Welcome,
I'm Itzel and I'm grateful you're here.
This short meditation is an invitation to pause,
To take a moment for gratitude before eating your meal.
It's inspired by a blessing my family often says in our home before meals,
Which goes Thank you to the earth,
The sun,
The plants,
The animals,
And the people that made this meal possible.
And I hope that it supports you with cultivating gratitude before your next meal as well.
Let's get started.
Before we begin,
Get into a comfortable position.
Let the body settle,
Arrive,
Shift the attention to the breath,
Noticing its natural flow.
If your food is in front of you,
Breathe in its scent.
Let the eyes gently rest on the food.
Notice the colors,
The shapes,
And bring this image of the food into the heart.
Let what you see settle in the mind's eye,
Held with warmth and appreciation.
When you're ready,
Gently allowing the eyes to close or the gaze to soften,
Still holding the image of the food in the mind's eye.
Let's begin by honoring the earth,
Letting gratitude rise for the ground beneath our feet,
For the water that nurtures life,
For this living planet that sustains all of us and all our food.
Let's give thanks to the sun for its light that warmed the leaves and ripened the fruits,
For the energy that flows through all living things,
Making all growth possible.
Let's give thanks to the plants,
To the plants that were our nourishment,
To the plants who shaded and oxygenated and beautified the world.
May we remember the quiet generosity of their giving.
We give thanks to the animals,
To the pollinators who carried life between blossoms,
To the birds and other animals who scattered seeds,
To the worms who turned the soil,
To the countless seen and unseen creatures who made this meal possible.
And we give thanks to the people,
Those who planted,
Harvested,
Transported,
And cooked.
We're grateful for every person who played a part in this meal,
In this moment.
Take a moment to feel into the gratitude that's here for the earth,
The sun,
The plants,
The animals,
And the people who made this meal possible.
May this gratitude guide our eating,
And may every bite taken nourish and fuel our gratitude for all the gifts in our lives.
And now before we open the eyes,
We end this meditation with a silent wish that all beings everywhere be blessed by the earth's abundance.
May all beings everywhere be sustained and nourished in body and spirit.
And may all beings everywhere know peace,
Peace,
And only peace.
And as you're ready,
Gently lift or open the eyes,
And may you enjoy your meal.
