Welcome to this gratitude meditation.
Firstly,
Find a quiet place in which you can take a seat in a chair or lay flat on a comfortable surface with your spine long and straight and your lower back supported.
Once you are comfortable,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze,
Bringing your attention inward to your breath.
Notice the movement of breath in your body.
Take three deep breaths.
Breathe in through your nose,
Belly,
Chest and breathe out through your nose.
Breathe in through your nose,
Belly,
Chest and breathe out through your nose.
Breathe in through your nose,
Belly,
Chest and breathe out through your nose.
Now squeeze your shoulders up to your ears and as you do so,
Breathe in through your nose,
Belly,
Chest and let them drop as you exhale.
Let your body fall into its natural breathing rhythm.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Just as you are.
Feeling your body press down,
Noticing the contact between your body and the chair or the surface beneath you.
Our meditation anchor is going to be grateful thoughts,
Setting the tone for the rest of your day.
As we begin,
Call to mind an experience in your life that you are grateful for.
What did you like about this experience?
What did you learn?
Now reflect on a self-care practice you are particularly grateful for.
Why do you believe it replenishes you personally?
Thoughts and feelings change like the weather and your mind is like the sky.
Just as the sky allows the weather,
Allow your thoughts to come and go by gently refocusing your awareness.
Now think about a place you are grateful for.
What makes this place special?
Why do you feel this place nourishes you?
Notice your ability to zoom in and out on various topics to change what is present in your awareness.
Next,
I'd like you to picture somebody in your life that you connect with,
Someone you appreciate.
It could be a partner,
Friend,
Maybe someone in your family.
Notice how you feel when you picture this person.
Do you feel happy?
Do you feel warm?
Do you start to smile?
Think about why you are grateful to have them in your life.
Think about your emotions,
Sensations and thoughts.
Your brain is full of wonder.
Although it may sometimes not work the way you would like,
It has kept you alive.
What do you appreciate about your brain?
A gentle reminder not to judge your practice.
Your mind is always changing and this experience will be different on different days.
Allow your thoughts to come and go by gently guiding your attention back to your breath.
Reflect on yourself.
You are an intricate,
Wonderful human being.
You have strengths,
Values.
You make contributions to the world.
Why are you grateful for yourself?
As we draw our attention back to our surroundings,
Notice what you can taste,
What you can smell.
Notice the sounds around you.
Notice the physical sensations as you wiggle your fingers and flex and point your toes.
When you are ready,
Softly open your eyes and observe the space.
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling before you head out into the rest of your day.
