I want to start today's session with a famous Buddhist adage,
A healthy man wants a thousand things,
A sick man just wants one.
I love this reminder that perspective is everything and sometimes we have to change the way we see the world in order to change the way we feel about the world.
That's what gratitude is and that's why it's so powerful.
In this short practice I want us to dial into gratitude so that we can see the world better and feel better about the world.
Get yourself into a nice comfortable seat or lay down if you prefer,
For now you can keep the eyes open and just start breathing in and out through the nostrils in a calm and slow fashion.
I'll explain a bit more about this session now.
There are a ton of benefits to gratitude but a surprising one neuroscience has found is that gratitude has an anxiolytic effect,
Meaning it counteracts anxiety.
It does this by encouraging us to lean into our experience instead of running away from it.
This gives us a sense of ease,
Which coincidentally can be achieved through easing into your senses.
So that's what we'll do today.
In this gratitude practice I'm going to ask you to easily tap into your five senses and that's why I wanted you to start with the eyes open.
So let's get straight into it.
I want you just to look around the room or area you are in right now.
Look left,
Look all the way right,
Look all the way up and look all the way down.
Now just take note of the different colors you see and then make a mental note of each one that is available to you.
Now there are a ton so I'll stop you there.
I want you just to tap into your favorite one,
The one that sticks out and the one that grabs your attention.
All right you got your favorite.
Now just notice how many different shades of that same color are around you.
Notice which ones are man-made and which ones are natural.
And then note how the simple spectrum of light,
What we call color,
Can brighten up your day.
Take a moment and give thanks to nature for producing this color or if it's man-made.
Think of those that made it for you and bring some gratitude to the fact that it exists.
All right good job.
Now you can close your eyes and this is going to help you tap into what you hear.
Listen out for the sounds you hear nearby,
Those that are close to you,
And then listen out for the sounds that are far away from you.
Begin to notice the symphony of sounds that make up your auditory world.
Begin to enjoy this soundtrack to your life.
Again I want you to pick up a favorite sound or just an interesting sound.
All right now note and think if it's man-made or natural.
And while you're enjoying the sound just bring thanks to whatever part of nature creates it or those that made this thing if it's man-made.
And then simply thank the sound for being around.
Okay moving on I want you to tap into the sense of smell.
Now despite this being the oldest sense that we have it's actually not a very strong one in humans so you'll be forgiven if you don't smell lots of things the way you saw lots of things or the way you heard lots of things.
But do your best to try taking a scent or a sense of scent in the area you're in.
Trying to tap into a smell that stands out.
Breathe a little bit deeper through the nostrils to allow this to enter the body.
If you can't smell anything just enjoy the feeling of breathing through the nostrils.
If you have managed to find a scent though just let it permeate through the nostrils.
Notice how it enters the nose.
Notice if there's different elements or notes to it.
And then simply thank that smell for being around.
As you say,
Smell you later.
Now notice the taste in your mouth.
Maybe some residual meal or hot drink.
Maybe it's toothpaste.
Whatever it is just take a moment and tap into anything you can taste in your mouth.
This may take a moment to adjust to so take your time.
And with that taste in your mouth I want you to think back to how it came to be in your mouth.
If you can't taste anything just think of the last thing you ate or drank.
Now appreciate the luxury it is to have food or to have drink that is on demand literally wherever we go.
To never know truly what it is to be without in the modern world.
Think of the luxury that it is to have not just whatever food is around but rather so many options of delicious food available to us.
And now take a moment to give thanks to nature for providing this but also bring thanks to those that produce it,
That deliver it,
That help you purchase it.
Bring thanks to those that spend hours in the kitchen creating it.
Alright,
Nice.
Lastly,
I want you to notice what you feel in your body right now.
The sensations on your skin,
The feeling of your clothes,
The warmth that it produces.
Maybe your naked skin interacting with the air.
Noticing the coolness that comes with this.
Notice the fine,
Delicate hairs on your body move.
Notice how your socks feel right now on your body.
Notice the softness of any bit of clothing you have and then bring a bit of gratitude to the luxury that it is to have all these items you're wearing right now.
To have all these things that interact with your body on a daily basis.
The high quality garments that you have regardless of how expensive or cheap they are.
These things that make you feel and look good.
Note these things but also bring some gratitude to those that make these things possible.
The plants or the animals that provide the raw materials.
And then those that put it together.
Again that deliver it to the stores that you buy it from.
Even those that help you choose it or purchase it.
And now to finish I want you to think of the luxury that it is to be able to hear,
To be able to smell,
To taste,
To see and of course to feel.
These incredible senses that allow us to interact with the world in so many ways and extract joy in so many ways.
Notice the feeling of gratitude as it takes over your body and literally changes your brain and your perception.
And take this new outlook into the rest of your day.
Namaste.
