Welcome to this gratitude meditation.
This practice will help you to take a pause,
Reset,
And cultivate feelings of gratitude for all the abundance in your life.
When talking about gratitude,
Mary Davis said,
The more grateful I am,
The more beauty I see.
Before we begin,
Let's take a few moments to settle in.
Find a comfortable position that honors your body.
This may be sitting with a tall,
Straight back,
Letting your hands rest naturally in your lap.
Or if it's more comfortable,
You can lie down during our practice.
When you are ready,
I invite you to gently close your eyes or keep your eyes open with a soft downward gaze.
Now let's get centered by taking some deep,
Slow breaths.
Deep inhale.
And slow exhale.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
As you breathe,
Notice your body filling with air all the way to the top of your breath.
On your exhale,
Notice your body relaxing,
Releasing tension,
Settling into this moment.
Return to your natural breath.
And gently shift your awareness to your thoughts and emotions.
Let any thoughts or feelings arise.
Observe them without judgment,
Without getting swept away in them.
Letting them come and letting them go.
And as you breathe in,
I invite you to silently say,
Let.
And as you breathe out,
You can silently say,
Go.
Breathing in,
Let.
Breathing out,
Go.
Let.
Go.
Let.
Go.
Let's shift our awareness to feelings of gratitude.
Starting with the breath,
Breathing is such a natural,
Constant part of our lives that it is often overlooked.
But the breath is what sustains us,
What gives us life.
The breath brings us back to the present moment again and again.
It is always with us.
It is our anchor.
Next,
Have gratitude for your body,
Which is your home,
Your temple.
And even if your body cannot do all the things you would like it to,
Have gratitude for every single thing that it can do.
Have gratitude for your mind,
For its ability to think,
Reflect,
Wonder,
And imagine.
Gratitude for your thoughts and emotions that allow you to connect with yourself and with others.
Gratitude for your senses that allow you to experience the world around you.
Gratitude for your home and the shelter it provides.
Gratitude for your given and chosen family who give you love and support.
Gratitude for your friends who bring joy and laughter into your life.
Gratitude for any community you are a part of or any other support systems you have that bring a sense of belonging.
Gratitude for any teachers or mentors who have helped you to learn,
To grow,
To become a better version of yourself.
Gratitude for the earth,
The home we all share.
Gratitude for all beings as we are all connected.
Gratitude for all the beautiful moments and memories you've experienced and for those that are yet to come.
Gratitude for all the challenges that brought you to this exact moment that shaped you into exactly who you are right now.
And gratitude for yourself for the fact that you are taking time to nurture and support yourself to give yourself love during this practice.
In a world where we are constantly being told that more is always better,
It can be difficult to slow down,
Sit down,
And focus on what we have versus what we lack.
Practicing gratitude helps us appreciate all that we have,
Even when life is challenging.
Take a last moment of gratitude for this time you have created to just be,
To allow yourself to return home to your body,
To return home to your breath,
To return home to this moment.
As we begin to move out of our practice,
Keeping your eyes closed or with a soft downward gaze,
I invite you to bring your palms together at your forehead as a reminder that everything starts with a thought.
They influence your words,
Actions,
And energy.
Bring your palms together at your lips as a reminder to speak gently over yourself and others.
Bring your palms together at your heart as a reminder of the power of gratitude.
Gently release your hands back into your lap and return your attention back to your breath.
Take one last deep inhale through the nose and open mouth exhale.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes and when you are ready,
Return back to the room and gently open your eyes.
Take this state of gratitude with you throughout your day.
Thank you for joining me and I'll see you next time.
