Welcome to day five of the gentle pause.
We are officially at the halfway point,
Congratulations,
And I am acknowledging you for continuing to show up and give yourself this space over the last few days.
I hope it's offering you a little pause,
A little moment just for you,
Where you feel grounded and nourished,
And I hope it's been exactly what you needed.
Today,
We are exploring gratitude,
Not as anything forced or overly positive,
But as a gentle way of noticing what's already here.
Gratitude works in this beautiful way where the more we slow down and notice what we're grateful for,
The more it seems to show up around us and within us.
More moments,
More things that support us and light us up and truly matter to us.
And it doesn't mean that life is perfect or easy.
It simply means that we're widening our lens and allowing ourselves to see the beauty alongside the challenge.
It's about gently remembering that there's still so much to be thankful for.
And today we are giving ourselves the space to feel that.
So let's begin by gently arriving here together.
If you haven't already,
Closing down your eyes and settling into a comfortable position,
Maybe with your feet on the floor,
Maybe with a blanket around you,
You can begin by gently noticing the space,
The temperature of the air on your skin,
Taking in the sounds that may be near you or off in the distance.
And as you stay with the breath,
Just allowing yourself to let go of the day behind you and giving yourself time to fully land here.
Now bring to mind a moment,
Maybe from the last few days or weeks,
That has filled you with a sense of gratitude.
Maybe it was something simple,
A kind gesture,
A warm cup of coffee in the morning or a moment of connection.
Whatever that moment was,
Let it come into focus now.
Who was there?
How did it feel in your body?
And as you replay that moment,
Just allow the feeling of gratitude to grow,
To radiate throughout your body.
Taking a moment to really feel into that.
And now bringing to mind someone you feel grateful for.
Maybe it's someone who supports you,
Who loves you or inspires you,
Or someone you just feel safe to be around.
See them clearly,
Notice what you appreciate about them and allow that feeling to expand.
And now bringing your attention inwards to your heart space,
You might like to place a hand on your chest,
Feeling the steady rhythm beneath your palm,
Taking a moment to acknowledge all that your body allows you to experience.
Your eyes,
Allowing you to see the beauty in the world,
A gorgeous sunset or maybe your child's first steps,
Acknowledging your ears,
Allowing you to hear laughter or music that moves you,
Acknowledging your hands for holding,
For offering care,
Your legs and feet or allowing you to move through life and do things you love,
Like dancing to your favorite song or going for a run.
And finally your heart,
Beating tirelessly for you to love,
To feel joy,
To experience life and just honoring how your body has held so much for you through busy seasons,
Through change,
Through love and loss.
And here we can just take a moment to offer it your quiet thanks for all that it does.
And as you continue to breathe and notice,
Just allow all these moments and people and parts of yourself to coexist together in your heart space,
Feeling the warmth expand beyond your chest,
Into your arms,
Your belly,
Your back and down into your legs and feet.
Notice the subtle shifts within you,
The warmth,
The lightness and if it feels supportive you might like to silently repeat these affirmations to yourself.
I am grateful for my body,
My mind and my heart.
I notice the abundance of love,
Connection and beauty around me.
I celebrate the small,
Ordinary moments in my life.
I carry this gentle warmth into my day.
And for just a few more breaths,
Notice the gratitude that you've cultivated here today,
How it feels,
Noticing the space around you.
You can start to bring some gentle awareness back to your body,
Maybe even giving yourself a little hug or squeeze and whenever you feel ready,
Softly opening your eyes.
Well done on completing day five,
You're doing amazing.
I hope you will carry this sense of warmth and appreciation with you as you move through the rest of your day,
Wishing you a beautiful day ahead.
