Welcome to this meditation on gratitude.
In this guided meditation,
You will develop gratitude by appreciating the things you have and receive every day.
Begin by finding a quiet place that is free from interruption.
Sitting in a chair,
Adjust yourself so the body is upright,
Yet comfortable.
Energized,
Yet relaxed.
And now gently close your eyes and focus on breathing.
And as you do so,
Remember that you don't have to control your breathing in any way.
Just take a moment to notice how you inhale and exhale on a constant loop without even having to think about it.
It is likely that at some point in the meditation,
Your mind may begin to wander.
And that is perfectly normal.
If any distracting thoughts enter your awareness,
Just do your best to bring yourself back into the meditation process.
And with your next exhale,
Begin to acknowledge the physical sensations of the body.
Scan the body for areas that may be tense or relaxed.
Not stopping to address anything or worry about anything.
Simply observe and create a picture of the body.
Now consider your body as a whole.
Remind yourself of the life within you.
Bring to mind all the wonderful ways that your body supports you.
Think about your physical senses,
Which help you experience the world around you.
Really take a moment to admire your body right now.
Whatever the condition of your health,
Appreciate the countless ways your body functions.
Now consider your history.
Remind yourself that year after year,
You have cared for your own life.
You have made it this far.
Even in hard times,
You have endured.
So now take a moment to appreciate your strength,
Your resilience,
And your ability to grow.
Now consider your unique gifts.
Remind yourself of your special qualities that only you possess.
Bring to mind all the people that benefit from your talents,
Thinking of those that rely on you.
Appreciate your unique gifts and your ability to share them with others.
Now consider your relationships.
Remind yourself of all the people in your life.
Bring to mind all the people that value you,
Support you,
And most importantly,
Love you.
Even the people in your life that bother you or have hurt you can serve to benefit you if you grow from the experience and learn something about yourself along the way.
Bring awareness to your connectedness.
Take the time to appreciate how people enhance your life.
Now consider your day yesterday.
Bring to mind one specific action,
One thing that went well that you can appreciate.
If you are having trouble thinking of something,
That is perfectly fine.
This is exactly why you're practicing and developing this skill.
And if you can,
Really try to visualize and store the memory in the mind.
This will make it easier to experience gratitude in your everyday life.
How does gratitude feel?
Bring awareness to the physical sensations of the body.
Remembering that no feeling is right or wrong.
In this moment,
Do you feel still or restless?
Heavy or light?
Warm or cool?
If you aren't experiencing any of these particular sensations,
That is fine too.
Just notice whatever you are feeling right now.
And now take a few deep breaths,
Noticing which parts of the body move as you inhale and exhale.
And now bring awareness to the points of contact between your body and the surfaces below you.
The soles of your feet on the floor,
Your bottom on the chair,
And your hands and arms resting where they are.
And then when you're ready,
Gently open the eyes,
Bringing yourself back into the space around you.
Before you move on with your day,
Take a moment to reflect on how it feels to take time for yourself.
