Welcome.
Please find a comfortable posture,
Whether you're sitting in a chair,
On a cushion,
Perhaps even lying down.
Allow your body to settle,
Feeling the support beneath you and just relax.
If it feels comfortable,
You can gently close your eyes,
Or if you prefer,
You can keep them open with just a soft gaze.
Let's begin by bringing our awareness to our breath,
Just noticing the breath without needing to change anything or fix anything.
Becoming aware of the gentle rhythm of the breath,
Inhaling and exhaling,
Feeling the breath as it enters your body and as it leaves.
Sometimes we feel the breath most pronounced in the movement of our chest or belly.
Sometimes it's just a subtle sensation at the nostrils.
As you rest with the breath,
Allow a sense of gentle presence to fill your awareness.
Again,
There's nothing to fix,
Nothing to achieve.
We're not trying to make anything special happen.
Now let's invite a sense of gratitude into our hearts.
Often we move through our days rushing,
Propelled by what's next,
All the things on our to-do list.
But just for the next few moments,
Let's pause together and open ourselves to what is already here,
What is already well.
See if you can bring to mind this one simple thing right now in this very moment that you can feel grateful for.
It doesn't have to be big or profound,
Maybe just the sensation of the air on your skin,
The quiet of the morning,
The comfort and warmth of your bed,
But just your breath moving in and out.
Allow this feeling of gratitude,
However subtle it might be,
To expand a little.
You might even place a hand over your heart as a gesture of kindness and appreciation to yourself and for this moment.
Now let's see if we can very gently widen our circle of gratitude,
Bringing to mind someone in your life,
A friend or a family member,
A colleague,
Perhaps even a beloved pet,
Someone for whom you feel a genuine sense of appreciation.
You can visualize them,
Their face,
Their smile.
You can recall a kind interaction with them and become aware of any sensations in your body as you connect to this person with a sense of gratitude.
Sometimes we might feel a warmth or softening or even a gentle smile come up.
Allow these sensations to simply be and now let's extend our gratitude even further to something beyond our immediate personal circle,
Perhaps the simple blessing of having access to clean water or the beauty in our natural world,
The roof over your head or even the food that nourishes you.
Take a moment to truly feel the impact of this larger interconnectedness and all the gifts that it brings.
We are part of something vast and intricate and so much is provided for us.
As we gently bring this meditation to a close,
Let's gather all these threads of gratitude for the simple moment,
For loved ones,
For the world and hold them in our awareness.
Recognize that this capacity for gratitude is always within you and you can always return to this sense at any time and anywhere.
Before opening your eyes,
Take one last deep breath,
Feeling yourself fully present in your body and when you feel ready,
You can slowly and gently open your eyes,
Bringing this sense of grateful presence with you into the rest of your day.
May your day be filled with moments of peace,
Awareness,
Joy and deep gratitude.
