7-Min. Morning Gratitude: What Is Already Here

This short morning practice invites you to pause before the day takes over and notice what is already present and worthy of appreciation. There's no need to think too much, but to simply look at what is already here in this moment. This meditation is part of an ongoing gratitude series. If you return to it for 30 days, you may find that gratitude slowly stops being something you practice and starts being something you live.

Music by Music of Wisdom.

Transcript

Good morning and welcome to this short but powerful gratitude meditation. Maybe your day is about to start or it started already a while ago. Whatever it may be, I'm glad you're here and this is the right moment to do this. Find a place and a posture that suits you in this moment. You could still be in bed or maybe you're sitting somewhere else already. Take a moment to feel your body here, Wherever you are, The touching point between your body and something else, This space holding and supporting you. And if it's right for you today, Maybe you wish to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Notice your breath coming in and out of your body. Take a moment to notice what is there, Sensations, Feelings, A general mood or maybe there are still a lot of thoughts in the mind. Let's not fight against it, And instead you can just name it, A quiet internal label, Thinking, Planning, Feeling, Whatever it may be, And then gently return to your breath. And while you're here, I would like to invite you to bring to your mind's eye something that you can be grateful for in this moment. There's no need to overthink it or go way back in time. In this precise moment, What's there to be grateful for? Maybe it's being here, Taking this time for yourself. Maybe it's the warmth of wherever you're resting, The simple fact that you woke up today, The quiet of this moment. Or it could be the possibility of having the technology to listen to this meditation. Maybe it is something that we often take for granted, It's actually quite wonderful, The miracle of listening, Having this sense, Being able to listen. Allow your mind's eye to go to different things that you can be grateful for. Maybe different images come to mind, One after the other. Maybe you notice that you can be grateful for many different things, Things that you wouldn't normally think of. But it is also possible to struggle finding things to be grateful for. And if this is the case, Remember that gratitude is a practice. If you keep coming back to this meditation, You will certainly find more and more things to be grateful for. Take a moment to notice how gratitude feels in the body. Maybe it is possible to notice sensations, Tingling, Lightness, Relaxation, Or emotions, Joy, Happiness. How does gratitude feel in the body? And where in the body can you feel it? Slowly come back to the breath, And to the touch points of your body against the chair, Floor, Or the bed. Take a moment to notice if something has shifted, Even slightly, From where you began. Gratitude doesn't require grand things, It is in what is already here. If this practice felt meaningful, I invite you to return to it for at least 30 days. The more we come back, The more naturally gratitude arises and becomes a way of seeing the world. Thank you for being here today. May your day carry something of this with it.