Gratitude Meditation

Take a few moments now to make yourself comfortable.

Wiggle out any discomfort or tensions and settle into this practice.

A habit of gratitude can greatly help with feelings of inner peace,

Increase mindfulness and attract more goodness into our lives.

It also helps to connect us with the present moment.

Gratitude is a practice many of us recognise the importance of but do not practice as often as we should.

It is more than just a simple cognitive exercise.

It changes the mental and emotional state of our mind.

Even our physical state to some extent.

A gratitude practice can be used to promote a positive mood,

Hope and build resilience.

And so for this practice just allow gratitude the chance to come up naturally,

Letting yourself sink into that feeling.

Try to let go of the thinking mind and listen to the heart.

There's no right way to reflect just as there's no right way to meditate.

If you haven't done so already just slowly close your eyes down.

Become aware of your breath.

Just watching your natural breath as it flows in and out.

Just being aware of how the breath feels today.

Just following the own natural rhythm of your breath.

Noticing if you're breathing into your chest or belly.

And just noticing the rise of your chest or belly with each breath in and out.

As you let your attention settle on the breath allow yourself to be truly grateful for this miracle.

This life force we have that we unconsciously breathe in and out every day.

Take a slow deep breath into the belly to bring yourself to the present moment.

Perhaps as you do so feel as you become more peaceful and centered.

Just being fully conscious and present to the movement of your breath.

Perhaps following your breath as it goes in through the nostrils,

Down the throat to fill the lung space and chest.

Then down into the belly.

Follow it out on your exhale from the belly through the chest,

Up the throat and out the nostrils again.

Take the time to mentally scan your body for any areas of tightness,

Habitual tension or discomfort.

As you become aware of any discomfort just breathing into those areas.

On your exhale letting the muscles soften,

Relax.

As you breathe in relaxation and breathe out relaxation.

Especially allowing the muscles around the eyes,

The jaw and tongue to soften,

Let go.

Now take the time to thank the parts of your body that you're particularly grateful for.

Perhaps noting your feet for taking you where you want to go.

Perhaps your hands for their strength and dexterity.

Whichever part you feel drawn to just thanking it briefly and then moving on to another part.

Perhaps becoming aware of the parts of our body which give us our senses.

Our eyes that we can see with,

Our ears that hear,

Our heart that feels.

As you continue scanning the body,

Showing your gratitude and appreciation perhaps you feel a surge of gratitude rising.

Perhaps settling on the parts of the body that perhaps you find most difficult or challenging to love wholeheartedly.

To love unconditionally.

Just finding a way that resonates with you to show your thanks and appreciation to that part of the body.

For its particular role it plays.

Perhaps finding that uniqueness and that beauty apart that body.

And then coming to check in with your mind.

Noticing if any thoughts or memories or plans have been distracting you.

Rather than feeling critical or judgmental being thankful that we have the capacity to have these thoughts.

The ability to think and keep us aware and aligned with what's truly important to us.

And then breathing into those thoughts.

Whatever they are positive,

Negative,

Neutral.

And allowing them to flow out with your exhale.

Just relaxing your mind and body.

And perhaps becoming aware of any emotions that arise in this present moment.

Fear,

Anger,

Joy,

Irritation,

Frustration,

Happiness,

Judgement,

Excitement.

Whatever arises just being fully conscious and present.

Again sensing gratitude at having the capacity to have such an array of emotions.

And just acknowledging them with outer critical mind.

Just accepting and allowing them for a few moments.

And taking a deep breath in.

And again letting those emotions flow out with your exhale.

And you continue to breathe in and out,

Sinking deep into this gratitude meditation.

Now that our bodies,

Emotions and thoughts are perhaps a little bit more spacious and open.

We can begin to focus our gratitude on events,

Experiences,

People's pets or possessions.

And so beginning to think about all the things that we have today in our lives that make living easier and more comfortable.

For instance we flip a switch and we get light.

We turn a tap and we have cold drinkable water.

We can switch a tap and we have warm hot water.

We have plumbing and electricity.

We have machines that wash and dry our clothes.

We have machines that wash and dry our dishes.

We have cars that get us from A to B.

We have access to boats and planes.

We have mobile phones and laptops and tablets.

We have kettles and toasters,

Ovens,

Microwaves.

So just spending a few moments now thinking upon the accessories that you have in your life which make life easier to live.

And then expanding this sense of gratitude towards people in this world that only deep in know us who spend their days making our lives more pleasant.

For instance the farmer who plants the seeds,

The farmer who harvests the food,

The man who takes it to the market or shops,

The person who stacks the shells,

Who manages the shop,

The shopkeeper.

Or even the man who collects and sorts our post and delivers our post.

The people who clean our streets and take away our rubbish.

The people who drive public transport,

The tubes and buses,

The trains.

The people who maintain the internet so that we can connect and talk to someone at the tap of a button.

And people who play sport,

Create art and music,

Plays or poems and films which entertain and uplift us every day.

And as you think on these people just noticing that sense of gratitude once again surge in the body.

Perhaps allowing that smile to settle on your face,

Spreading through your body into your heart.

As you expand your gratitude even further to the people in your life,

The people who enrich your life every day.

The friends and family who smile at you,

Encourage you.

Who give you a shoulder to cry on or a hug,

Who support and love you.

Even your acquaintances,

Colleagues,

Peers,

Teachers,

Mentors.

And so just taking a moment to reflect upon these people.

Showing them in your own way your sense of gratitude,

Love and appreciation.

Perhaps even setting the intention to acknowledge this to them,

To show them in some way.

And then thinking of the gift of life itself,

The miraculous gift of life,

The most precious gift.

Our breath and our heartbeat steady,

Regular moment after moment.

The many marvels of the world we live in.

Nature and scenery.

The sea,

The sky.

The animals,

The grass,

The flowers.

There is so much to feel grateful for in this moment.

Gratitude fills our hearts and minds,

It uplifts our spirits.

As you just allow that smile to sink even deeper into your being.

Just settling and taking a permanent route there.

And just noticing now how you feel throughout your body,

Your emotions and thoughts compared with before you started.

Without judging,

Just noticing.

Just noticing perhaps a sense of lightness and joy.

And so slowly and mindfully beginning to bring some movement and life back into the body,

Gently wriggling your fingers and toes or moving your head from side to side.

Making any other mindful movements that you call to do in this moment.

Thank you for practicing this guided heart centered meditation with me.

May your day be filled with love,

Kindness,

Joy and positivity.

Taking the final deep breath and on your exhale opening your eyes feeling ready for the day ahead.