Gratitude Meditation: Reconnecting with Joy Right Now

Can cultivating gratitude truly transform your life? Join us on a journey of self-discovery as we explore the profound impact of gratitude meditation on our well-being. This episode promises to guide you through a powerful exercise that not only lifts your mood but also enhances creativity and problem-solving skills. Imagine starting with a simple breathing technique, releasing all tension and distractions, and then shifting focus to the countless gifts life has bestowed upon you—from the basic joys of existence to the unsung heroes who enrich our daily lives. 

As we guide you further into this practice, you'll discover how maintaining a gratitude journal can be a game-changer, providing you with a reservoir of positivity and resilience. Whether it's jotting down three things you're thankful for or reflecting on personal reasons for gratitude, this exercise is designed to invigorate your spirit and contribute to a ripple effect of positivity in the world. We end by expressing our heartfelt gratitude to you, our listener, for embarking on this transformative meditation journey with us. Together, let's celebrate the enhancement of your gratitude practice and look forward to continuing this meaningful exploration. Namaste.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Gratitude Meditation Practice
• 13:07 Cultivating Gratitude Through Meditation

Transcript

Lisa Hopkins: 0:23

Hey there. Today's meditation is on gratitude. Gratitude practice can be used to promote a positive mood, hope and resilience. As we experience positive emotions, such as gratitude and loving, kindness and compassion, our awareness broadens and widens and our creativity and problem-solving capacities blossom and we become more effective in whatever it is we choose to do. So, to get started, I want you to find a safe, quiet place where you know you will not be disturbed and, when you're ready, I'd like you to sit upright in a comfortable, stable position where you feel fully supported and your back, neck, neck and head are straight. Or, if you prefer, you can lie down on your back in a comfortable place with some support under your knees, making sure that you'll be warm enough. You might want to get a sweater or a blanket if the room is cool, and loosen any restrictive clothing that would prevent you from breathing comfortably.

Lisa Hopkins: 1:58

It's important to set yourself up with all the things that you can control, so that you can just let go and really work on your practice. So, when you can just let go and really work on your practice, so, when you're ready, allow your eyes to gently close or, if you prefer, maintain a soft focus, gazing six to twelve feet in front of you, whichever feels right to you, and we're going to take a slow, deep breath to bring yourself to the present moment and begin the process of feeling more peaceful and centered. Breathe into the belly so it expands as you breathe in and gets smaller as you breathe out. Now take a minute or two to mentally scan your body for any areas where there might be tightness or tension or soreness, and direct your breath, your warm, oxygen-filled breath, into those areas and, as you breathe out, let the tension release, letting it fall away with your exhale. Now I want you to notice any worries or fear, any anger or irritation, any jealousy or judgment. Just breathe into those emotions, noticing them and allowing them to flow out. As you breathe out, just let them go another breath into any uncomfortable emotions and just exhaling, breathing them out and releasing them. And in the same way, I want you to notice any thoughts, memories or plans, associations or dreams or fantasies, anything other than being here right now and then breathing in, just noticing these thoughts, breathe into them and, as you breathe out, as you exhale, allow the thoughts to flow out with your breath, now that our bodies, emotions and thoughts are a little clearer, a bit more spacious and open.

Lisa Hopkins: 5:12

We can begin to focus on the events and experiences, draw our awareness around the people or the pets or the things for which we feel grateful. Allow yourself to fill with those things that you are grateful for, and I want you also to take a moment to consider the fact that, if you're listening to this recording, that you already have several marvelous gifts the gift of life itself, our most precious gift. Someone gave birth to you, fed you as an infant, took care of you, taught you to speak and to understand. The gift of hearing, so you can hear and learn, whether it's the song of a bird or the notes of a song of a band that you're listening to, the songs of singing and voices, the sound of laughter, the sound of your own breathing flowing in and flowing out. Your gift of hearing is a steady, regular, moment after moment, pumping fresh, life-giving blood to all your organs.

Lisa Hopkins: 7:29

Now take a moment to think about all the things we have today that make our lives easier and more comfortable than they were for our great-grandparents. We flip a switch and a light appears. We turn a tap and clean drinkable water flows. We adjust a thermostat and a room grows warmer. We have a roof to keep us dry when it rains, and walls to keep out the cold wind, windows to let in the light, and screens to keep out the pests. We enter a vehicle and it takes us where we want to go. We have access to machines that wash our clothes and our dishes. We have clothes to wear, places to store them. We have indoor plumbing, public libraries that have thousands of books and recordings free for anyone to borrow and read.

Lisa Hopkins: 8:53

Now take a moment to reflect on all the thousands of people who have worked so hard, some without knowing you at all, to make your life easier or more pleasant. Those who plant, grow and harvest the food that you eat, and harvest the food that you eat. Some who transport that food to the market. The teams of people who make the roads and railways that make it easier to transport the food, and another team who maintain those vehicles, and drivers and loaders and unloaders. Those who take the time to design the store, the shelves, the packaging that keeps the food safe and allows you to find what you need Postal service, someone who sorts the mail and others who deliver it. Those who maintain the servers so you can get and send email and access the internet. Those who design operations and systems for gathering, sorting and disposing of trash and recycling. Those who gather news stories and photos and those who create the many mechanisms by which the news can reach you. All those who play sports, create art or music, write plays or poems, make films to entertain and uplift you. All the beautiful artists in this world. And most of these people are people that you have never met or barely know. Now consider the people and pets you know, who enrich your life, those who smile at you and cheer you on, those family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and peers. Those ancestors who worked so you could live well, those friends who support you when you need a shoulder or a hand.

Lisa Hopkins: 11:26

And now take a moment to reflect on your own reasons for feeling grateful today, in this moment, right now. Feel it in your body. There is so much gratitude to feel in this moment. Allow it to fill your heart and mind and uplift your spirit. Take a few more moments here, feeling your body and breath in this place, and rest quietly, just noticing how you feel throughout your body, your emotions and thoughts. How different that might be from when you began this meditation. No judging, just noticing.

Lisa Hopkins: 13:07

When you're ready, gently bring yourself to opening your eyes sitting up. If you are lying down, maybe gently stretch your hands and arms, feet and legs. If you choose to stand, do so slowly. With practice, you can find yourself feeling grateful quite easily wherever you are, and you'll notice how it can energize you. Sometimes it's helpful to keep a journal, a gratitude journal, just noticing three to five things each day for which you feel particularly grateful. But it's a beautiful thing to be able to do in the moment, just by tapping into your heart and soul, so that you can draw on the strength of this gratitude whenever you wish. I am grateful to you, dear listener, for practicing this guided, heart-centered meditation with me today, and I'm proud of you for promoting a sense of gratitude within yourself, thereby expanding gratitude into the world. Namaste.