A Meditation About The Power Of Gratitude

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today,

I want to talk a little bit about the power of gratitude.

And this meditation is based on a recent live session I did.

And in recent weeks,

We've talked about death,

And impermanence,

And letting go.

And talking about gratitude is a logical next step.

Gratitude is really like a secret ingredient for a fulfilling life.

It shifts our focus from what we lack to the abundance all around us.

And it makes even ordinary moments seem meaningful.

When we practice gratitude,

It strengthens our relationships.

It boosts our resilience,

And can even improve mental health.

And it's not just about saying thank you,

But truly recognizing the value in small things.

A sunrise,

A kind word,

Or even the lessons we find in difficult moments.

I've used this example before,

But in a hundred years,

We'll all be gone.

And everything we own now will be gone.

And descendants will hardly know who we were.

Think about it.

How much do you know about your grandfather's father?

And after we die,

We'll be remembered for a little while.

And then we'll just be a picture on someone's wall.

And after a time,

We won't even be a memory.

And I think if we all just paused to think about these things,

Perhaps we would understand how ignorant and weak the dream of achieving was.

If we think about it,

Surely our approach and our thoughts can change,

And we would be different people.

Always striving for more,

But with little time for what's really valuable in this life.

Every minute of life is priceless,

And will never be repeated.

So take time to enjoy and be grateful,

And celebrate your existence.

And that's really what gratitude is.

Taking time to appreciate everything that happens in our lives.

Taking time to notice the little things.

The flowers,

The trees,

The birds,

The taste of coffee,

Or the creaminess of the ice cream.

To savor the little things that go together to make your life special.

When I meditate in the morning before I even get out of bed,

I look at the pictures of my family on the wall,

And I think about what they have meant to me in my life.

I look out of the skylight in the ceiling over my bed,

And I'm grateful for the trees and the birds and the crazy squirrels playing in the trees.

To be grateful for all that we have.

To cherish all the people in our lives.

To appreciate others who help make our lives easier.

And to be thankful for what we have.

You've heard me say many times that all the things we strive for are just points along the same path.

And when you have gratitude,

You are more in the present moment.

And being more in the present moment makes it easier to let go.

And letting go makes your life easier.

We forget to give ourselves time.

We forget to be kind to ourselves.

Forever is now.

All that we have for certain is this moment,

And then the next.

You can be perfectly fine in this moment and be dead in the next moment.

Our lives can change in an instant.

Close your eyes now.

And let's get in touch with our breath.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Or lying down.

The only thing that truly matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.

Now as you start to settle in and get in touch with your breath,

Let's scan our body.

Relax your face.

Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.

Relax your neck.

Relax your shoulders.

Relax your arms and your hands.

Look for any tension in your chest and belly.

And relax your legs and your feet.

And as we begin to settle in,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

Just breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

And then the next,

And then the next.

Our breath is our anchor.

It's there for us in all moments.

It's like a river as it flows in and flows out.

Now just continue to breathe.

And focus on your breath.

Notice the cool sensation in your nose as the breath flows in.

And the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

Just focus on your breath and listen to my voice.

Our lives are really just a series of moments all strung together.

A bunch of breaths strung together.

And we can live our best life if we learn to breathe in and breathe out just one breath at a time and be grateful for each breath.

Each of us needs to dedicate ourselves and continue to do so.

We need to care for ourselves,

For our health and our mental state.

And you need to spend some time focusing on yourself.

I've said before that that to me is what meditation is all about.

Being able to focus our mind.

And I know that each and every one of you can do this.

And how do I know?

Because I was able to do it.

Meditation will change your life.

It just takes a little commitment,

A little time,

A little practice.

And there's nothing in life that you can be great at without practice.

In 55 years of meditating,

I found that meditation can change your life.

It can help you to find calm when you need it.

It can help you to concentrate.

It can help you to get through the toughest situations.

And it can help you relax.

Learning to just be really means taking advantage of a moment for exactly what it is.

Just breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.

It's altering your perception of a moment.

To view a moment as something precious instead of viewing it as something wasted.

To view a rainbow after the shower rather than focusing on the soggy shoes.

It's noticing the unique calls of the birds in the trees.

It's drinking your coffee or tea and really tasting it.

To take a moment that might have been wasted to look at the beauty and complexity of a flower.

To view every day as something special rather than as a day that's stormy or overcast.

Now,

Bring your awareness back to your body.

Notice the surface that's supporting you.

Feel the weight of your body being completely relaxed.

And with each breath,

Allow a sense of calm to wash over you.

Now,

Shift your focus to your heartbeat.

A steady,

Quiet rhythm that's keeping you alive.

This alone is something to be grateful for.

Now,

I'd like you to think about one thing,

No matter how small,

That has brought you joy today.

Maybe the warmth of the sun,

The scent of brewing coffee,

Or a kind word from someone.

And hold this moment in your mind and let the gratitude expand within you.

Now,

In the same vein,

I want you to bring to mind someone who has positively influenced your life.

Someone who has helped you or inspired you or supported you.

Once you have them in your mind,

Imagine sending them gratitude like a gentle wave of appreciation,

Reaching them wherever they are.

And now,

Consider a challenge you've faced recently.

Instead of frustration,

See if you can shift your perspective.

What have you learned?

Even difficulties can hold lessons.

Now,

Place your hand over your heart.

Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale.

And quietly say thank you to yourself,

To the world,

And to this moment.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

We all have so much to be grateful for.

And when we learn to live more in the moment,

Our life is fuller,

Our life is better.

Now,

As we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive in this moment.

How good it is to be here.

Again,

We have so much to be thankful for.

And I'm thankful for each and every one of you for investing some of your precious time here with me.

I hope this has been a beneficial and a calming session.

Think about what we've talked about today.

Think about all the things in your life you need to be grateful for and show gratitude for those things.

Till next time.