We begin with a few deep breaths,
Becoming present to the rise and fall of our chest,
Noticing where the breath appears the strongest this morning,
And gently allowing your body to settle into being together in this space,
With each breath settling into the body.
Today I invite you to notice the thoughts that are arising,
Becoming curious to them,
Noticing if there's particular storylines that you're finding yourself attached to.
I invite you to explore this attachment with a sense of curiosity.
Notice how these thoughts appear in your body,
The expression of thoughts as they unfold and manifest in the physical form.
Then I invite you to turn back to the breath as your anchor,
As you notice a thought appear,
Watching its impact on the body,
The physical sensation,
And then returning to the breath,
Gently allowing the thought to exit as easily as it entered the mind.
Another part of this practice may be to label the thoughts as they arise,
As pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral,
Noticing,
Again,
The physical sensations that are associated with a particular thought,
And gently returning to the breath as your anchor.
The art of this practice is to notice without judgment,
To allow whatever arises to rise,
And then watch it pass as easily as it arises.
Now bring to mind a being for whom you are grateful,
Someone in your life that brings you joy and happiness.
Visualize their face or whatever image you have of them that brings a smile to your face.
Notice how visualizing their being feels in your heart space.
Open your chest and your heart to any compassion and softness,
Warmth,
That you feel when you visualize this being.
Become aware of any gratitude that you feel,
Any sense of gratefulness for having this being in your life,
However they appear.
Notice how gratitude manifests in your body.
Perhaps it appears in your eyes,
Or in your cheeks,
In your heart,
Or in your breath itself.
Notice what other emotions arise with gratitude.
Now expand your sense of gratitude from this individual being to a group of beings.
This may be humans,
Or animals,
Or others in your life for which you feel a sense of gratitude,
Love,
Compassion.
See how warmth radiates from you to this visualization,
To these beings as gratitude.
Now expand this circle of gratitude and warmth even further,
Perhaps for the ground that holds you,
The trees and nature,
Mountains and sky,
All that resides,
The water,
The ocean.
However nature manifests for you,
Offering gratitude for all that is supported by nature,
By the universe.
Again,
Remaining present to how gratitude feels in the body itself,
And then how it expands in circles of awareness out from your body.
Now allow whatever visualization you've conjured in your mind to dissipate and rest in open awareness.
Now in these final minutes,
Draw your awareness back to your body and to the breath.
When you hear the bell,
I invite you to stay seated for a few moments before returning to your day or to your night.
