Good morning,
I'm Sophia Reddy.
Welcome.
I'm sitting here on this fall New England day.
It's raining outside.
I put on my nice warm comfortable fleece.
Feels so soft against my body.
I'm sipping on autumn flavored coffee.
One of my favorite morning beverages.
In a mug that I bought from our main trip last year,
I'm thinking about the beautiful lake trip we took and looking forward to the next one.
On this mug,
It says,
Hello gorgeous!
And I love the reminder and the peaceful feeling that I get.
Find something comforting for you.
Find a spot to sit down as I walk you through a morning gratitude meditation.
Close your eyes and as you sit comfortably in your chair or perhaps you're sitting on a cushion or lying down,
Take a moment to just notice your breathing.
Notice the calm and smooth rhythmic breathing replenishing on the in-breath,
Releasing and letting go on the out-breath.
With each breath in,
Noticing the sensations of comfort.
And with each breath out,
Notice anything that is no longer serving you release on the out-breath.
And perhaps now take a moment to open your eyes and look what's around you.
Notice the light in the room.
Notice any objects that bring you comfort and joy.
Or perhaps you have a view of a window.
Maybe you're outside and you can notice what you see.
Pay complete attention.
Maybe focus in on one particular object.
And take a moment now with this smooth and steady breathing to simply notice as any thoughts arise,
Gently refocus your attention back to what you're seeing and experiencing in this very moment.
Notice if you feel any changes in your body,
Any shift of sensation.
Perhaps sighing out,
Releasing any pent-up stress or tension on the out-breath.
Do a brief body scan,
Checking in with each part of our body.
Notice your eyes and your forehead area.
If you notice any tension,
Gently breathe into that.
And now the out-breath,
Relax your eyes and forehead.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out stress.
You notice your jaw and mouth area are your teeth clenched.
Slightly part your lips.
Take a nice deep breath in.
You hear the whooshing sound of the breath coming out,
Relaxing your jaw and mouth area.
Tongue may be gently resting at the roof of your mouth.
The next in-breath,
Notice the chest and belly area taking in oxygen,
Bodies breathing,
Rising on the in-breath,
Letting go on the out-breath,
Relaxing chest and belly area,
Letting go of what's no longer needed.
Notice your arms and hands,
Perhaps they're resting on your lap or by your side.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out and letting go,
Let go of any tightness or holding on.
Notice your legs and feet.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out any tightness or tension,
Allowing the surface beneath you to fully support you,
Letting go,
Letting go,
Letting go.
With each breath out,
Feeling more relaxed,
Feeling balanced and calm,
Smooth and rhythmic breathing just like the ocean waves rolling in and out.
Calm body,
Quiet mind.
If that's the rise,
That's okay.
Finally bring your attention back to this time,
Your breath,
Your body,
This moment.
Now bring to mind a memory and it could be a recent one or one from a while ago that brings a smile to your face.
Could you smile or laugh,
A memory that you remember as being joyful?
Whatever comes to mind,
It could be a small moment,
It could be a major moment.
Visualize this time.
What was it like?
What are you doing?
What are you noticing in your body as you revisit this memory?
Notice a smile and a lightness in your face,
Any changes in your body as you recall this memory in as much detail as you can.
What was that experience like?
You can relive it now.
Feel the comfort in this warm memory.
So bookmark this joyful memory so you can come back to it at any time.
In a moment,
I'll count from one to five and as I do,
You'll gradually become more alert,
Ready to start your day.
Perhaps at this moment before we count,
Set an intention you have for today.
Starting with one,
Two,
Three,
Perhaps opening your eyes,
Wiggling fingers and toes,
Four,
Five,
Stretching,
Moving around,
Taking your time to ease into the day.
Make sure you have access to your joyful memories at any time and you will create more.
May your day be filled with joyful blessings.
Have a beautiful day.
