Hello,
Welcome to today's gratitude meditation.
Please find yourself in a seat that's comfortable,
But a seat where you can still remain alert and aware.
Give yourself a moment to settle down into the seat,
So maybe that means wiggling across the sitting bones,
Loosening up the shoulders,
Releasing the neck for a moment.
Eventually coming to a space of stillness when you're ready.
Let's first direct our awareness up to the forehead,
The Ajna chakra or your third eye point right in between the brows.
Just with your awareness resting gently across your forehead,
Just begin to loosen up the skin,
Release the tension.
Allow that area of the body to soften and maybe open just a bit.
Let's move your awareness down the throat and into the heart,
Right at the center of your chest.
Just beginning to listen into the heart space and just noticing whatever emotions,
Sensations,
Or feelings are there with us today.
Taking this moment here at the beginning just to listen,
Right?
No judgments,
No expectations.
It's okay if the emotions or feelings aren't pretty or ideal.
Just allow yourself at first here to observe,
Meet yourself where you are right in this moment.
As we move forward with our practice,
If you ever notice your attention or your mind wandering you can bring your focus back to either of these two physical points in the body,
Your heart center or your third eye.
Just allow yourself to relax around that physical space and draw your attention back into your body.
Just take a deep,
Full breath in through the nose and let it out.
Deep full breath in through the nose and let it out.
Allowing the lips to close,
Come back to your natural breath.
With the awareness still lingering in the heart space,
Let's begin to think of some things that we're grateful for right in this moment.
Your first comes to mind.
It could be your mindfulness practice.
It could be your healthy and able body which allows you to be here,
Be seated,
Be present in this moment.
Maybe it's your home,
Your warm clothes,
Maybe your family or a loved one.
Still keeping that emotional center in the heart,
Just bringing to mind some things that you are grateful for in this moment.
Now let's take a step back,
Looking back over the experiences of your life and finding a few that you're really grateful for.
Maybe allowing this memory to play out on the back of your eyelids.
Allowing yourself to feel these sensations as if you were physically there.
What sounds do you hear?
What temperature is the air on your skin?
Who are you surrounded by?
With awareness still in your heart,
Let the feeling of gratitude for this moment permeate through your whole body.
And if it's hard at all for you to feel a sense of gratitude right now,
Know that that's okay.
Just keep your awareness in that heart space.
Just being aware of the responses in your body and in your heart to some of these memories.
Now let's release our memories,
Calling to mind now one person.
Maybe the first person that comes to mind that you're really grateful for.
You can see their face in front of you.
Maybe their smile.
You can imagine wrapping them in a big hug.
And feeling the warmth.
Reaching into those sensations in the heart can give this person a deep and grateful thank you.
Thank you for supporting me.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for teaching me on this journey of life.
And eventually releasing the image of your person from your mind.
Just call forward a memory that maybe you aren't so grateful for.
Maybe a trial,
A difficulty,
Or a challenge that you faced in your life.
Reaching first the response in the body,
Maybe feeling that energetic shift around the heart.
But let's take a step back from the emotional attachment of this memory and let us find a sense of gratitude for the lesson in this memory.
Let us find a sense of gratitude for the strength that we've gained in overcoming this obstacle.
Let us say thank you to this difficulty in our lives for making us the person that we are here in this moment today.
Let us say thank you to this challenge for making us a deeper,
Wiser,
And richer person.
Gently releasing that memory.
Bringing yourself back into this moment in your physical body,
In your breath,
In your heart.
Coming back to the sound of my voice and the sensation of your breath.
Let us take one more moment of gratitude here together.
This time for each other.
For our communities.
For our collective.
For our ability to connect and grow together through this practice from across the world.
Finding that sense of unity and love that we all share.
Let us take a moment of gratitude for our beautiful Mother Earth for providing us with a home,
With the resources,
The food,
The inspiration that we need.
And finally let us take a breath of gratitude for ourselves for showing up,
For doing this work.
For by result creating a better place.
A place of more love and compassion.
If you'd like you may place one palm against the heart as we take one final breath here together.
Deep inhale through the nose and let it out.
Allowing yourself to come out of the practice slowly and intentionally.
I bow in so much gratitude to you today.
Namaste.
Namaste.
