I'm Kate Mishkon and I'm a mindfulness meditation teacher here on Insight Timer and I'm just so happy that you've joined me to share this gratitude practice with me.
This is actually the first gratitude practice that I've published on Insight Timer even though it's a practice that I use almost daily and so I'm very excited for you to enjoy some of the benefits of this practice.
I find that this is one of the quickest ways I can shift my emotional state especially if I wake up feeling a bit flat or negative or worried and just by doing a short gratitude practice I find that I can really change the quality of my morning and quality of my day and the way I interact with people.
So it's really powerful and really simple and I hope you enjoy it.
So let's just start by getting ourselves comfortable,
It's the most important part of the practice.
So if you're sitting,
Just sitting upright but not too rigid,
Making sure you're comfortable trying to have a tall spine,
Head upright,
Shoulders back,
So just holding yourself there and if for any reason you're in pain or tired and you're lying down of course that's totally okay too.
So once you're settled and comfortable I'd invite you to gently close down the eyes or if it's more comfortable for you just gently lower the gaze to the floor and just taking a couple of moments to ground ourselves with the breath.
So first just taking a deep breath in and then breathing out and again breathing in and breathing out breathing deeply in and breathing out and just allowing the body to settle,
Settling into this chair,
This moment,
Noticing your body connecting with the ground beneath you,
Allowing a real settling and letting go,
Being curious about that connection between your body and the surface beneath you and if the mind's busy,
Wondering,
That's okay and that's all part of the practice.
So just noticing busy thoughts,
Busy mind and bringing your awareness back,
Back to this moment,
Back to the body,
On this chair,
This bed,
In this moment and now just taking a moment to really set your intention for this practice.
What are you hoping for from this short time we have together?
Really landing on what feels right for you.
Maybe you're looking for a little more peace,
Tranquility.
Maybe you're looking for a feeling of being grounded,
Supported.
Maybe for a little more hope,
Positivity.
Whatever feels right,
Just hold on to that and know that just by spending this short time together you'll be bringing this energy into your day and into the world around you.
So I'd like to invite you now to bring to mind something small that's gone well in your day.
Even if your day started really badly,
Even if your mood is very negative or flat,
Just seeing if you can seek out a small and tiny thing that went well,
That you enjoyed perhaps at the start of your day.
It might be a good night's sleep,
The warmth of your bed,
A tiny interaction with someone in your house,
A smile,
A warm cup of tea or coffee,
A glance at the sky out the window,
The feeling of grass or cold ground underfoot,
The sound of the birds,
The health of your body,
The walls of your home protecting you.
So just landing on something small that perhaps you don't normally notice,
Something that felt good,
Felt safe,
Felt supportive this morning.
And when you found that thing,
Bringing it into your mind's eye in all its intensity,
Seeing if you can bring back the feelings,
The sensations of being in that moment,
In that good thing,
That small thing that you're so grateful for today.
Just imagining yourself back there.
And as you bring it to mind,
Just noticing how your body's feeling.
How does your body respond when you bring this memory to mind?
And now let's move to gratitude for those around us.
So seeing if you can bring to mind a person that you're grateful for,
Perhaps someone you live with,
A friend,
A family member,
Or maybe someone you work with,
Or someone you see often in your local area.
And just seeing if you can bring to mind someone that you're grateful for.
Someone you interact with who makes you feel safe and seen,
And like everything's okay when you're in their presence.
And when you've landed on that person,
Bringing them into your mind's eye,
And noticing how it feels to be in their presence.
Noticing how your body responds to the energy of their presence.
And starting to think about what it is about this person that you're grateful for.
Perhaps there's many things.
May they do for you,
Or perhaps it's just the way that they make you feel.
But just taking a moment to really sink into gratitude for this person in your life.
And really allowing their image to be bright in your mind.
Perhaps even imagining them gazing at you,
Smiling at you.
And enjoying that sense of safety and connection.
Smiling at you.
And enjoying that sense of safety and connection that you feel in their presence.
And perhaps thanking them quietly in your mind for all that they do for you,
Or for the way that they make you feel.
Sending them good wishes and gratitude.
And allowing them to dissolve in your mind's eye.
Noticing how you're feeling.
And now bringing to mind a place that you're grateful for.
Perhaps a place you visited far away on holiday.
Or perhaps just a safe place at home,
A garden,
A chair,
A bed.
Or maybe a place outdoors.
A place that makes you feel safe and hopeful.
So just landing on the place that feels right for you in this moment.
There's no right and no wrong,
Whatever calls to you.
And bringing this place to life in your mind.
Seeing it in all its colors.
Hearing all the sounds.
Or perhaps just the sounds of the wind.
All the sounds.
Or perhaps just the silence of this place.
And imagining yourself sitting or standing right there.
And noticing again how your body responds to being in this place that you're grateful for.
This place of safety and refuge and happiness.
And just allowing yourself to really experience how it feels to be in this place.
Noticing all your senses come alive as you sink into this place that you're grateful for.
Allowing the body to really let go into this place of safety.
Perhaps opening the heart.
Raising the chin a little.
And just allowing yourself to soak into this place.
The feeling of being in this place that you're so grateful for.
And noticing how your body feels.
And now allowing this place to dissolve,
Disappear.
And coming back into the body.
And noticing the breath.
Sensing the natural rise and fall of the breath in the body.
And allowing the whole body to breathe.
Enjoying the sense of presence.
This sense of deep awareness.
And perhaps allowing a gentle smile to help you close this practice.
Allowing the whole body to breathe.
And a gentle smile to help you close this practice.
Allowing the corners of the eyes to smile.
And the mouth to smile gently.
As you take in all that you're grateful for.
And just taking one hand onto the heart space.
Resting your hand there.
And now one hand on the belly.
Holding yourself in this moment.
Sealing in all the benefits of this practice.
And in your own time.
Gently moving the hands back down to the lap or down by your sides.
And when you're ready.
Gently wiggling the toes.
Wiggling the fingers.
And opening the eyes.
And opening the eyes and coming back into this place together.
And I really just want to close this practice by thanking you all for joining me,
For sharing this practice.
For your energy.
And I wish you all a really peaceful day,
Evening.
And if you enjoyed this meditation then do follow me on Insight Timer.
You'll find a number of other grounding and calming practices that I hope you'll find helpful.
Thank you all.
Take care.
And see you soon.
