Taking Time To Find Gratitude

In our busy lives, we sometimes forget to take time to be grateful for all the many things we have in our lives to be thankful for. Everyone has time to be mindful and to express gratitude for all that they have. Music by Chris Collins. #23

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Thank you so much for taking the time to join me in this meditation,

This moment of tranquility and calm in what for many is a busy day.

Today I want to talk just a little bit about gratitude.

No matter what your circumstances,

We all have so much to be thankful for,

To be grateful for.

For myself,

I'm grateful that you have joined me today in this moment.

Time is our greatest commodity,

Our most precious resource,

And so I'm grateful that each one of you has elected to spend this time with me.

You know,

So often we get caught up with all the demands of a busy life,

Places to go,

People to see,

And things to do,

And all this activity in your life can make you lose focus.

And I know it may seem that there's just no time to stop and appreciate all the gifts your life provides.

But I'm here to tell you that practicing meditation and mindfulness can help change your life.

The first thing you have to do is prioritize.

Stop!

Stop and just really think about what really matters in your life.

It doesn't matter what else you have going on in your life,

There is always time to be mindful.

Now I know I've said it many times before,

Now I'll say it again,

But getting in touch with your breath multiple times a day is the best way to take charge of your life,

The best way to change your life.

You don't have to sit and be mindful for 20 or 30 minutes at a time.

If you can just spare two or three minutes multiple times a day,

It will work wonders in your life.

Even if you were to just pause for a moment,

Close your eyes and take a few breaths before resuming what you were doing.

You will find that it will energize you,

But at the same time it will make you more calm and more centered.

Now right now hopefully you're someplace where you won't be disturbed for the next little bit.

And make sure that all of your devices are silenced.

You don't need to have interruptions from computers and phones and tablets.

This here now.

This moment is for you.

Close your eyes now and let's take a moment to get in touch with our breath.

Take in a slow breath and as you do,

Just notice the natural rhythm of your breath,

The natural flow,

Just like a river.

Our breath is our anchor.

It's constant and ever present.

It's always there.

So just tune in to the steady flow of your breath.

One breath at a time.

Now continue to breathe and follow your natural rhythm.

Listen to my voice and try to just let go of all your other thoughts.

Just listen to my voice and to the sound of your breathing.

And as we quietly breathe,

Let's scan our body and look for any places where we might have tension.

Relax your face and unscrunch your eyebrows.

Unclench your jaw and relax your neck.

Just observe your body as you quietly breathe.

Breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

Now think about how you feel in this moment.

Relax your shoulders,

Relax your chest and belly.

We want to gradually release any tension from our body,

Any tension that we may be carrying.

And as we relax,

Just try to feel the energy that flows through our body with each and every breath.

Your body is a miracle really and something you should be grateful for every single day.

Our bodies are made up of around 30 trillion cells and all of those cells work together to give you the life that you experience.

Now let's just think about some of the many things we have to be thankful for.

And as I describe what I'm thankful for,

Try to think about what you're thankful for as well.

I'm thankful for my eyes because they allow me to see all the wonder in the world,

The faces of people I love,

The glory of the trees,

The colors and the flowers and so much more.

I'm thankful for my ears because they allow me to hear the voices of those I care for,

The music in birdsong,

The joy and the laughter of children and so much more.

I'm grateful for my sense of touch because it allows me to feel the world around me,

The hand of the one I love,

The texture of a piece of wood,

The roughness of sand,

The smoothness of glass and lots more.

I'm grateful for my mouth because it lets me express all the things I feel and think.

From joy to happiness to love,

It lets me share everything I've learned from the world,

Everything I've learned in 53 years of meditation.

I'm grateful for my sense of smell because it allows me to inhale the fragrance of flowers and perfume,

To smell the aroma of pine and lavender and lilac and lots more.

There is so much to be grateful for in our lives.

I'm thankful for my health and for my dog and for all the experiences I've had,

Both good and bad,

Because all of them together have made me who I am today,

Who I am in this moment.

For when we realize that we are enough,

Just as we are,

We can begin to find peace.

And when we are grateful for our bodies and all they provide us with,

We begin to find wisdom.

And when we come to know that the only moment that is truly real is this one,

Then we begin to find enlightenment.

Forever is now,

My friends.

It's not in the past and it's not in some imaginary future.

It's right here and right now,

In this moment,

With this breath,

One breath at a time.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said,

If you are depressed,

You are living in the past.

If you are anxious,

You are living in the future.

And if you are at peace,

You are living in the present.

And you can live in the present moment by following your breath,

Just one breath at a time.

Now,

As we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Maybe wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch.

Feel how good it is to be alive,

How much we have to be thankful for each and every day.

Every day is a good day when you appreciate and are grateful for all the things you have.

Take in a deep breath through your nose and let it out,

Letting out a sigh.

You are ready to move back into your day,

A little calmer and a little more joyful than before.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.

I love sharing this moment with each one of you.

And I'm so grateful that we have shared this moment together.

Till next time.

Reviews

Beautiful meditation ! Much love and gratitude ❤️🙏🕊️

Thank you for this beautiful guidance in practicing gratitude, Michael- it felt wonderful ☺️🙏🏽💚👁👂🏽💕🥰

What a sweet guy. I feel infused with your positivity and joy to be alive. Thank you.

Beautiful Gratitude meditation
Michael🙏thank you🫶🏼

Beautiful and sweet
Always love your meditation
Thanks so much
Namaste 🕉🙏

I’m very grateful to Insight timer that we can share with you too 🙏🏻