Start by finding a comfortable position and closing your eyes.
Take a few moments to stretch your body and release any tension.
Roll your shoulders and neck,
Stretch your arms over your head,
Arch your feet and point your toes,
Then release them.
Take a moment to notice the difference in your body after you've stretched.
Focus on your breath now.
Don't change it or try to control it.
Simply breathe naturally and pay attention to what that looks,
Feels and sounds like.
Now take a deep breath.
Feel through your nose all the way into your stomach.
Feel the space this creates in your chest and abdomen.
Let it out slowly,
Completely,
Feeling your stomach fall,
Your chest fall,
Your shoulders relax.
Think of how your body allows you to do this.
Whether your breath is as deep as someone else's or not,
Your body's health allows you to breathe.
Take a moment to be grateful for your breath.
Imagine you're outside.
You're sitting on a beautiful bench beside a pretty pond filled with fish and fragrant flowers.
There's a birdbath and feeder nearby.
Bird song fills the air and a soft breeze caresses your face.
The sunlight falls against your skin,
Warm and comforting.
Think of all that you get from sunlight.
Vitamin D,
Warmth on a cool day,
A brighter mood when you're feeling down,
Beautiful natural light inside your home.
Take a moment to be grateful for sunlight.
What was the last meal you ate?
Relive that meal.
Taste the flavors and feel the textures on your tongue.
Feel the fullness in your belly after you finished the meal.
Think of how it was prepared by you or by someone else,
All of the attention and care that went into it.
Take a moment to be grateful for your most recent meal.
Imagine it's the end of a long,
Busy day.
The kids are in bed and the house is blissfully peaceful.
You have no work to do,
No household chores to complete,
Nowhere to be.
You're sitting on your couch or lying in your bed and your entire body is softening as your tension eases.
Maybe you're enjoying some ice cream or popcorn,
Binging your favorite TV show or curled up with your favorite book.
Dive deep into the deep and total relaxation of that feeling.
Take a moment to be grateful for that time of peace and relaxation at the end of a busy day.
Now imagine that you are freshly showered.
Your hair is clean and your skin still smells of your favorite body wash or soap.
You slip into bed,
Straight into clean,
Fresh sheets.
Unwrinkled,
The fragrance of laundry soap still lingering,
Cool and soft against your skin.
Look in the feeling of clean sheets.
Take a moment to be grateful for clean sheets.
Following the theme of simple things,
What is something else that you are grateful for?
Think of something small,
Maybe common in your day or week.
Take the time now to steep in this thing.
Imagine all the sights,
Sounds,
Tastes,
Textures,
Smells and feelings associated with it.
Now take another moment to be grateful for this thing.
When you're ready,
Come back to the present moment and the space you're in.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and slowly open your eyes.
A great way to follow up on this meditation is to take a few minutes to write down the things you were grateful for,
A few notes on why you're grateful for them and how it feels to feel that gratitude.
This gives you something tangible to refer back to later if you're feeling frustrated and struggling to find gratitude.
