Gratitude Practice (With Music)

Using GRATITUDE as an acronym we can practice resting in more expansive awareness that lets us savor good times and feel more supported during life's inevitable bumps. We can experience the range of normal human emotions with less fear and aversion when we practice GRATITUDE. Our work isn't to get rid of the feelings we don't like or don't want, our work is to learn how to be with and care for the feelings. Practicing GRATITUDE may help.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to your practice for today.

Let's go ahead and begin by settling into the body in whatever way feels right for you this time.

Maybe that means just noticing your feet on the floor if you're seated or if you're standing.

Maybe noticing your bottom on the chair.

Maybe your back or your belly on the sofa.

Just paying attention to whatever surface is supporting your body at this moment.

Noticing where your body is making contact,

Reminding yourself that you are supported.

And as you feel yourself arriving in the body,

Notice what it feels like as the breath moves in and out.

Maybe you feel cool air in your nostrils or you notice the air in your throat.

So maybe you're aware of your belly rising and falling.

Just really take your time sealing yourself in the body,

Letting go of everything outside of this experience.

Being present with this time.

And next,

I invite you to slowly lift your shoulders on an inhale toward your ears,

As high as you can.

And then on an exhale,

Slowly lift the shoulders,

Slide down,

Feeling the shoulder blades coming together and slide down the back.

And as I'm offering suggestions for settling into the body,

Please do know that if anything does not feel right for you today,

This is your practice.

It's invitational only,

You have all the choices.

So do what feels right or choose something else that feels better.

If it does feel right,

Go ahead and lift the shoulders another time on an inhale toward the ears.

And this time,

Extend your exhale and even drop the shoulders with the thigh,

Again,

Feeling the blades slide down your back.

And with the movement,

See what's present for you in your body.

Try to tap into any sensations that are pleasant or neutral,

Letting your attention rest there,

Reminding yourself that you have the capacity to be with your inner well-being,

To be with your inner ease,

And that you can tap into that,

In spite of anything else that might be going on,

That there's space for it all.

And one more breath in,

Maybe for the count of four,

And then exhale for the count of six.

We're going to move now into the gratitude practice.

And the gratitude practice is just another way of supporting ourselves when life's inevitable ups and downs come along.

And knowing that we have the capacity to be supportively available to ourselves when times feel challenging or when times feel hard is another nice way of caring for ourselves.

It's a good reminder that,

Yes,

Difficulty will come,

And that when difficulty comes,

That it doesn't mean that anything is wrong,

That all people experience challenging times.

Sometimes all people experience anger,

Frustration,

Insecurity,

Embarrassment,

Sadness,

Anxiety.

These are all normal human experiences,

And our work is not to figure out how to get rid of them.

We remember that all feelings belong,

That we all will experience them,

Feelings we like and feelings we don't like.

But our work really is to figure out how to care for our own suffering,

How to be gentle and kind with ourselves,

How to be present to whatever experience comes up.

And gratitude might be one way of doing that.

So we can start it with the G,

Which of course stands for gratitude.

And as we practice gratitude,

We think about small things or big things that bring us joy.

It could be the light in a loved one's eye or it could be the joy of a warm shower,

A scent of lavender or manila.

Or maybe it's just something as simple as making the traffic light or paying the bills on time.

Maybe it's gratitude for health or a good night's sleep.

And sometimes thinking about something that we feel grateful for and letting the body experience that sense of gratitude can be a really kind way to make space for feelings,

Nurturing the good in spite of challenges,

Noticing that we have a capacity to experience a range of emotions,

That we don't have to stay stuck in painful feelings.

And next we move to the R,

Which can stand for a couple of things.

One is reframe.

So what would it be like to think about this current challenge in a different way?

Maybe instead of thinking that this is a chance where everybody hates me or nothing ever goes my way,

It might be this is an opportunity to practice my practice.

Or this might be an opportunity to learn something new about what's possible for me.

Take a moment now and really think about that.

Is there another way you can think about this experience?

Or perhaps if that does not feel right,

Maybe the R for you can be practicing resource.

And the resource is anything that brings a sense of peace or calm or joy or just helps you feel better.

And so maybe your resource is something that's on your gratitude list.

Or maybe your resource is your pet.

Just imagining what it's like to feel your pet's warm,

Soft fur.

Or the way that your pet greets you at the end of the day.

Whatever your resource is,

Really let yourself experience it with all of your senses.

So if it's your morning coffee,

That's one of my resources,

I can think about the rich warm color of the liquid.

Or I can think about the smooth heat on my mug in the morning.

The sweetness of the coffee.

I can think about what it feels like to take that first sip.

What it feels like to feel myself coming alive as the caffeine enters my body.

What details can help you really experience your resource?

And as you recount those details,

Can you notice what's happening inside your body?

Checking with your breath,

Is there any change in the quality of your breath or is there any change in the quality of your muscle tone?

Just notice how your body experiences the resource.

And if it's pleasant,

Let your attention rest there for just a few minutes.

And let's move to the A.

The A might stand for allow.

Now as sensations come up that are associated with our difficulty,

We might ordinarily brace ourselves,

We might have contraction,

We might resist.

Now what would it be like to loosen the body?

To let yourself allow whatever is coming up knowing that you will be okay.

What would it be like to watch the feelings as they move in the body?

Or maybe even name them?

Just letting yourself be with the experience as it arises without fear,

Without aversion.

But let's deal with gentleness,

With kindness.

Just recognizing yes I do feel tension,

Yes this is unpleasant and yes I can get through it.

Yes I know that I'm going to be okay.

Or maybe for you the A could be ask.

I could be really curious about this experience.

What else is present for me?

So if there's tension or tightness or heaviness,

Maybe there are also places where there is ease or softness.

And can I let my attention widen enough to pay attention to all of it?

Not just the sensations of distress but also the sensations that are about my well-being or my ease or that are comfortable.

Can I notice at all?

Can I remind myself that even in the midst of difficulty that there are sometimes things that are good and sweet?

And can I remember that I don't have to get rid of everything that I don't like to be able to notice and appreciate what I do like?

Just asking can I make space for it all?

Find the breath.

And next we'll move to the T which is take time for self-care.

So we'll give some thought here to what nurtures you,

What restores you,

What do you need in this moment?

Something that's comforting or soothing,

Something that feels good but feels good not just for now but for later.

So a feel-good that doesn't cause regret later.

A feel-good that honors your self-care,

That honors your self-love.

If it's hard to think about what that might be,

Remind yourself that it's okay to come back to the question later and remind yourself too that you do deserve your own loving care.

And care does not have to be a vacation.

Care does not have to involve money.

Perhaps care is a warm cup of tea,

A good book or talking with a supportive friend that really really sees you and hears you.

Or maybe it's going for a walk.

Know what restores you,

Know what seeds you,

Know what comforts you and offer that to yourself.

And for the eye we have investigated.

So maybe give a little bit of thought to the causes and conditions that led to this moment and not in a way that's shaming or blaming.

Just a way of earning,

Getting more perspective.

Of learning if there's anything you can control or letting go of anything that you can't control.

So again get really curious about what might be happening right now.

What are the things that led to this moment?

And is there anything you could have done about it?

And are there places where you can offer yourself forgiveness?

Is there something you can let go of?

What can you release?

And for tea we have tell the truth.

So as we move more into our investigation we might ask ourselves are there facts that it's time we face?

Any changes we need to make or boundaries we need to reset?

And again this is not about blame,

This is not about judgment.

It's really about clarity.

It's about honoring our own boundaries.

It's about understanding our own needs and giving ourselves permission to name them and advocate for them.

It's about reminding ourselves that sometimes we get so caught up that we are letting ourselves be led away from the truth about what we would like to believe.

And sometimes we really have to get to the place where reality leads us away from hope and toward truth.

So are there facts it's time we face?

Are there any changes that need to be made now or boundaries that need to be reset?

It's okay to tell yourself the truth about that.

That does not mean you have to do anything about it right this minute.

But it's a good idea to begin with some awareness.

Knowing that in time you will know what to do.

In time you will have the courage to do it.

And you will be supported.

For you we have understand that your feelings whatever they are are normal.

We all experience feelings that shift and change.

Our emotional states shift and change.

We experience ups and downs throughout the day.

It happens to everyone.

And so yes sometimes we'll feel sad,

We'll be anxious,

We'll be angry,

Overwhelmed.

Maybe all in the same hour,

Certainly in the same day,

Same week.

And we want to remind ourselves that all feelings belong.

And how we respond to and care for our feelings is really what matters.

So we just have to remind ourselves that we don't have to be afraid for afraid of our feelings.

We don't have to hate our feelings.

We don't have to get rid of our feelings.

We have only to learn how to make space for whatever comes up.

And to meet it with kindness,

With love,

With compassion.

To learn how to care for our own suffering,

To be supportively available to ourselves.

And for the D,

Do something for someone else.

We all have power and we can recognize where we have power and we can use it for good.

We can make a difference.

Sometimes stepping outside of our own experience is a good way to care for ourselves and also show up in the world for good.

And when we do that it can remind us that we're not alone.

And it's a reminder of our connection to all human beings.

We all need each other.

So do something for someone else.

Maybe a small thing like hold the door open for someone or offer someone a smile.

Let it slow down and be present.

Meet someone in their eyes and give someone your full attention.

Or maybe buy someone a cup of coffee.

Offer someone a kind word.

Or volunteer at your local non-profit,

Bring in your neighbor's paper.

There are so many ways to do something for someone else.

And at the end we have key for exercise.

And we know that exercise can shift energy and help boost mood.

And some studies have even shown that it can be as effective as antidepressants for managing mild to moderate depression.

And exercise can also help with anxiety.

So that does not mean that you have to run a marathon today.

It's great if you can.

But you might also just start by lifting your arms for a stretch or standing if you can.

Or maybe doing a twist in your chair.

Or maybe doing a neck roll.

Just move your body in whatever way feels right.

And as you move the body,

See if you can notice what happens.

Again,

We're trying to tune into any sensations that are associated with well-being.

Any sensations that are pleasant.

Where we can loosen,

Where we can let go of constriction,

Contraction,

Bracing.

Noticing where the breath flows freely,

Where there's ease.

Noticing where there's spaciousness in the chest.

So move your body in whatever way feels right.

So the gratitude practice is G for Gratitude,

R for Reframe or Resource,

A for Allow or Ask,

T for Take Time for Self-Care,

I for Investigate,

T for Tell the Truth.

U,

Understand that your feelings are normal.

D,

Do something for someone else.

E,

Exercise.

So as you think about the gratitude practice,

Know that every practice is individual.

Some things might feel right for you,

Others may not.

But this is just a reminder of some things that you likely already know with the hope that you will practice them with some intention.

Really bring them in with some awareness of what's happening in your body as a way of supporting yourself through life's inevitable ups and downs.

And please do take heart if these practices do not work for you,

It's okay.

The most important thing is to figure out how to be with our own suffering.

And so be encouraged,

Continue searching,

Continue to be curious and find the thing that works right for you.

There is definitely something that will work for you.

Find it.

And if this practice does work for you,

I encourage you to practice regularly,

Remembering that you do deserve your own loving care,

That you have the capacity to show up for yourself,

To support yourself.

And that well-being is a practice,

It's something that we have to return to every day and that there's not a finish line.

So we return to our practices and we learn that we can be with whatever comes up.

We offer ourselves our care,

Our compassion,

Our love and our patience.

So as we close,

I invite you to find your breath.

Inhale deeply.

And exhale with this side,

Maybe a little bit longer.

One more time,

Inhale.

And then a long,

Slow exhale.

May you know peace.

May you know joy.

May you deepen the capacity to honor all of your feelings.

And may your love for yourself grow deeper every day.

I wish you well.

So so so so so so so so so so so

Reviews

I needed this so much & it is the best gratitude meditation I have listened to. I love how you took each letter of gratitude. The statement: realty leads us away from hope & towards truth, really resonated with me. Plus, your soothing voice and soft background music & ocean waves added to my calmness. Thank you.

Such a calming presence. A very complete meditation. Thank you.

Thank you for this wise and beautiful practice, Barbara. Your words especially helped me after my uncle passed away.

Thank you

Beautiful, peaceful and inspirational ❤️ I'm grateful for this meditation, thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻