The Secret Of Life - Gratitude

Today is a great day outside,

But we are going to do a meditation on the secret of life.

Does anyone know what the secret of life is?

The secret of life is gratitude.

The most simple thing and yet the most hard thing for us to do day-to-day and to be aware of is gratitude.

Gratitude can make all the difference in how you perceive your day and what's going on around you,

The things that you have to do and the things that come your way unbidden.

Gratitude allows us to have a very grounded perspective in our lives and cultivating that is what allows us then to have the inner peace and to have the gratitude to recognize what we truly have in our lives.

So today I thought that we would focus on gratitude and the way we're going to do that is we're going to look at the three time frames of our days as present and future.

We're going to focus on the things that we have to be grateful for in each of those time frames.

So if you can go ahead and shift yourself,

Get comfortable,

Make sure you're seated evenly on your sit bones.

And if at any time during our meditation you feel you need to move or adjust,

Please feel free to do so.

Your comfort is what allows you to be present.

So go ahead and do that if you need to.

Let's take some intentional breaths here.

Breathing in from the very root of your body all the way up through the top of your head and release.

Let's do that one more time.

Breathing up from the root of your body up through your center channel,

Out through the top of your head.

If you haven't already and you're comfortable doing so,

Go ahead and let your eyes gently close.

Bring your attention to the root of your body,

To your tailbone,

Very tip.

Allow yourself to feel the connection that you have to the earth beneath you.

If you want to envision it,

Drop a grounding cord down from your tailbone,

Down to the center of the earth,

Anchoring you,

Steadying you.

Take a nice deep breath again from that place,

That root,

Up through your body,

Up through the center channel of your body,

Past your heart,

Past your shoulders,

Out the top of your head,

Release.

Now you can think back to your morning,

Back to when you very first realized you were awake,

When consciousness first dawned.

Picture your bed,

Your comfy bed,

Your soft pillow,

Warm sheets and blankets,

And send some gratitude for that comfort and safety that you had first thing this morning,

Cozy,

Warm place to rest all night,

A safe place that allowed you to relax and to recharge.

Can you send gratitude to that moment in your morning?

Now bring your focus just a little further forward.

When you got up and maybe you went into your kitchen,

In your mind's eye,

Look around,

Maybe the soft morning light coming through a window,

It's quiet.

Maybe you hear birds.

Can you send gratitude for the fact that you have this beautiful,

Calm,

Safe place that you call your home?

Maybe you had a cup of coffee or a cup of tea.

Vision that moment just for a second,

Holding your cup of morning beverage,

The smell of it,

The taste of it,

Warmth of it.

Can you send gratitude to that moment in your morning that you had the resources to have that for yourself?

Now come forward just a bit more.

Maybe you took a shower this morning.

Maybe it was last night before bed.

Can you bring yourself to that shower,

The warmth of the water,

The blessing that it was to have that water,

Clean,

Warm water?

And the feeling of that,

Maybe the smell of your soap.

Can you send gratitude,

The opportunity to cleanse your body,

To refresh your spirit under the running water?

Now let's think about the future.

Can you bring your awareness to the next place you're going today?

Maybe it's your home.

Maybe it's to work.

Bring your attention to where you are going next.

If it's your home,

Can you picture things that you have to do there?

And can you send gratitude,

The abilities that you have to do the things that you've planned for yourself?

In this day,

You have strength in your body.

You have a vehicle that brought you here and will take you to your next location.

Can you have gratitude for the many,

Many blessings that have yet to come for your life,

For your day?

Can you have gratitude for the things that allow you to do what you plan to do?

The vehicle you drive,

The work that you'll do.

Can you be grateful for the income that your work provides?

Whether or not you even really think you enjoy the work,

There's a blessing in having it.

It gives you something to do.

It provides your income.

And that income provides your shelter.

It provides the clothing that protects you,

Covers you.

Can you send gratitude to your work?

Bring your attention back to now,

Sitting in this studio,

Surrounded by your fellow meditators.

Can we send gratitude for this place,

This studio,

The quiet peacefulness of this place?

Right now,

Can we send gratitude to each other,

Our fellow meditators,

Sitting and sharing this moment?

And bring your attention even further inward.

Can you take a deep breath again,

From your root,

Tip of your tailbone,

All the way up the center channel of your body?

And pause at the top.

And then release it from the top of your head.

Let's do that again.

Bringing all of your awareness into your body.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

And notice the air coming in at the tip of your nose.

Just effortlessly,

The air is there.

Into your body,

Releasing,

Nourishing your cells,

Blood,

The tissues.

Can you send gratitude for the air flowing into your body?

As the air flows in,

Be aware of your lungs,

How they inflate and then gently deflate.

Notice the coolness of the air,

And as it warms,

Going down deep into your lungs,

How it's warm coming back up your throat,

Out through your nose.

As you're noticing the air flowing in and out,

Maybe you noticed right there in the center,

Your heart beating.

Maybe place a hand over your heart.

Tune in to your heart.

Can you subtly feel it beating?

And can you send gratitude to this heart of yours that has been beating since the day you were born,

Quietly working,

And will continue as long as you draw breath,

As long as you're here,

You have something to do.

Send gratitude,

Thankfulness to your heart,

To draw your attention to your belly,

Belly that allows you to eat wonderful food.

It works to process it and turn it into energy for your body to do all the things you want to do.

What a miracle that is.

Your belly can take that food and turn it into something entirely different that serves you.

Can you send gratitude to your belly?

Now bring your attention to your limbs,

Your arms,

Your legs,

How hard they work for you day in and day out.

Your legs that carry you around,

That do your bedding.

Can you send gratitude to the muscles and the bones and the skin that make up your legs and your arms that do work for you every day,

That hug your children or your spouse,

Your significant other,

Your arms that do work,

Your arms that can even hold yourself when you are sad.

Can you send thanks and gratitude to your arms?

Now bring your attention to your head,

To your eyes that see all the beauty in the world around us.

Can you send gratitude to your eyes,

Your eyes that see your loved ones,

That see their smiles?

Can you bring your attention to your mouth,

The mouth that takes in food to nourish your body,

That can speak loving words and can speak words of apology when the words were not loving,

To your lips that can smile and dazzle those around you where you know your smile is the most powerful thing you can share.

It's like diamonds that you give to others when you smile.

Can you be grateful that you have that ability,

That simple offering of a smile?

Now notice your brain,

That brain that works hard to keep you safe.

It sometimes frustrates you when it doesn't focus where you want it to,

But it also holds the keys to running your body.

It holds your dreams and your hopes.

Can you send gratitude to your brain?

Now take,

Again,

Present moment perspective,

Seeing your body as a whole,

How it all works together,

How it is truly the perfect vessel for your spirit,

Spirit that lives at your heart and is capable of being aware and of holding the greatest gratitude,

Your spirit that knows how to love,

That knows how to come to the center and have peace.

If we just take a moment and have gratitude for it all,

Let's take another breath from your root up through your center channel,

Out the top of your head.

Please bring your hands to prayer position in front of your heart,

And I offer this blessing.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you know gratitude.

And may you know peace.

Namaste.