Find a seat that feels alert but relaxed and close your eyes or soften your gaze a few feet in front of you.
You can start to get settled and welcome yourself just as you are.
You can start to anchor your attention as you arrive by noticing the sensations of gravity and the places where your body makes contact with the floor or the chair beneath you.
Start to notice how your body is supporting you and how the earth is coming up to meet you.
Maybe we can already begin practicing gratitude by thanking the earth for holding you.
When you're ready,
I invite you to gently shift your attention to your breathing and notice the movement of air into and out of your body.
You might become aware of the movement of your belly or of your chest.
Perhaps you can feel some gratitude for the way your breath supports you and gives you life,
Keeps you going without having to ask it to.
And at any point during this practice,
You can return your focus to an anchor of your choosing such as the sensations of breathing or gravity,
Sensations anywhere in the body or opening the ears to sound.
And using that anchor if you find that you need to stabilize attention or reconnect with the present moment.
So the line of inquiry here will be to investigate gratitude as we explore a few different topics.
There's no right or wrong way to feel as we do this practice.
And whatever arises in your awareness can be really good information,
Even if this practice is difficult or uncomfortable.
And start to bring to mind some simple pleasures in life.
Perhaps the warmth of sunlight on your skin or the perfect cup of coffee in the morning.
Might be something kind someone said to you recently or the sound of the birds or wind rustling in the trees.
Maybe just appreciating the ability to pause and to take a break and to practice gratitude.
And I invite you as you bring these simple pleasures to mind to bring some awareness to the area of the heart.
And just noticing any softening that's available in the area of the heart.
You might even choose to place a hand on your heart.
Notice if it's easy to tap into gratitude.
And if it is,
How does this impact the way you're feeling in your body,
In your heart?
If you find that it's difficult,
This is completely normal and it's totally all right.
If you can notice any judgment of yourself or unkindness and offer some thankfulness to yourself for not having to get it right.
For the allowing that this practice offers as we explore with curiosity and expand our awareness around our relationship to gratitude.
Gently expand attention,
Bring to mind some people who support you.
But maybe you don't know well,
Maybe you don't normally think about.
For example,
The person who drives the delivery truck that brings your groceries to the store.
Or the people who harvest your vegetables.
Or the airline pilot who brings your family members safely to visit you.
Maybe the musicians who play your favorite song.
Can you think of how their efforts support you in small and big ways?
See if you can tap into some gratitude for these efforts and what these people do.
If you've still got your hand on your heart,
Maybe just reconnecting with that sensation of contact.
Giving yourself permission to savor the moment of experiencing gratitude.
Maybe including some awareness of other simple things to be grateful for,
Like the tools that support you in your daily life.
Your appliances,
Your books,
The utensils that you eat with and cook with,
Your phone,
Your car.
So much other equipment that keeps us connected to each other and moving through the world.
Helps us meet our needs.
See if you can choose one thing for just a moment.
And let yourself bring some curiosity to that one object of gratitude.
Think of everything that had to happen for that simple or complex tool to exist,
And for you to have access to it.
And once again,
Just notice if it's easy to tap into gratitude as you think of these things.
And know that there is no right or wrong way to feel right now.
Whatever experience you're having,
It's okay.
It's all good information for your system.
Now continue by thinking of the people that you work with,
And the many people who support your work and your thriving and your health and well-being.
See if you can let your awareness settle on just one person in particular.
Maybe this is the person who is most supportive and comes to mind right away.
Might be someone you overlook too,
So try to bring them to mind.
Maybe thinking of someone who always smiles when you need it,
Or greets you with kindness.
And maybe even imagine yourself saying thank you to them through this practice.
There's no need to visualize this person exactly,
Just getting a sense for how it feels to bring a quality of thankfulness to them.
And we'll release this person from our attention and bring our awareness to ourselves.
Often it's quite difficult to be grateful for ourselves,
Because we tend to pick on the things we do wrong or the things that are challenging about ourselves.
But just for these next few minutes,
See if you can allow yourself a bit of kindness and curiosity as you think of your body and all it does for you,
Even when it's ill,
When it's hurting.
Think of all the qualities you admire about yourself.
The work that you do.
The time that you're taking now to do this practice.
Let your attention settle on just one thing that you're thankful for about yourself.
Maybe a personality trait or something that you do rather well.
A way that you show up for people you care about.
As best you can,
Savoring this feeling of gratitude for yourself.
And perhaps offer yourself a thank you.
Thank you for all you do.
Thank you for doing the best you can.
Now take a full breath all the way in and all the way out.
And notice if that was easy or if that was challenging.
Maybe it was a little bit of both,
And that's fine too.
This may be a new way of paying attention for you.
And whatever you noticed as you offered yourself thankfulness is an opportunity to learn.
And to bring kind and curious loving awareness to whatever it is that arises for you.
It can also simply bring some gratitude to the practice itself.
For the way it supports us in seeing clearly.
Supports us in getting to know ourselves better.
So thank yourself for your practice.
Offer yourself some gratitude for the way that you're showing up.
In whatever capacity that is.
It takes willingness and courage,
And there's so much to be grateful for.
And complete by taking a deep breath into your belly and perhaps letting it out with a sigh.
Inviting a bit of movement into your body.
Wiggling your toes and your fingers.
Swaying from side to side and blinking your eyes open.
What was it like to practice gratitude in this way?
What was challenging?
What was easy?
How might you expand your gratitude practice into the next moments of your day?
What would it look like to share gratitude with others?
