Hello and welcome to this guided meditation on gratitude.
I am so grateful that you have taken a few moments to express and experience some gratitude today.
My name is Stacia Oblak and I am the co-host of the HeyUGotThis podcast and I am here today to guide you through this meditation.
One of the beautiful things about gratitude is that research shows that it is strongly and consistently associated with a greater sense of happiness and well-being.
So together we are going to cultivate an increased appreciation and happiness about those people,
Things and experiences that we are grateful for.
As we go throughout this guided meditation,
I want you to think about who,
What and where fills you with a sense of gratitude.
And as you ponder those questions,
Think about the feelings as you focus on appreciating the things that come up for you.
Whether it's for a loving family member or a best friend,
Even a beautiful sunshiny day or the smell of an amazing cup of coffee and those first sips on a cool rainy morning.
It can be for things that are tangible or things that are not tangible,
Things that are big,
Things that are small.
There is much that can be celebrated.
This is your opportunity to reflect and discover what those things are for you.
And this is a reminder that gratitude is a practice for everyone.
And through this practice,
I hope that you are reminded that you are enough and that you have enough.
With gratitude,
It allows you to let go of thinking you need more or waiting and hoping for a future where things are going to be better.
And it allows you to find everything you need in the present moment.
So get settled in,
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Once you have found that place,
I want you to take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.
Gently allow your eyes to close if you are comfortable doing so and take another deep breath in and let it go.
This is going to be your opportunity to tune into your body.
Notice any areas where you might be holding tension,
Any aches,
Any pains that might be present for you.
Once you have allowed yourself to tune into your body and where you're at now,
I want us to take another deep breath in together and a deep exhale together,
Allowing yourself to sink deeper into this relaxed and open state.
Allow your breath to return to normal and we are going to begin this practice of gratitude by offering up gratitude for all the things you have.
As I say these phrases,
I encourage you to repeat these thoughts in your head as I say them out loud.
I offer my gratitude for the amazing abundance of friendship that I have in my life.
I offer gratitude for the family that supports me and uplifts me on this journey.
I offer my gratitude for my mind that allows me to think and experience this world.
I offer my gratitude for my breath.
With each and every inhale and each and every exhale,
I am grateful to be alive.
I offer my gratitude for the sights,
Sounds and smells of this life.
I offer my gratitude for the community I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for my struggles because without them,
I wouldn't know my own strength.
I offer my gratitude for the well-being that I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the multitude of blessings that this earth has bestowed upon me.
Continue to gently breathe and I want you to bring to mind someone who stirs up feelings of joy and appreciation for you,
Someone that you care about and someone who is easy for you to celebrate.
I want you to picture them and feel all the joy you have in your heart for their well-being,
For their joy and for their existence.
And as you take each breath,
I want you to offer them your grateful heart and your well-wishes and send them as much loving kindness as you can.
May you be well,
May you be comfortable,
May you be joyful and at peace.
Repeat these phrases to yourself and notice the joy and appreciation that swells up inside you or whatever feelings that come up for you as you express this gratitude,
Appreciation and loving kindness.
May you be well,
May you be comfortable,
May you be joyful and at peace.
Now I want you to sit in this moment,
Sit in the feelings that have come up for you and I want to encourage you to take these feelings and look for moments throughout the day that remind you of that feeling because it isn't just about saying what you're grateful for,
But it's about feeling what you are grateful for.
And know that this is always available to you and you can return to gratitude,
You can return to this meditation and cultivate those feelings again.
And I'd love for us to wrap it up by repeating after me,
Thank you for the many blessings I have been bestowed with.
May these blessings continue to multiply as I continue to notice and give thanks for them.
Now I want you to return back to your body.
You can begin to wiggle your toes,
Wiggle your fingers and when you're ready,
Slowly and softly blink open your eyes and give yourself a few moments to adjust.
And take those feelings of joy and gratitude with you throughout the rest of your day and beyond.
