Mindfulness practice 15,
Finding gratitude.
Get comfortable in a seated position.
Breathe.
With your eyes closed or gaze down,
Focus on your inhales and exhales.
Let go of any distractions that come into your awareness.
As you inhale,
Notice any place in your body that feels contracted in any way.
Notice any nervous tension or energy inside you.
As you exhale,
Breathe love and light into those spaces.
See if you can soften them at all.
If it is available to you,
Open your arms wide so that you can open your heart.
Breathe deeply.
When you are ready,
Bring your hands together either in your lap or if it feels appropriate and it is available to you,
Bring them to heart center,
Palm to palm,
Thumbs gently pressed into your chest.
When your hands meet,
You are closing the circuit that brings loving expanded energy from your heart through your arms to your hands.
Breathe deeply imagining that energy expanding out from your heart.
Now consider one thing you are grateful for.
Even ask yourself,
What am I grateful for?
It could be your life,
Your body,
Or even your breath.
Focus on your breath again.
Inhale gratitude and on your exhale,
Send compassion to yourself for finding something to be grateful for in this moment.
If you can think of another thing to give thanks for,
Do so and continue the breathing pattern.
If possible,
Come up with at least three things to be grateful for as you breathe in gratitude for each one and exhale compassion and kindness to yourself.
Continue this pattern for as long as you like.
See if it doesn't make the edges of your mouth raise up just a little.
You you When you are ready,
Take another deep breath and flutter your eyes open.
Stretch your body and take a moment to transition your focus back into the room.
Welcome back.
Feel free to journal now about your experience or about any ideas or insights that arose for you.
