Hello,
Good morning.
My name is Mark Rowland and welcome to this short morning gratitude meditation.
Designed to help you settle into the day ahead with steadiness,
Clarity and appreciation.
We will begin by gently arriving in the body and the breath,
Then take some time to reflect on simple sources of support,
Connection and inner strength.
Before finishing by setting a calm intention that you can carry with you into the rest of your day.
There's nothing you need to do perfectly here,
Simply listening is enough.
So when you're ready,
Allow yourself to settle in to a comfortable position.
Sitting is lovely but you can also lay down if you need to.
Let your hands rest easily,
Allowing your shoulders to drop.
Unclenching any tension in the jaw,
Softening around your eyes and feeling the support beneath you,
The chair,
The bed or the floor.
Just allow yourself to be held for a moment.
Now take a slow breath in through the nose and a long breath out.
Again,
Breathing in and breathing out,
As if you are letting the morning arrive at its own pace.
Bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breathing,
You do not need to change it,
Just simply notice.
The inhale,
Receiving.
The exhale,
Releasing.
If you find your thoughts are already busy this morning,
That's ok,
Let them be like movement in the background while you stay close to the breath.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
If it helps,
Quietly in your mind you can label in on the inhale or on the exhale.
Now we begin with something simple and something true.
See if you can bring to mind one thing that supports you today.
It could be something small like a warm drink,
The roof over your head,
A blanket,
A shower you might take this morning or simply a moment of quiet.
Let one real thing appear.
And as you hold it in your mind,
Notice what happens in your body.
Maybe a softening,
Maybe nothing at all.
Both are ok and both are welcome.
Gently say to yourself,
Thank you.
Not as a platitude or performance,
But say thank you as a genuine recognition.
Now bring to mind a second support,
Something that makes your life a little easier.
A tool,
A routine,
A place or even the fact that you are breathing.
Again,
Quietly,
Thank you.
Now,
If it feels right,
Bring to mind a person who has helped you in some way.
They could be close to you or even someone you barely know.
A friend,
A family member,
A teacher or a barista who always make you smile with your morning coffee.
A nurse,
A colleague or a neighbour.
Allow one person to come to mind.
There's no need to replay the whole story,
Just remember the feeling of being supported,
Even if that's briefly.
And quietly offer them your thanks.
Thank you.
If you like,
Add this simple phrase,
May you be well today.
Now bring to mind one more person or one sense of connection.
Even the connection of sharing this human life with others on this planet.
Allow your heart to recognise you are not doing life alone.
Now gently bring gratitude toward yourself.
Not in a big dramatic exaggerated way,
Just honest acknowledgement.
You showed up,
You are listening,
You are trying,
And that counts for a great deal.
Ask yourself quietly,
What is the one thing I appreciate about how I am meeting life right now?
It might be your perseverance,
Your sensitivity,
Your humour or maybe your willingness to begin again.
Allow one quality to appear for you.
And offer the same simple recognition.
Thank you.
If it feels supportive,
Place a hand over the heart or your chest and feel the warmth and steadiness there.
Now we will shape this gratitude into a gentle intention.
Not a demand,
Not a to do list,
Just a direction for your heart.
Ask yourself,
What would I like to bring into my day today?
Patience?
Presence?
Kindness?
Courage?
Choose one word that is right for you.
Or a short phrase.
Let that intention settle into you for the next few breaths.
Breathing in,
Receiving that quality.
And breathing out,
Sharing it into your day.
Now,
As we close,
Notice again the support beneath you.
Notice,
One breath,
One moment of being here.
And when you are ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Maybe softly roll the shoulders and allow your eyes to open.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
If you enjoyed this practice and you would like to go a little deeper with gratitude as a daily habit,
I also have a course here on Insight Timer called A Month of Gratitude,
A 30 day gratitude journaling course.
You are very welcome to join it anytime.
I also have a group here on Insight Timer named Meditating with Mark.
Just search for it in the groups tab and you're most welcome to join to share any insights or requests for future meditations or courses.
I'd be happy to see you there.
Until next time,
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
You
