Welcome.
Let's get into a comfortable position and close our eyes.
Begin breathing slowly and deeply all the way into your abdomen.
As you deep breathe,
Feel yourself letting go and relaxing.
Good.
Now let your breath be natural.
We are going to take a couple of minutes to focus on our breath.
You can watch the breath by focusing on the rise and fall of your chest or by noting the point of inhale and exhale at the nostrils.
You may want to breathe as if the breath were going in and out of the third eye center or the heart chakra.
Feel the breath in and out in whatever way helps you to center and quiet your mind.
We will do this for two minutes.
Good.
Good.
Our focus this session is on cultivating sincere feelings of gratitude.
When things in our lives are going smoothly,
Feelings of gratitude arise pretty easily.
However,
When we have difficulties in our lives,
We tend to focus on what is wrong rather than appreciating what is going right.
Although there is suffering in nature and the world just the same,
Feelings of gratitude can be inspired by seeing the glass half full instead of half empty.
Since gratitude is so good for our health,
We can decide to focus on our blessings despite our challenges.
Studies consistently show that gratitude is associated with happiness and improved health.
It helps people to build strong relationships and to engage in healthier lifestyles.
So let's start by remembering the everyday blessings that we often take for granted.
Are you grateful for the sun shining?
There may be hard days where this is the only thing you feel grateful for.
When that happens,
That's where you begin.
Do you ever look up and enjoy the sight of a baby blue sky?
Do you notice and welcome the birds singing?
Nature's gifts can help soothe us and remind us that we are part of something larger and that we are not alone.
Do you ever feel awe when you look at the vast night sky full of stars?
Have you ever been emotionally moved by seeing a falling star or by the sight of the full moon?
Open your heart to the wonder of the majestic places on earth.
Remember where you have been and what you have seen that touched your heart,
Whether it was mountains,
Waterfalls,
Rock formations,
Coral reefs or woodlands.
If you have been touched by the beauty of the earth,
Take some time to re-engage with those experiences now and give thanks for them.
Good.
There is a saying that the best things in life are free.
Do you stop to smell the roses?
Are you regularly present to your surroundings?
A mindfulness practice will make us more aware of what is happening in the present which will give us more to be grateful for.
When you are feeling discouraged,
You can think about any number of wonders in nature to conjure up feelings of gratitude.
Picture fields of flowers,
Sunsets,
Thunderstorms,
Mountain streams,
Ocean scenes and many more.
Even if you cannot go there this minute,
You can look at pictures or see them in your mind's eye.
Places in the natural world remind us we are connected to a matrix of life.
There are so many aspects of nature we could focus on but let's look more closely at just one.
Let us consider the trees.
What would the world be like without them?
The trees give us shade in summer,
Flowers in spring and color in autumn.
They keep the soil from eroding.
They provide food for animals and home for birds and other life forms.
Trees even take the carbon dioxide we exhale and turn it into oxygen.
Trees provide wood for fuel and for building materials.
They give us paper products for writing,
Cleaning and a myriad of uses.
Maple syrup comes from the sap of the maple tree.
Cedar oil from the cedar tree is used as a natural insecticide and wood polish.
The inner bark of the slippery elm is used medicinally.
These are just a few examples.
Other trees provide fruit and nuts.
All of this happens because it is the nature of trees to give and receive in an endless cycle of wholeness.
What an example of selfless integrity they provide.
Allow yourself to feel grateful for the existence and beauty of trees on which numerous beings depend.
Doesn't the fact that they take in water and sunshine and convert it into sugars and chlorophyll seem like a miracle?
Good.
Now let's turn to another part of nature that touches our hearts,
The animals.
Are we not grateful for the pets in our lives?
Are they not like family to us?
Let's take a moment to think about how they have enriched our lives.
How do we feel when we see deer,
Foxes or an owl in the woods or in our own backyards?
When we watch a TV show about life in the ocean,
Do we marvel at the colours,
The characteristics,
The ingenuity and the symbiotic relationships of the beings under the sea?
Recognize that it is a brief step from wonder to gratitude.
Take a minute now to feel into your curiosity,
Your wonder or even your reverence for the birds,
The sea creatures and the animals.
Good.
When we connect with nature in this heartfelt way,
We realize we are part of the ecosystem of the earth,
Not separate from it.
We can feel humbled and grateful to be part of a complex yet beautiful world.
Now let's turn our attention to the people in our lives that inspire us and those who love us and whom we love.
Who has supported you,
Comforted you and believed in you when you needed it most?
Picture this person or these people and open your heart to them.
Have you truly thanked them?
What would you say to them to express your gratitude?
Take a few more moments to consider the positive qualities of those who have been blessings in your life and to appreciate all the ways they have loved and served you.
Most likely you also have relationships that have been difficult and yet from these you learned something about yourself that made you change in ways you are glad you did.
We can even feel gratitude for the thorns that accompany the rose.
Take a moment to acknowledge those who have been your greatest teachers even if the learning was painful.
Good.
Now let's turn our attention to what you most love to do.
It may be playing a sport or listening to music.
Perhaps you have an immersive hobby like painting or photography or gardening.
What would life be like without whatever activity you are most passionate about?
Consider what you creatively expressed through this activity.
Do you treasure it?
What have you learned from this pastime?
How has it changed you?
Do your answers to these questions make you feel more grateful for this aspect of your life?
Are there people in your life you met through this activity?
Take a minute to allow yourself to feel how much you value this endeavor,
Its blessings and the people,
Places or events it has connected to.
Good.
A simple yet healthy gratitude practice is to take five minutes at the end of your day to review the sights,
Sounds and activities of this day for which you are grateful.
Some people take it a step further and keep a gratitude journal in which they write at the end of the everyday.
Either way,
Reviewing the blessings of your day puts you in a positive state of mind before sleep.
If you have had a day full of challenges,
This process can help you let go of some of the frustration and move you into a more centered space which may help you to fall asleep more easily.
I encourage you to incorporate at least one gratitude session into your day and notice the result over time.
There are many more areas of life we could think about to find blessings to be grateful for.
I will mention just one more that means a lot to me.
I am grateful for being able to take time to meditate each day.
I have personally had several health challenges in my life and it was meditation that helped me cope and heal.
I began life as a chronic warrior and meditation helped me change that.
Finally,
Meditation opened my heart to a greater reality.
If meditation has served you positively,
Remember to give thanks after every session for there are many people in the world who are struggling to survive and are too anxious and exhausted to do so.
Let's appreciate being able to pause in this peaceful and powerful way.
This brings us to the end of our practice but the music will continue for a while so you can continue to sit in the radiance of your own heart.
Namaste.
