Hello and welcome,
My name is Laya.
This is a guided meditation to help you connect to gratitude.
Sometimes in life we can get caught really thinking about and stewing on things that are not going well or that are causing us stress and discomfort.
And even though life is not all butterflies and rainbows,
It is important to pause at least once a day and take the time to recognize all the things that you yourself are doing well and everything that is moving in a positive way around you.
So if you haven't yet,
Go ahead and find a comfortable place to sit down or lie down,
Soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Let's take three deep breaths together.
In through your nose,
Out through your mouth,
In through your nose,
Out through your mouth.
One more time just like that,
Breathe in.
Let the air expand within your body in all directions and let it go.
And as you arrive into this moment to yourself,
Just check in.
Perhaps you do feel the stress of life revolving around you and within you.
Perhaps you do feel calm and present.
Either way,
Just the fact that you chose to bring yourself here is a reason to celebrate.
So find gratitude for that already.
Inhale and exhale.
If there's any tension in your body,
Perhaps you can allow it to soften.
Some of the tension might still be needed but maybe there's some of it that you can start to let go of just because you can.
Inhale.
As you exhale,
Soften.
Observe where your thoughts are,
What you are allowing to be important in this moment.
And as you start to take a step back from it all,
If you'd like to bring one hand or both to your heart,
Starting to connect to your heartbeat and the rhythm of life within you.
Breathe in deeply.
Allow prana,
The life force,
To expand within you,
To touch on every cell,
Bringing new energy,
New life into your body.
And every time you exhale,
Perhaps you let go a little bit more of any unnecessary stagnant energy,
Perhaps starting to feel a little bit lighter.
And then breathe out.
Attune to the rhythm of your breath and to the beat of your heart.
And as you are here fully present,
Just take this moment to recognize that no matter how you feel,
The fact that you are breathing and the fact that you are alive is the gift in itself.
Inhale,
Deepest breath you've taken all day.
Let it go.
Begin to connect to this sense of gratitude in your heart.
What is one thing that you can observe within you and about you right now that you are grateful for?
It can be something very simple.
If nothing comes to mind,
I am grateful for my breath.
I am grateful for my breath.
I am grateful for my breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Start to allow that gratitude to expand from your heart outward.
Perhaps you visualize it as a bright green light.
Let gratitude expand into every cell of your body,
Finding gratitude for every organ,
Every muscle,
Every fiber,
Every bone.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale completely.
Perhaps you allow this gratitude to expand even more into the space that you're in and outward and outward and outward.
Remain here connected with your breath,
With your body and what's unfolding within you and around you,
Cultivating this sense of gratitude,
Compassion and love.
We'll begin our affirmations.
You can choose to simply listen.
You can repeat them within.
You can repeat them out loud.
Inhale deeply.
Let out.
I am grateful that I woke up again this morning.
I am grateful for this moment.
I am grateful for my body.
I am grateful for my mind.
I am grateful for every person I encounter today.
I am grateful for every situation I find myself in today because it is an opportunity to learn and to grow.
I am grateful.
I am grateful.
I am grateful.
Inhale deeply.
Let it go.
Perhaps there are one,
Two,
Three or twenty more things that you are grateful for in this moment.
Perhaps you acknowledge them now.
And if nothing else comes to mind,
Perhaps you simply repeat,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you.
Once you feel ready,
Start to lower your hands back down,
Slowly open your eyes and greet the world before you.
I hope your day is filled with gratitude,
With learning,
With joy.
Until we meet again,
Be well.
