The Light Of Gratitude

The practice of gratitude is one of the quickest ways to access a peaceful and loving mindset. In this meditation, we'll cultivate deep gratitude for ourselves and for those closest to us in our lives; seeing both you and them surrounded by the loving light of your own heart.

Transcript

Sit comfortably wherever you are.

Feel your eyes close.

Go ahead and bring your awareness to your breath.

The breath in the nostrils,

The breath at your throat,

The feeling of your breath expanding and contracting your body.

Inhale and exhale.

With your awareness on the breath,

Go ahead and slow it down a bit.

Taking your time as you inhale,

Taking your time as you exhale,

Slowing down the intake of breath,

Slowing down the output of breath.

Slow inhale.

Slow exhale.

When we slow down the breath like this,

It helps to slow down the movements of your mind.

And the awareness of your breath brings your mind to the present moment.

We're not worried about the past or concerned for the future.

Just this inhale,

Just this exhale.

If you want to ground that presence awareness just a bit further,

You could repeat in your mind as you inhale,

I have arrived.

As you exhale,

Repeat in your mind,

I am here.

Inhale,

I have arrived.

Exhale,

I am here.

I have arrived.

I am here.

Arrived in the present moment,

You're here in the present moment.

No other moment has to exist.

Here in this present moment,

Be aware of your body resting,

Noticing the regions of your body that are holding tension,

Discomfort,

Noticing the regions of your body that are not holding tension or discomfort,

Maybe having a bit of acknowledgement,

Acceptance,

That all of that experience is true,

The comfort,

The discomfort,

The tension,

The not tension.

And in this practice of being aware of your breath and body,

Just notice your mind when it wants to drift,

Wander,

Focus on something else.

Our practice,

As always,

Is to bring your awareness back to the practice when the mind does wander,

Back to the present moment.

Being aware of your breath now,

However best you can be aware of the breath.

Maybe you want to focus on the breath in the nostrils,

Maybe it's the breath at your throat,

Maybe that's a steady expansion,

Contraction of your body,

Whichever focal point helps you focus best,

Be aware of your breath.

With your awareness on the breath,

We'll now balance the breath out or even the breath out.

So you'll inhale for a certain length of time and exhale for an equal length of time.

And a way to do that is just to count the breath,

Inhaling for a certain number of counts,

Exhaling for an equal number of counts,

A count being whatever you use for internal measurement,

An estimated second,

The sound of a syllable,

However best you can measure the inhale and the exhale.

Inhaling for a certain number of counts,

Exhaling for an equal number of counts,

Equal inhale,

Equal exhale.

When the mind drifts,

Bring it back.

And where at first this technique might have been quite effortful to even the breath out,

What might happen is that over time it starts to feel a bit more natural,

A little less effortful.

Inhaling for a certain number of counts,

Exhaling for an equal number of counts.

Now please continue to breathe,

Breathing evenly,

And also become aware of the movement of your rib cage.

Inhale,

Feeling the ribs softly expand,

Exhale,

Feeling the ribs softly narrow,

Rib cage expanding as you inhale,

The rib cage narrowing as you exhale,

Rib cage expanding as you inhale,

Rib cage narrowing as you exhale,

And then become aware of the point at the center of your chest that the ribs expand away from and contract toward.

Awareness of the point at the center of the chest the ribs expand away from and contract toward.

And at that point see a spark of light,

However best you can imagine a spark of light.

Maybe it's a star or an orb.

As you complete this next exhale you can release the counting of the breath,

But still notice the expansion and contraction of the rib cage and holding some awareness at this light,

The spark at the center of the chest.

I'd like you to think of something that you have done for yourself that you've benefited from recently that you feel grateful for.

Something you've done for yourself that you've benefited from recently that you feel gratitude for.

You don't have to spend too much time thinking about what that is.

Usually the first thing to pop into your mind is the right one for today's practice.

Once you have it just acknowledge the impact that that choice or action has had on your life.

How has your life been made better?

How is it fuller because of that?

That thing you did for yourself recently.

And in that acknowledgement you may just immediately start to feel a sense of gratitude to yourself from yourself for yourself.

Feel that.

And as you feel that gratitude for yourself,

The support you've given yourself,

See that light at the center of the heart or chest expand into the chest.

So grateful,

So thankful you did that thing.

You made that choice.

Feeling it expand that light within you.

Feel it expand down into your belly,

Your legs,

Your feet.

Feel that light,

That gratitude expand out into your arms and hands.

Feel that light of gratitude shine upwards into your neck,

Your head,

Your brain.

Feel it shine more bright,

Big.

Feel it shining through your skin,

That gratitude,

What you've done for yourself.

So much gratitude.

Feel,

Sense,

See that light expand into the space around you.

And feel that light expand until you're sitting in a large orb of light,

Expanding about three feet in all directions,

Giant orb of light,

The light of your heart.

And keeping this orb of light around you,

I'd like you to think of the person who is most important to you,

The person who is most important to you.

And if it's negotiable,

Negotiate.

We'll have time for more.

Usually the first one pop in is the right one for now.

And if you're good with internal visuals,

Maybe see that person step into this orb of light around you.

If not,

Just feel them in your heart.

As you feel them,

As you see them,

Contemplate how the presence of this person in your life has made your life better,

Fuller,

How their support has inspired you.

And in the acknowledgement of the impact that this person has had on your life,

In your life,

Feel gratitude.

Feel love for that person.

Feel it in your heart,

That spark at the center of the chest shining into this orb.

Feel the light of your heart touch theirs.

Gratitude,

So much gratitude for the presence of this person.

And allow them to remain here in this light and think of another person or being.

It might not even be a person,

Might not even be alive anymore,

Who has had an impact on your life,

Who's important to you.

Bring them into the light,

Bring them into your heart.

How has this person influenced you?

How has this person supported you?

What light has this person brought into your life?

Contemplate that.

Feel that.

Know that.

Feel the gratitude,

The love that comes from that acknowledgement.

Feel it in your heart.

Feel the light of your heart touch their heart wherever,

Whenever they might be.

So much gratitude for this being.

And allow them to remain here in this light.

And then think of one more person or being who is important to you.

Bring them into the light,

Bring them into your heart.

What grace have they brought to you?

What light have they brought to you?

What impact have they had?

How is your life made better by their presence,

Their influence?

Feel gratitude for them.

So much gratitude for them.

So thankful.

So much love.

Feel it in your heart.

Feel it in your heart,

The light of your heart touching their heart here in this light.

And allow them to remain in this light.

And as you look upon these faces,

These beings in front of you who are so important to you,

You remember how supported you are,

How much love you have,

How much you are loved.

Gratitude for that.

And in the bigness of the expression of this gratitude and love,

Remember that spark of light at the center of the chest,

Center of the heart,

And in that spark of light,

Know and feel deep peace,

Deep calm,

Deep steadiness.

And just know and remember that the way to get back to this calm peace,

Steadiness,

Is to practice gratitude,

Is to be grateful for something,

For anything.

Your avenue back to peace through gratitude.

So keeping this sense of peace with you,

This feeling of gratitude and love,

Feel your breath moving in your body.

When you're ready,

Take a deeper,

Fuller breath.

Bring your palms together in front of you and rub the palms together,

Creating heat,

Stimulating the palms.

Take the heated palms over your eyes,

Brushing back over the top of your head,

Down your neck,

Over the body,

Bringing yourself gently back to the space around you.