and emotions that arrive as you think of this entity,
This community,
This thing greater than yourself that you are thankful for.
How do you feel?
You feeling wholly connected in body,
Mind,
Emotion and spirit.
Saying out loud or silently to yourself,
I am thankful for and whatever that is.
And aware of the support beneath your body.
The breath moving through your body.
Aware of your heartbeat.
Aware of the air on your skin.
Bring movement to limbs,
To fingers and toes.
Gently waking up the body and opening the eyes to see all that's around you.
Thankful for the space you're in and for this moment.
Thank you for being with us today.
