Mindful Appreciation Of Life’s Little Blessings Meditation

Here is a mindful appreciation meditation recording. Let’s be grateful for the everyday, little things - little blessings - in our lives. We close the meditation with a few affirmations. There is soft music in the background. All is well! Music by Phonzz at Freesound.

Transcript

Hi, This is Stefania and today let's meditate for a little bit together, Appreciating the little things in life. Today we'll be expressing gratitude for the little things in life. The day-to-day gifts that often go unnoticed because we're just so busy with the big picture. Let's begin by calming the mind. As you sit or lie down, Become as comfortable as possible and allow your mind to let go, To loosen up and become more comfortable. Close your eyes now and start to focus on your breathing. Breathing a bit more deeply than you usually do. Take three breaths. One and out. Two in and out. Three in and out. Now notice the sounds in the room. Rather than thinking of them as distractions or noisy bit, Lend a little bit of appreciation to them. You have ears that can hear that sound. That's something to be appreciative of. Now begin to extend your awareness to outside of your immediate surroundings. Think about your entire home and everything in it. Bring to mind the things that you use every day to help your life run that bit more smoothly. Alarm clocks, Refrigerators, Sinks, Closets, Clothes, Your toothbrush, Your computer, Your phone. The list could go on and on. See yourself going through a normal day but moving more slowly, Going through it more mindfully, Taking your time, Getting dressed, Washing, Eating and working. Imagine. Taking time each day to express gratitude for all of these modern conveniences. Try not to dwell on the haves and have-nots, What you wish you had. Just appreciate what is there. Appreciate every aspect of your daily experience. And keep that breath even, Deeply, Setting an intention to move more mindfully through each day starting now. Then extend your awareness even further. Think of the world outside. Think of the blue sky above, The sun, The trees that offer you shade, And the soil, The ground beneath your feet. It's easy to find gratitude for everything that runs smoothly in our lives. But how about those bumps in the road? We can be thankful for those little life lessons too. The spilled milk, The computer that goes wonky on you, The flat tire, The endless grocery lines, Your phone going funny on you. All of these little things. But you know, Every mishap offers us a chance to slow down. Instead of getting annoyed, Excited, Sending our energy the wrong way. Try thinking of this as a chance to live in the present moment and focus our attention on the matters at hand. Imagine navigating these bumps in the road with grace, With ease, Effortlessly going with the flow and keeping a calm head, A calm mind. Sometimes that may seem impossible, But little by little we can gain control over our feelings and we can learn to go with the flow. Now, Deep breath, Pulling the air in deeply, More deeply than before into our body. And then slowly let go of that breath as you release all stress. And another deep inhale, And slowly exhale, Releasing expectation. Once again, Slow breaths, Letting go of anything that prevents you from experiencing gratitude, Appreciation for your life, For those in your life, And for all that's in it. Breathing all blocks, Letting them dissolve, Breathing in clarity, Breathing in relaxation, Breathing out confusion and stress. Engage with the peaceful, Steady rhythm of your breath as you continue to invite gratitude into every day of your life. In the wise words of the author G. K. Chesterton, When it comes to life, The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. Just have a think about that. The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude and appreciation. Let's try to commit to turning all of our for-granteds into gratitude, Mindfully walking through our lives and making an effort to notice more, Feel more, And see more. Continue deep breathing, Integrating this idea, Taking everything with gratitude. Now it's time to come back. Become aware of your body once again, Feeling the floor beneath you, The air against your skin, Hearing the sounds around you. As you slowly allow your eyes to open, Take everything in. This is your life. You are here. As you continue with your day, With your night, Tomorrow, The next day, The next week, Remember to take everything with gratitude. You are blessed. You are alive. Remember to take everything with gratitude. And as we close out our mindful meditation, Let's do a few affirmations. I'll say them once and I'll leave a little space. If you feel so guided, Feel free to say them yourself. I am here. I am protected. I am blessed. I am full of gratitude and appreciation for the things and people in my life. Say that one again. I am full of gratitude and appreciation for the things and people in my life right now. All is well. All is well. All is well. So now, Just take a few minutes to have a little wiggle. Move your fingers, Your arms, Your legs. Just coming back into your world. And that's it for now. Until next time.