Welcome to your gratitude meditation.
Begin by finding a comfortable seated posture.
Perhaps allowing the eyes to close down or simply softening the gaze.
Taking a full breath in through the nose,
See if you can sit a little taller.
Exhaling through the nose,
Allow the shoulders to relax.
Take a few moments now to simply observe the breath.
Slowly in through the nose and out through the nose.
Expanding,
Relaxing,
Belly softening,
Spine lengthening,
Shoulders relaxing away from the ears.
Noticing the breath just as it is.
Expanding,
Relaxing,
Simply noticing the breath.
The gentle ebb and flow.
Knowing that each breath is a gift.
Appreciate the breath as it is.
Drawing attention now to the heart center.
Feeling it expand with each breath.
This is the space in which we may feel joy,
Love,
Empathy and gratitude.
Imagine you are inhaling love,
Exhaling gratitude.
Letting the sensations of love and gratitude grow in your heart center with each breath.
Silently repeating with the breath,
Inhale love,
Exhale gratitude a few times.
Bring to mind something that has recently made you smile.
This might be a funny joke that you heard or read,
A loved one that you recently saw,
Or maybe a favorite treat you've enjoyed recently.
Notice the feeling that arises in your heart center.
Notice the joy that you experience as you recall this thing that made you smile.
The gratitude for whatever made you smile.
Say a silent thank you to whatever it was.
Simply bask in the joyful sensation of gratitude for a moment.
Bring to mind now a being that has recently made you smile.
This might be a loved one or even a favorite furry pet.
Focus on that being and notice the feelings that arise.
Perhaps even bringing a slight smile to your lips.
Be grateful for that being.
Say a silent thank you to this being.
Thank you for making me smile.
Now draw your attention to your body.
Any sensations throughout your body.
Attention to the eyes.
Thankful for the gift of sight.
To see beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
See the smiling faces of our loved ones.
Brilliant colors and everything that we see that makes us smile.
Attention to the ears.
Allowing us to hear joyful laughter,
Beautiful music,
The voice of a dear friend.
Grateful for the gift of hearing.
Attention to the nose.
Our sense of smell.
The ability to smell things that trigger happy memories.
Or sweet smelling flowers.
Or a savory meal.
Giving thanks for our sense of smell.
Our tongue now.
Feeling all the sensations inside your mouth.
Grateful for the ability to nourish ourselves,
Taste delicious food,
Speak our minds,
Kiss and laugh.
Attention drifting to our hands now.
Appreciating the ability to touch,
Feel,
Caress and hold.
Our arms ability to lift and hug.
Legs and feet that can walk,
Run,
Move and dance.
Grateful for all that our body is capable of doing and being.
Attention returning back to the heart center.
Perhaps now bringing a hand to the heart.
Exhaling gratitude and joy radiating from the heart outwards.
Inhale love.
Exhale gratitude.
Inhale love.
Exhale gratitude.
Inhale love.
Exhale gratitude.
When you're ready,
Gently begin to deepen the breath.
Notice how your body feels in this moment.
Notice how the sensation of gratitude resonates throughout your body.
You may stay here a little longer if you'd like,
Enjoying that sensation.
When you're ready,
Slowly allow your eyes to flutter open and hands float together at heart center.
Saying a silent thank you to yourself for taking this time to practice gratitude.
Thank you.
