So just a reminder that these meditations are intended to be done in the stillness and silence of a space where you can simply be.
Be without the distraction of the world around you.
So if you're driving or anywhere that requires your attention,
I want to invite you to press pause and come back later.
Otherwise just find a comfortable position.
And start to feel safe and supported.
And if it feels right and safe to do so,
Go ahead and close down your eyes or just stay here with me.
And start to focus on that breath,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And as you connect to the breath,
If it feels right,
I want to invite you to take one hand and place it on the heart,
And one hand and place it on the belly,
And in this moment just start to feel the warmth of your hand on your body.
Feel the beating of the heart.
As you breathe into the belly,
Feel that rising and falling.
And then start to simply acknowledge how you're feeling right now,
In this moment right here,
What's coming up for you,
Knowing that you don't have to change it,
You don't have to make it any better.
If you're struggling,
Just acknowledge that.
If you're tired,
Acknowledge that.
If you're feeling pain or sadness or overwhelmed,
Just let it be there.
And as you start to tune into how you're feeling right now,
Without judgment,
Start to silently say to yourself,
This is how I feel right now and that is okay.
Just remembering that you don't have to feel differently.
You don't have to force yourself to be grateful if you're not.
And just take a moment to really breathe into that authentic feeling of how you are right now.
Breathing in and letting go and just finding that stillness right here.
And now without pushing anything away,
Start to gently invite your awareness to notice if there's anything else that's also true.
Not instead of the difficulty,
But right alongside it.
Start to tune into if there's anything,
No matter how small,
That you can genuinely appreciate right now.
Maybe it's the comfort of where you're sitting.
Maybe it's the fact that you gave yourself time to just rest today.
Maybe it's your breath which keeps breathing,
Your heart that keeps beating,
Your ability to be here right now.
And as these small little glimmers start to come into your mind,
Start to just hold them next to the pain.
That doesn't take it away,
Doesn't make it different,
But they can both exist right here,
Right now.
And as you hold on to both the pain and the beauty of life,
If there's a feeling of gratitude,
Just let it be there.
Let it come forward.
And just start to recognize yourself,
Even if it's just for showing up today,
Knowing that that is enough to be grateful for.
As you hold on to that,
Continue to take that deep breath in and breathe out.
And when you're ready,
Go ahead and gently flutter your eyes open,
Take in the space around you.
Start to enter back connected and calm.
Remember that gratitude is not a test that you have to pass or a practice that you have to perfect.
Even as we approach Thanksgiving,
It's not proof of spiritual maturity or emotional health or your goodness as a human.
It's simply a way of noticing what's still here,
What's still holding you,
What's worth acknowledging when you're ready and if you are ready.
You don't owe anyone positivity.
You don't have to transform your pain into lessons before you're ready.
You don't have to be grateful for the things that hurt you,
But you can,
When you're able,
Practice noticing those small glimmers alongside the difficulty,
The both-and of being human,
The honest acknowledgment that even in hard times,
There might be tiny things worth seeing,
Worth feeling,
And worth appreciating.
And on those days when it just feels too much,
When gratitude simply isn't accessible,
You can practice the most important gratitude of all,
Gratitude for your own honesty,
For your own willingness to feel what you feel,
For your courage to keep breathing through difficulty without pretending it's something other than it is.
So keep coming back to what's real,
What's true to you,
And know that no matter how much gratitude you have,
You're doing good.
Now,
We'll end today as we begin with a deep breath in,
And breathe out,
And let it all settle.
Now,
Go take care of yourself,
And I will see you next week.
Letting It Settle with Michael Galean is executive produced by Michael Galean.
Edited,
Produced,
And distributed by Tracy Thomas and Good Mess Media.
Hosted by Michael Galean.
Original music and composition by Darren Johnson.
