Gratitude Meditation

Welcome, and thank you for joining me for this short yet really powerful gratitude meditation. The expression of gratitude has so many benefits, just to name a few. It helps improve your sleep. The expression of gratitude reduces the symptoms of depression. It can reduce stress.

It also can enhance empathy and self-esteem, just to name a few. So we will move into this meditation together with this expression of gratitude as we go, and I'll kind of explain it as we get into the meditation. So if you would, please join me in a comfortable seated position. Any place where you can be relaxed and alert. If you want to sit up on a blanket or a bolster to lift the hips, that might feel good.

And then just do what you need to allow yourself to feel settled, to feel connected. Let your sitting bones root down on the earth. Find some length in your spine. And where might you soften just a little bit? Letting the shoulders relax, releasing some tension in the jaw, and if it feels safe to close the eyes, let the eyes soften and close, or you might find one point to focus your gaze somewhere in front of you.

Letting your hands rest on the knees, maybe palms face down, or you might bring your palms to face up for receiving energy. As the eyes soften and close, gently allow your gaze to shift to the internal space. Taking a moment to scan through the physical body from the tips of your toes all the way up through the crown of your head. And as you notice any sensations that arise in your body as you gently scan through, notice where you might be holding any tension or discomfort. Inviting those spaces to soften, to release just a little bit.

So noticing any areas that feel open and relaxed, and then begin to gently bring your awareness to your breath, filling the body with breath. Breathe together, allowing a big breath in, that quality of letting go on the exhale. As you inhale, feel the expansion in your lungs. As you exhale, release, let go, let go. One more breath together, allowing a big breath in, quality of surrender on the exhale of releasing tension, softening, letting go.

Coming back to the natural rhythm of your breath, letting go of effort. Start to turn the attention to the heart space. As you guide your attention there, perhaps feeling the heart beating in your chest, feeling a warmth here, now move into a series of questions, and I just invite you to notice what comes up for you as I ask these simple questions. There's no way to do this wrong, so just noticing, not searching for an answer, or trying to force anything, or figure anything out, just kind of allowing, and if nothing comes up for you, then nothing comes up for you. So with this attention on the heart space, with inquiry, with curiosity, checking in with the question of who am I, who am I?

Just listening inward. If the mind wanders gently, coming back to your breath. In this moment, what do I need? Again without searching, without needing to have an answer, become the observer. In this moment, what do I need?

Facing the rise and the fall of the breath. Any sensations that arise? Something when I ask those questions, where do they land in the body? The next question is, how can I be of service? How can I be of service today?

In this moment, taking a moment here to notice. And finally, what am I grateful for? What is it that I'm grateful for, right here, right now? Facing the rise and the fall of the breath, begin to fill your body with your breath. A few full deep breaths as we lengthen the inhale, maybe sigh it out on the exhale.

Any blinking, the eyes open as you do that, taking a moment to notice how you feel. Just taking this quality of presence, of gratitude with you as you move out into the rest of your day. Thank you for sharing this meditation, namaste.