Gratitude Meditation

This 20-minute trauma-informed gratitude meditation includes a body scan and various categories of gratitude you can listen to daily at the beginning or end of the day. This includes difficulty, illness as well as gratitude for good health, family, nature, and more. Enjoy this full range of gratitude and feel free to reach out with questions or support.

Transcript

Hello,

And welcome to your trauma-informed gratitude meditation.

Feel free to sit comfortably or lie down in a safe space.

Make any little adjustments so that you can relax 5% more.

We do this practice for the benefit and welfare of all beings in all life everywhere,

Including our own.

May we know the peace of accepting the truth of reality as it is.

May we know the security of having our intentions arise from unconditional,

Boundless love.

May we know the freedom of renunciation which liberates us from greed.

May we know the joy of living skillfully for the benefit and welfare of all beings in all life everywhere.

May all beings in all life everywhere be free of delusion,

Suffering,

And dissatisfaction.

May all beings in all life everywhere be loving,

Peaceful,

Compassionate,

And joyful.

Remember this meditation is your time to practice,

And we create this experience together.

Please maintain a full sense of freedom during this meditation.

Consider my instructions to be gentle invitations.

Only follow those instructions that feel safe,

Seem helpful,

And align with your inner wisdom.

If an instruction or comment is unhelpful or does not apply to you,

Then compassionately leave it to the side.

And now begin by taking several cleansing breaths.

You might find it helpful to sigh audibly on the out breath.

Do that once or twice more.

Good.

Now allow the breath to breathe itself.

Relax your eyes to help you focus your attention inward and lovingly bring your attention to your body.

Front body,

Back,

And sides.

Right side,

Left side.

The whole body together.

And again,

Make any adjustments now so that you can relax 5% more.

And kindly bring a loving attention to the sensations of breath.

Allow your breathing to be from your nose,

Low and slow.

Calmly notice where you feel the breath in your body.

And lovingly allow your awareness to feel the sensations of breath as the breath moves in and out of the body.

Gently scan the body to notice any areas where stress or tension reside and lovingly invite those areas to relax and soften.

During this meditation,

Let go of the need to do,

Achieve,

Or accomplish anything,

Including the need to do this meditation correctly.

Gently do your best to follow the instructions while also allowing whatever arises to simply arise.

If distractions arise,

Let them come,

Let them be,

And let them go.

Don't engage them or identify with them or try to push them away.

Just allow them to arise,

Be,

And go away on their own.

And now peacefully notice your degree of mental alertness.

And skillfully do what you can so the body and mind are both calm and alert,

Relaxed and mindful,

Peaceful and energized.

And now we'll do a body scan by moving our awareness through every part of the body,

Part by part.

And as we move our awareness to each part,

Feel free to feel the sensations in it and invite it to relax.

If any thought arises that blocks your kindness or steals your attention away,

Simply notice it,

Set it to the side,

And quietly return your attention to lovingly feeling the sensations in your body.

Sitting at the top of the head,

Rest your awareness on your scalp.

Soften and relax the scalp.

Now relax and feel the forehead,

The muscles in and around the eyes,

Eyes like still pools of water.

Relax and feel the nose and cheeks,

The muscles in and around the mouth,

In the jaw,

The tongue and chin.

Feel the left side of your head,

Including the left ear,

The backside of the head.

And now the right side of the head,

Including the right ear.

Offer love to the neck muscles and allow them to relax.

If you find pain,

Stress,

Tightness or difficulty in any part of the body,

Give that part an extra dose of kindness and invite it to relax.

Breathe into that area of the body and just fill it with kindness,

Compassion,

Peace and joy.

Offer softness to your shoulders,

Allowing them to drop into a comfortable,

Relaxed position.

Feel your upper arms,

Lower arms and hands.

Love relax and feel the muscles in the chest and around the heart.

Let the area surrounding your heart be open,

Calm,

Expansive,

Relaxed and warm.

Offer kindness to the belly,

Stomach and intestines.

Relax the belly and allow it to move freely with the breath.

Let the back muscles ease into softness.

Relax and release the muscles in and around the spine and throughout your back.

Allow the back to relax.

Offer the entire back your energetic love and feel how the back responds to it.

Offer love to the entire pelvis,

The upper legs,

The lower legs and the feet.

Give yourself permission to relax.

Permission to relax.

Having scanned and relaxed the body,

Gently anchor your awareness now on the heart area.

Feel all the subtle sensations you're aware of in the region of the heart.

There may be warmth or coolness,

Pulsing,

Tingling,

Energetic flow,

Pressure or spaciousness.

Just notice whatever sensations are present.

Lightly rest your awareness on the heart area for the rest of this meditation as we transition into our gratitude practice.

We now offer gratitude to the source of all that is and shall be,

The animator.

All that is and shall be,

The animating spirit found in all life or to the higher power of your understanding.

As we do this,

Kindly keep your attention gently anchored on your heart space and feel the meaning behind the words.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you for providing me with the basic necessities of life.

Thank you for healthy food.

Thank you for clean water to drink and wash in.

Thank you for shelter.

Thank you for clothing.

Thank you for restful sleep.

Thank you for friends.

Thank you for community.

Thank you for providing me with gifts,

Talents and time that allow me to contribute to the well-being of others.

Thank you for the healthy soils that grow fresh fruits and vegetables,

Grains,

Nuts and seeds.

Thank you for the warmth and light of the sun.

Thank you for the life-giving rain.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for this body just as it is.

Thank you for the body's ability to heal and repair itself.

Thank you for the body's illnesses and afflictions that helps me cultivate empathy for others,

Helps me go deeper spiritually,

And helps me appreciate the health I do have.

Thank you for the health of the body.

Thank you for the body's sensitivity.

Thank you for the body and mind's abilities to rest and rejuvenate.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for the beauty and wisdom of nature.

Thank you for the splendor of flowers.

Thank you for bright sunflowers.

Thank you for orchids.

Thank you for goldenrods.

Thank you for peonies.

Thank you for roses.

Thank you for the magnificence of trees.

Thank you for maples.

Thank you for oaks.

Thank you for elms.

Thank you for juneberry trees.

Thank you for the elegance of clouds.

Thank you for the puffy,

Joyful clouds.

Thank you for the sun-blocking clouds.

Thank you for the wispy clouds.

Thank you for the peace of still waters.

Thank you for the joy of babbling brooks.

Thank you for the animals of the world and the beauty,

Wisdom,

Joy,

Playfulness,

And love of life they exhibit.

Thank you for bluebirds.

Thank you for woodchucks.

Thank you for cardinals.

Thank you for woodpeckers.

Thank you for dogs.

Thank you for turkeys.

Thank you for cats.

Thank you for deer.

Thank you for bats.

Thank you for the grandeur of starry skies.

Thank you for the graceful moon.

Thank you for the twinkling stars.

Thank you for the gentle snows.

Thank you for the driving rains.

Thank you for the cooling breezes.

Thank you for the strong winds that power windmills.

Thank you for silence.

Thank you for the oceans and the seas.

Thank you for the forests.

Thank you for the mountains.

Thank you for beaches.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you.

Thank you for my problems.

Thank you for giving me problems that help me grow spiritually.

Thank you for giving me problems that help me deepen my self-compassion.

Thank you for giving me problems that help me grow spiritually.

Thank you for giving me problems that help me deepen my compassion for others.

Thank you for problems that help me identify where I still cling to judgment,

Greed,

And falsehoods.

Thank you for helping me shed my ego and live from more truth and love.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you.

Thank you for giving me all that I need to learn,

Grow,

Love,

And enjoy life.

Thank you for all the gifts,

Skills,

And talents you've blessed us with.

Thank you for kindness.

Thank you for compassion.

Thank you for forgiveness.

Thank you for peace.

Thank you for joy.

Thank you for appreciation.

Thank you for love.

Thank you for freedom.

Thank you for inner silence,

Stillness,

And spaciousness.

Thank you for helping me shed my ego and live from more truth,

Love,

And service.

Thank you for the courage to live with authenticity.

Thank you for my capacity to love myself and others unconditionally.

Thank you for the gift of air that sustains us.

Thank you for blessing us with another day of life.

Thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you.

And finally,

Thank you for vibrant energy.

Thank you for inner wisdom.

Thank you for healthy boundaries.

Thank you for all the many blessings.

Thank you for the capacity to love and be loved.

Thank you for our connection with all that is.

Thank you for loving me unconditionally.

Now,

Continue to offer genuine,

Heartfelt thanks silently,

Using your own words.

And feel free to be grateful for things already mentioned.

Take some time now,

Silently.

And now,

Some final words.

We share any merits gained from this practice with all beings,

In all life,

Everywhere.

May all beings in all life everywhere be free from suffering and misery.

May all beings in all life everywhere abide in a deep and lasting peace.

May all beings in all life everywhere know the highest forms of happiness and ease.

May all beings in all life everywhere know their deepest essence to be joy,

Peace,

And compassion.

May all beings in all life everywhere be liberated.

Fully liberated.

Permanently liberated.

Thank you very much.

Reviews

This is a beautiful practice! I love the thoughtful words, gentle guidance and loving messages. Thank you! 💗

I really like this on many levels 😊 I find your voice to be easy and calming to listen to, loud enough to hear easily and words well articulated (which helps a lot for staying focused). The body focus helps with settling down and relaxing, making it easier to then really open up with gratitude. I like all the different examples you provide, as well as your invitation to make this practice our own, changing, adding, as needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏 I hope more and more people start to discover this meditation so they too can be uplifted, and their gratitude practice strengthened. Namaste 🙏