Gratitude Meditation

Lie back in the open heart of awareness. This 15-minute guided meditation will leave you feeling content and filled with gratitude. It includes simple breath work and relaxation techniques. Practice stillness and present moment focus while becoming calm and grounded.

Transcript

Welcome. Today we're going to do a 15 minute guided meditation. I have a new microphone so I hope you can hear me. See if it works. We're going to do a little bit of breath work just to become centered. Then a guided meditation to become relaxed and appreciation gratitude is part of our theme today. So go ahead and find a spot where you can be quiet for the next 15 minutes and you can you can do this meditation seated or lying down whatever is comfortable preferably lying down maybe on a yoga mat. So let's go ahead and soften the eye gaze maybe close the eyes and we're just going to begin to tune inward towards our breath. So we're breathing in and out through the nose and just begin to notice your breath. So the fastest way to come into the present moment is through your breath. So notice the coolness of the inhale and the warmth of the exhale coming in and out through the nose and we'll do just a little bit of counting breath. So let's go ahead and inhale for four three two one exhale four three two one inhale exhale inhale and exhale. So just continue this breath as you follow my voice listening. So you can breathe in for four or six or eight just work towards having the inhale the same length as the exhale just smoothing out the breath smoothing out the rough edges it's called Samavritti breath and we tune inward towards our breath to become centered and in the present moment following our own breath listening to our breath and I invite you today to practice this meditation with an open heart and an open mind. We're just practicing so go ahead and release this breath and get nice and comfortable especially if you're lying down legs are open nice and wide palms facing up and let's begin to really just relax relaxing the feet the knees the back so allow the calves to relax the quads the glutes are relaxed the pectoral muscles the muscles in the chest the muscles in the shoulders relax just feeling relaxed down through the arms just allow the muscles in the body to soften and melt away from the bones so go through a little body scan just allowing all the muscles to relax and relax the ankles the knees the hips the elbows relax and soften the wrists relax the neck feeling the joints completely release towards the earth now go ahead and just allow the bones to soften into the earth so gravity is doing all the work here relax your jaw soften and relax the muscles around the eyes the corners of the eyes release the skull relaxes broadening across your chest across the collarbones broadening across your forehead again just allowing gravity to do all the work here and if any thoughts begin to arise just allow them to pass during this meditation just like waves in the ocean or clouds in the sky and now go ahead and form an image of yourself right there where you are either lying down or sitting so that you're seeing yourself from the outside so you're kind of floating away and just seeing your body and then now we'll shift this focus and bring your attention to the inside of your body and just notice the pulsations of the breath the heart beating all the rhythms in your body all the vibrations and just locate the point where your breathing feels free and easy and just feel how the breath is moving through the body and if your mind starts to wander return to this breath and how it feels in the body after a few moments begin to notice if there's any areas of tightness just noticing don't do anything about that you can feel the physical sensation of stress so maybe it's in your neck around the heart maybe it's in your belly your jaw or in your forehead just notice any feelings of tightness or stress but you're not attached to these you're just noticing and maybe you're holding on to some more difficult emotions about some uneasiness about the future some worry and just understand that every human body holds this stress and worry throughout the day and just go nice and slow and again if your mind wanders return to your breath and maybe say to yourself may I be safe may I be peaceful may I be kind to myself may I accept myself as I am let's try that one more time may I be safe may I be peaceful may I be kind to myself may I accept myself as I am if there's any residual stress or tightness just let that go with the breath and now once again clear the mind with the breath making some space and some room for appreciation so clearing away any dark thoughts the doubts negative self-talk and see your body for what it truly is a remarkable vehicle a true gift your body protects you it nourishes you just take a few moments to treasure it appreciating your body for its unique divine beauty feel that gratitude and appreciation flowing into the top of the head down through the spine feel it in your fingers down the arms spreading through your chest and abdomen feel that appreciation in the legs just feel your whole body glowing with gratitude once again begin to notice the breath clearing the mind once again and let's go ahead and return to that some of reteep breath the same breath so that the inhale is the same length as the exhale maybe it's count to four count to six again smoothing out the breath at a time when we could not feel further from our home this yoga and meditation reminds us that we're already there that we need simply to awaken from our dream of separation our dream of imperfection it is the aim of all spiritual seeking to bring us home home to the understanding that we already have everything we need so go ahead and begin to find a little movement the fingers and the toes in the jaw move around the jaw if you're lying down go ahead and point the toes and reach the arms overhead and if you're sitting go ahead and take a couple of deep breaths maybe reaching the arms up inhale exhale bring the hands together to heart center so a little bit of movement so that when we step off out of our meditation we're alive and we can reintegrate more calmly more focused one more deep breath inhale exhale if you're lying make your way to seated position where your hands come together at your heart center corners of the mouth rise up and again just notice how you feel after this guided meditation I thank you so much for joining me today spending time with me giving me your energy and thank yourselves for making time for yourself for gratitude and appreciation relaxation and some breath work have a beautiful day or evening namaste