Welcome to today's Gratitude Meditation.
I'm Colette and I'm so glad you're here to take a few moments for yourself to pause,
Breathe and remember how much there is to be grateful for in life and how strong and resilient our bodies are.
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down and make yourself nice and comfortable.
If it feels safe for you to do so,
You might like to close your eyes or soften your gaze for the practice.
Let's start by taking a nice full deep breath in through the nose,
Hold it at the top of the breath for a moment and then slowly release the breath through the mouth.
Let the shoulders soften,
The jaw relax and the body begin to settle.
Let's take another full deep breath in and a long slow breath out.
One more full breath in followed by a long slow exhale.
Feel yourself begin to let go of any tension,
Any rush and any need to be anywhere else.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm and just relax into this moment.
There is nothing to fix or change,
Just breathe and be here.
With every breath feel yourself settling a little deeper into peace and calm,
Ready to open your heart to gratitude.
Now I invite you to bring your awareness to your feet,
Your loyal hard working feet that have carried you through so many days and allowed you to experience soft carpets,
Warm sand and cool tile.
Your feet have borne your weight,
Taken you where you needed to go,
Held you steady and helped you move through every single day.
Thank you feet for holding me,
For moving me and for standing firm when I needed you most.
Now bring your attention and awareness to your knees,
Those incredible joints that have bent and straightened countless times.
Knees that have knelt in gardens,
Rested beneath tables and carried you through years of living.
Thank you knees for your strength and steadiness.
Let's turn our attention to your hips and pelvis,
The centre of your balance and the foundation of your movement.
This area supports and steadies your every step.
Your hips have helped you run,
Dance,
Rest and play.
Thank you hips for keeping me grounded,
Balanced and mobile.
Take a moment to notice your belly,
The home of digestion,
Intuition and emotion.
The place that has laughed,
Fluttered with nerves and tingled with delight.
Regardless of how it looks or feels today,
It has nourished you,
Helped you grow and supported your immunity.
Thank you dear belly for the way you nurture and sustain me.
Now rest your attention on your heart.
Your heart works tirelessly to support you,
It works quietly in the background,
Pumping your blood,
Carrying warmth and life through your entire body.
Thank you heart for your courage,
Your resilience and your unending strength.
Now let's turn our attention to your arms and hands.
Hands that have written notes,
Prepared food,
Wiped away tears and arms that have held loved ones,
Provided countless loving hugs and moments of tenderness.
Thank you arms and hands for how you help me touch and shape the world around me.
Now let your attention settle on your face,
The face the world sees,
The eyes that have witnessed beauty,
Love and wonder.
Thank you eyes for all you have shown me.
Thank you ears for the music,
The laughter and the quiet stillness.
Thank you lips for speaking kind words,
Sharing smiles,
Singing and offering tender kisses.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your whole body.
Thank you for the strong,
Resilient,
Extraordinary body I live in.
It may not be perfect,
But it has been yours,
Supporting you faithfully every single day.
Now I'm going to go silent for a minute to allow you to feel into your body,
Soak in some gratitude and simply rest in the quiet awareness of all that your body does for you.
When you're ready,
I invite you to slowly wiggle your fingers and toes,
Maybe add a little stretch and gently open your eyes.
Take one final mindful breath in and exhale slowly.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
May your mind be peaceful,
Your body be well.
And your heart filled with gratitude and joy.
