Today I have a gift for you.
You deserve it.
This is a meditation text. You can read it through and do what it says or you can read it out loud and record it and then you have a guided meditation for yourself or as a present for others.
Take care,
Katrin
Meditation: Happiness - Practice Gratitude (lying in Savasana or in a seated position)
we want to enhance our experience of gratitude in day to day life
let’s start the day by finding a comfortable spot, where you can settle in with a relaxed, yet wakeful posture
close your eyes
allow your spine to be tall and long
let your shoulders fall naturally and keep your chest open
taking a few full deep breaths to settle in to this moment
inhaling deeply and slowly releasing your breath
relaxing fully and allowing any tension you’re maybe holding to soften
how often do you pause to appreciate what you have?
for most of us the answer is: NOT ENOUGH
we tend to focus our attention on that which we lack
we’re all on this constant search for happiness and it’s funny that something so many people crave is so difficult to attain.
we look for it in all kinds of places.
a nice home, a successful job or the perfect partner, but even when we attain all those things, happiness still eludes us.
the reason why? We’re so busy looking for it in achievements, in pleasures...we miss the fact, that happiness is actually born from the inside out.
now, we’re gonna focus on the benefits of gratitude:
it helps you see the bright side of things, when life can otherwise feel impossible
it enables you to appreciate your circumstances and all that you have rather than focusing on what you lack
now, gratitude isn’t always easy, life is far from perfect, but when we experience challenges, pain or loss, that’s when it’s most valuable
the more you practice gratitude, the easier it becomes and the more benefits you experience
studies have shown, that people who practice gratitude consistently, report psychological benefits such as being more alert, optimistic and happy
they experience social benefits like feeling generous, compassionate and connected to others
their physical benefits are: a stronger immunity and ability to cope with stress and pain
most relevant, gratitude blocks toxic and negative emotions and enhances positive ones
so you can see why it’s worth the effort to practice
just imagine, what it would feel like to have wonder, thankfulness and appreciation as your primary state of being
return your breath to normal, letting it be light and easy
finding your natural breath and settling deeper into your body
checking in with your body now:
letting your forehead be smooth, letting your eyes feel soft, see if it's possible to sense a smile spreading through the corners of the lips and the eyes
and perhaps we can draw a feeling of gratitude for this body, it’s ability to heal and it’s resilience
gratitude for our mind, that helps us to gather knowledge and helps us to create
our lungs, our heart, our overall health
not waiting until we’ve lost it, to be grateful for what we have
not taking anything for granted
we might find appreciation for our senses: our eyes, that let us see,
our ears, that let us hear, all the functioning senses in our body, finding gratitude
for that
we can also feel gratitude for the people in our life
so, on your next inhale bring to mind the person you’re most grateful for right now (family member, friend, partner or child, anyone you know)
picture that person: see their face smiling and with your whole body breathe in deeply, really feeling into that appreciation and on the outbreath breathe out gratitude
you might find gratitude in the fact that you are safe, that you have a roof over your head, a warm home
appreciating the incredible food supply that’s available from all over the world
the marvel of electricity you don’t even have to think about it - from the day you were born - it was just always there
and that generation upon generation made sacrifices, so we can enjoy rights, privileges and freedom
we can breathe in gratitude for the small but significant pleasures in life, like fresh air, sunsets, parks, rain, the ocean, the warmth of the sun, snow
we can be grateful for our talents and our qualities, that make us unique
we can find gratitude in the lessons we’ve learned and the setbacks, that have made us stronger
rest your attention on anything else you feel appreciative of, people, anyone who has been kind or brings meaning to your life, kindness of strangers, animals, things you enjoy doing, that which brings you laughter, whatever gets you out of bed in the morning and gives you purpose, the earth, the stars, that you are here right now
just take a few moments to relish that for which you are grateful for, breathe in deeply and allow gratitude to sink into your heart and permeate your body
and as we come to the end of this meditation, take a moment to notice how you feel
there are various forms of gratitude practices you can try in your own life on a daily basis: if enjoy writing you can start a gratitude journal, either first thing in the morning or right before bed, write a list of 5 things for which your grateful
or you take a few moments to recall some things you were grateful for through the day, try and vary up the lists to keep the feeling of gratitude fresh
most importantly: practice daily, even when it feels challenging
the more you practice, the easier it becomes
notice things to appreciate every chance you get: while your waiting for the bus, enjoy the warmth of the sun, as it beams down on you, while waiting in line at the groceries store - find appreciation in the fact that you can access healthy fresh food
tell people you love, that your grateful for them
focus on gratitude daily and see how happiness expands
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