Welcome.
Today we will practice gratitude.
And as you train your mind to start practicing gratitude,
You will notice that your mind becomes more appreciative and grateful and you will start to feel more joy,
Recognize more happiness in your life,
And also continue the momentum of happiness as an important exercise.
So go ahead.
Settle into a comfortable position.
You can sit on a chair,
On a couch,
Or a cushion on the ground.
Roll back your shoulders gently and keep them down and away from your ears.
Rest your hands on your lap and gently close your eyes.
Let's take a couple of deep,
Relaxing breaths now.
Breathing in through the nose.
Breathing out through the mouth.
Breathing in deeply.
And breathing out slowly.
Again,
Breathing in deeply.
Breathing out slowly.
As you continue to focus in on your breath,
Notice yourself becoming more present in the moment.
Continue to breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly.
Start to notice where you are.
Notice where you are seated.
And notice what can you feel in the body.
What can you hear?
There's no need to do anything other than just observe your present time experience in this moment.
And bring your awareness to the location in your body where you can feel the breath most clearly.
As you continue to breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly,
Be with your body and your breath for a few minutes now.
Feeling the inhalations and exhalations as they come and go.
Feeling the rise and fall of the chest and the belly.
Feeling the air go into your nose as you breathe and fill your lungs.
Just stay here for a moment.
Relaxing into this place.
And now bring your mind to a time that you recently experienced happiness.
It may be something small,
Like seeing a friend.
Having your favorite cup of coffee in the morning.
Watching the sunset.
Or reading your favorite book.
Something that brings you joy.
When you have that image in your mind,
Allow yourself to feel the experience of that moment.
With the attention of cultivating gratitude and keeping this memory in your mind,
Offer yourself a few phrases,
Either out loud to yourself or in your mind.
May my happiness continue.
May my happiness grow.
May I be present for joy.
May I appreciate all the joy in my life.
And just take a moment to focus your attention on these words.
And focus your intention of appreciating happiness and the feeling of contentment from your memory.
Let those memories bring those feelings.
And if any point your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Just return your attention back to these phrases.
May my happiness continue.
May my happiness grow.
May I be present for joy.
May I appreciate the joy in my life.
And now,
As this practice comes to an end,
Gently begin to come back to your body and your surroundings.
Begin to move your body gently,
Stretching easily.
Wiggle your toes and fingers.
Move your head from side to side.
Notice how you feel.
And when you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
