Hi Friend,
We hear a lot in meditation that we should express gratitude.
It is simple,
Yet it is transformative,
And that can bring about a sense of peace and happiness in our daily lives.
Recognizing gratitude has the undeniable impact on your happiness and well-being.
The beauty of gratitude is that it has a verbal effect.
By expressing gratitude,
You not only benefit yourself,
But also those around you.
Your positive energy and appreciation can inspire others around you to do the same,
Creating a chain reaction of kindness and goodwill in your community and beyond.
So creating happiness in you will also create happiness in those around you.
So let's do a gratitude exercise.
You can do this gratitude practice while sitting,
Standing,
Walking,
Or lying down.
You can do it with your eyes open or closed.
However,
You feel comfortable today.
Let's go ahead and get started.
Let's begin this practice by noticing something simple that you're experiencing right now.
You could be seeing the sight of a tree swaying gently in the wind,
Or feeling the warmth of the sunlight if you are walking,
Maybe the experience of the comfort from the chair that you are sitting on,
Or the warmth of a cuff you are holding,
Or as simple as being able to pause in the middle of the day from the busy life to engage in this practice right now.
Choosing one simple thing to notice in this moment,
Allowing it to fully absorb in your experience and letting appreciation and gratitude arise and fill your body and your mind with appreciation in this one simple moment right now.
Now reflect on someone you don't know very well,
Who has supported your experience today or recently in some way,
It could be a bus driver or the person in the grocery store who has checked you out,
Or someone who held the door for you,
Or a stranger who walked by and smiled at you,
Or the author of a book,
Or your reading,
Or maybe your favorite insight timer teacher.
Just reflect on someone who you don't really know who has made your life better and allow yourself to feel how you benefited from the gift of their work,
And just allowing yourself to feel some appreciation and gratitude in their contribution,
Their good intention,
Say in your mind or out loud thank you.
Now bring to mind someone who you really care about,
Someone who makes your heart sing in some way,
Picture them in your mind,
Who means a lot to you and what you appreciate about them,
Who they are,
What you've experienced together,
And the impact they've had on your life,
And as you imagine them,
Notice the feelings that are coming over your body and sensations you detect,
Especially those around your heart,
And express gratitude towards them,
Thanking them for being part of your life,
And imagine them receiving the gratitude right now.
If you'd like,
Bring to mind an experience in your life that you found challenging,
Offering your appreciation and saying thanks for this challenge,
It made you become a better person,
Maybe a difficult assignment at work that made you grow as a person,
Expanding this feeling of gratitude for your body,
Gratitude for your mind,
And gratitude for the simple fact of you being alive as we only have one body,
And finally the appreciation for the opportunity to pause and experience this very practice of gratitude for all that has brought to mind during this practice,
For the countless gifts in your life,
Say thank you to all the people that are around you and part of your life,
For everything you've experienced in your life,
Just say thank you,
And for allowing the sense of gratitude to fill you completely as you breathe,
Both in and out,
And the settling of your mind as you breathe,
Here and now,
Fully and alive,
Present in this moment,
And now finish with a full deep breath in,
And a long slow breath out,
And gently and slowly open your eyes if they were closed,
Returning your awareness to where you are now,
If you would like to extend this practice of gratitude to cultivate this habit of thinking about something that you are grateful for each day,
Consider doing this either every morning when you wake up,
Or perhaps every night before you go to bed,
I challenge you at least today,
You might try expressing appreciation today to one person for whom you feel grateful for,
Simply saying thank you to them for being part of your life,
Maybe send a thank you note,
An email,
Or a text to someone that has made you happier,
Or write a review on your favorite insight time or teacher,
Or write a review on a small business that makes the perfect cup of coffee,
Thank you for letting me be part of your journey,
Take care my friend,
