Hello and welcome to this calming gratitude meditation.
Find a comfortable seated position or lay yourself down somewhere where you feel comfortable and supported.
Gently allow the eyes to close,
Soften the shoulders,
Release the jaw and take a deep breath in through the nose and sigh it out through the mouth.
You may want to do that a few more times.
Taking a deep breath in,
Sighing it out.
And then begin by simply arriving here.
Notice the weight of your body being held by the ground beneath.
Feel your spine lengthening gently.
Your shoulders slowly relaxing and your jaw naturally unclenching.
And without changing anything let your breath flow without forcing it.
Each inhale welcomes ease.
Each exhale lets go of tension.
Inhale welcoming ease and exhale letting go of tension.
And gently inviting you to become aware of the rhythm of your breath.
Inhale slowly and exhale fully.
Imagine each wave of the breath washing over you.
Carrying away the stress.
Each breath a calming wave.
Cleansing and releasing and carrying away any stress,
Any tension.
And with every cycle of breath allow your body to sink deeper into relaxation.
Now gently bring to mind something or someone you are grateful for.
Could be a person,
A place,
A small act of kindness or simply this moment of stillness.
Hold that image or feeling in your heart and notice how gratitude feels in your body.
Perhaps warmth in your chest,
A lightness in your breath or a soft smile on your lips.
And explore now if you can expand this feeling outward.
Imagine waves of gratitude flowing through you towards your loved ones,
Your community and even to the earth that sustains you.
Allow this gratitude to ripple outward like gentle circles on water.
And then rest here for a few quiet breaths.
Let yourself simply be in this state of calm thankfulness.
Trust that gratitude,
No matter how small,
Can shift your energy and nurture peace within.
When you're ready,
Drawing your awareness back to where gratitude fills your body.
Your chest,
Your breath,
Your heart,
Your smile.
And just feel into that beautiful feeling within you.
And then when you're ready,
Drawing your awareness back to the breath.
Inhale deeply and exhale completely.
Feel the rise and fall of your abdomen,
The coolness as your breath comes in through the nostrils and the warmth as it leaves.
Preparing your body for movement.
Gently wiggling your toes and feeling the ground beneath you.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Carrying with you this calm and this gratitude into the rest of your day.
Gratitude turns what we have into enough and each moment into a gift.
