Hello,
Welcome to today's Gratitude Meditation.
I am your guide,
Mirela Petalli.
Gratitude is the feeling of appreciation and thankfulness,
Either in the moment or later,
When we reflect on an event.
It is a positive emotion that increases our sense of well-being and happiness,
Improves our mood,
Sleep,
And immunity,
Fosters a sense of connection with others,
And reduces anxiety,
Depression,
And feelings of isolation and loneliness.
We can cultivate gratitude by turning it into a practice,
By intentionally looking for things we can be grateful for.
When we intentionally look for things to be grateful for,
When we feel and express gratitude for the contribution of others,
We can be happier,
Feel more connected,
And improve our relationship with ourselves and others around us.
In today's meditation,
We'll use mindfulness to observe and experience the positive emotions and sensations that arise when we practice gratitude.
And now,
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
You can close your eyes or keep them slightly open.
Focus downward,
In front of you.
Begin by bringing your attention to your body.
Become aware of your body sitting or lying down.
Become aware of your position,
Where your arms are,
Your legs,
The temperature around you,
The sounds around you,
The feeling of the seat underneath you.
Become aware of being here right now.
Now take some deep,
Slow breaths,
And see if you can soften your body and relax a little bit more with each exhale.
Now allow your breath to return to normal.
Notice the breath coming in and out.
Follow it with curiosity.
Observe the chest and belly rising and falling without trying to change it,
Without trying to control it.
The breath is our anchor.
We can come back to it at any time during the meditation,
To ground ourselves when we get distracted.
I invite you to bring to mind something or someone you are grateful for.
If nothing present comes to mind,
Think about something in the past.
Think about something specific.
Something good,
Kind,
Or generous that someone did for you that made you feel very grateful.
Take some time to think about the details.
What are you grateful for?
The circumstances of the event,
The setting,
The people.
The more details you can remember,
The better.
Now bring your attention to your body.
Notice the sensations in your chest area,
In your belly.
How does your body feel overall?
Notice any emotions that are there.
As you think and keep in mind what you are grateful for,
If there are any thoughts,
Observe the content of your thoughts,
Trying not to get caught in them.
There is no right or wrong way to feel.
There is no need to change your experience.
Just be curious and open to whatever arises.
If you get distracted or carried away,
Either by thoughts,
Stories,
Emotions,
Sounds around you,
That's okay.
Notice what has distracted you and let it go gently,
Without judgment.
And bring your attention to your breath before you start thinking about what you are grateful for again.
Notice the sensations in your body and the emotions that arise when you are feeling grateful.
See if you can name them.
Openness,
Spaciousness,
Lightness,
Calm,
Ease,
Awe,
Happiness,
Wonder.
Be curious about whatever arises in your awareness without judgment.
Are there any other emotions or sensations there?
Just notice and observe.
What does it feel like to be grateful?
If you're not sure and cannot name your emotions,
It's okay.
Bring your attention back to your body and focus on your sensations.
You can also bring to mind other things in your life that you are grateful for.
Being alive,
Your body that works hard for you and allows you to experience life,
Your health,
Even if it's not great,
Everything that makes life possible.
The air,
The sun,
The earth that nourishes us,
The rain,
The stars,
The universe.
How crazy and amazing is it that we get to experience all this?
Your family,
Biological or chosen,
Your friends,
Pets,
Your mentors,
Those who inspire you.
You have access to food,
To your favorite foods,
Clean water,
Clothes,
A shelter,
Your job,
Your education,
Transportation,
Electricity,
And technology that allows you to do so many things,
Including listening to this meditation right now.
You can be grateful to yourself.
You have been through everything in your life,
Both amazing and difficult experiences,
And you have made it so far.
Take a moment to think of anything else that you are grateful for.
The fun things,
Art,
Music,
Fashion,
Netflix show that you like,
Coffee,
Kind strangers.
Let's take some time now to fully experience these emotions and sensations.
What does it feel like to be grateful?
Let's stay with the practice for two minutes,
And now bring your attention back to your body,
The room,
And your surroundings.
Notice the sounds around you,
The temperature in the room.
We'll let go of the practice.
You can start moving and stretching slowly,
And whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thank you for meditating with us today.
