Hello,
Thank you for joining me in this meditation,
Where together we'll relax and feel gratitude for our bodies.
Find a position that is comfortable for you to fully relax in.
So maybe you want to lie down or just close your eyes and begin to draw your intention inward.
Settling in and bringing your awareness to your breath.
The breath that fuels our body is an incredible life force of energy.
We can release the stress and tension from our bodies and begin to relax by changing the way that we breathe.
A calm and steady breath is known to create calmness in the body and even minimize panic and anxiety that can be felt.
Draw a deep breath in through your nose.
Let your belly and your chest expand as the breath enters your body and then through your nose you can exhale slowly with control letting your shoulders soften away from your ears,
Emptying your belly and your chest completely.
Take a few more of these cleansing breaths and notice how your body changes each time you breathe in and each time you breathe out.
Breathing in,
Feeling your lungs expand.
Breathing out,
Feeling them relax.
Breathing up and just letting go.
Expanding completely as you breathe in and releasing any tension and stagnant air as you breathe out.
If you can,
Imagine that there is a soft light around your heart space and if you'd like you can bring your hands to your chest,
Perhaps feeling the heartbeat beneath your hands.
When you visualize this light,
Can you think of it as the gratitude growing in your heart extending outwards through the rest of your body?
Just notice,
Does the light have a color or a texture?
Can you begin to feel gratitude that you have for your senses?
And if you have a sensory impairment,
Notice if this increases your appreciation.
Can you take a moment to feel gratitude for the things that you've heard recently with your ears?
The birds chirping,
Children playing,
People laughing.
Can you take a moment to feel gratitude for the things that you've seen recently with your eyes,
The clouds in the sky,
A beautiful sunrise or sunset,
Or perhaps the smile on a loved one's face?
What foods have you tasted recently that have brought you pleasure?
What things have you smelled recently with your nose that brought you joy?
Fresh laundry,
The salty ocean air.
How does it feel when you use your hands to touch something,
Perhaps a soft blanket or pet an animal's fur?
Just take a few moments here to feel the appreciation that you have for your sense of sense.
Think about how complex the human body truly is.
Can you feel the appreciation for your brain,
The system that feeds our bodies with the information that it needs to survive?
Can you feel the appreciation that you have for your spine that carries the messages from your brain to the rest of your body?
Can you feel the appreciation for your throat,
Your voice,
And the ability to speak kind things to people every day?
Feel the gratitude that you have for your internal organs,
Each of them with a specific job that keeps your body running.
And feeling gratitude for your arms and your legs,
Your hips,
All the joints and muscles,
Tendons and veins,
All the integral parts of your body come together to make up you.
Feeling gratitude for how you were able to move your body today,
Whether you went for a walk,
Danced,
Or used your arms to hug someone special.
Think of all the things that your body allows you to do every single day.
In your mind,
Can you think of three things about your own body that you are most grateful for?
Why did you choose these things?
Did you choose physical traits about your body?
A nice butt or a cute smile?
Or perhaps you chose emotional traits,
Big heart,
Sensitive soul.
Just notice,
Was it easy or hard for you to find gratitude for your body?
Some days you will feel great in this body,
And some days you won't.
Some days your body will be in optimal health,
And other days you'll be faced with injury or illness.
But every day here in this body is a gift,
And that in itself is something to be grateful for.
So just be here now,
And appreciate all that you have.
Your breath,
Your brain,
Your heart,
Your wonderful,
Complicated,
Beautiful,
Complex body.
When you have gratitude,
Everything that you already have is enough.
As you draw in air from your nose,
Take the deepest breath that you've taken in yet today.
Open your mouth,
And let it all go with a sigh.
Thank you for taking the time to meditate with me today.
I am grateful for you.
