Welcome to this guided meditation focused on gratitude.
Gratitude and appreciation help you generate feelings of joy and happiness,
Which create feelings of well-being and peace in your whole body.
Gratitude can also get you in the habit of noticing and recognizing the good.
You start to take notice of those things that you're grateful for and you're able to experience positive feelings more often.
So to begin,
Find yourself a comfortable position,
Adjusting yourself so that your back is straight and your chest is open so you can begin to breathe more deeply.
Go ahead and close your eyes if you'd like and take a couple of slow deep breaths,
Allowing the air to fill your lungs and then releasing it slowly and gently,
Feeling your body relax with each exhale.
Continue to breathe slowly and gently,
Noticing any areas in your body where you're feeling tension or discomfort.
Try to breathe into those areas and on the exhale,
Focus on releasing the tension and allowing your body to relax.
Breathing into the tension and then releasing,
Continuing to allow yourself to relax with each breath.
In this calm,
Relaxed state,
Start bringing into your mind the things that you're grateful for,
The things that are good in your life,
Things that you appreciate,
Those things that make you smile.
You can focus on one thing or several things,
But know that it can be absolutely anything,
A pleasant experience,
A particular person in your life,
A pet,
Or simply the air that you're breathing right now.
Thinking of those things that you're grateful for.
Now pay attention to what gratitude feels like.
What does it feel like when you're grateful?
Where do you feel gratitude in your body?
Allow the feeling of gratitude to come into your body.
You can even bring a slight smile to your face to help you stay with the feeling of gratitude.
And if it feels right,
You can cover your heart with one or both of your hands,
Feeling the warmth of your hand on your chest and the gratitude in your heart.
Taking a deep breath and allowing the gratitude to fill your chest and expand throughout your body.
Enjoying and savoring the pleasant feeling that gratitude gives you.
Feel it washing away any tension or negativity.
Thinking to yourself,
This is what gratitude feels like.
And commit it to your memory.
This is what gratitude feels like.
If you notice your mind starting to wander,
Just offer yourself a knowing smile and offer yourself appreciation for your awareness,
For your ability to notice that your mind is somewhere else.
Tell yourself thank you.
Thank you for that awareness and gently direct your attention back toward what you're grateful for and allow the feeling of gratitude to wash over you again.
And know that you can keep returning to this relaxed and grateful state by simply inviting the feeling of gratitude back in.
And whenever you're ready,
You can begin to wrap up this gratitude meditation by repeating the following statements to yourself and allowing yourself to really feel the meaning of the words and the feeling of gratitude behind them.
Repeat to yourself,
Thank you for all that I have and have received.
Thank you for all the people who've had a positive impact on my life.
Thank you for all the things that bring me comfort and joy.
Thank you for the wisdom,
Love and strength within me.
Thank you for who I am and all that I have to offer.
And if you have any additional statements of gratitude that come to mind,
Take the time to say them to yourself now.
Now go ahead and bring your awareness back into your body,
Feeling yourself resting against whatever surface you're resting on,
Rolling back your shoulders,
Rolling your head around to loosen your neck.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and return to the space that you're in.
And remember that you can access that feeling of gratitude at any point as you go through your day to bring you positive feelings,
Shift your perspective,
Improve your outlook or bring you a moment of peace.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation and take good care.
