Gratitude Meditation

I led a meditation at my house last night. Eight powerful females around a coffee table, enjoying hot cinnamon cider and pumpkin chocolate cake, discussing everything from children to politics. It was beautiful.

My daughter was kind enough to offer a private tarot card reading for each guest. And at the end, we all closed our eyes and practiced gratitude! Tis the season! 

Below is the script I used for the guided meditation. With background music and appropriate pausing, the meditation was about 15 minutes. Please feel free to use the script below as you wish.

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​GUIDED Gratitude Meditation Script 
 
Close your eyes. Relax. Settle in to your body. Let go of all the things you have to do, everything on your to-do list. Right now, you are here, with us, safe, with nothing to do. Just to be.
 
Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Take another breath in and feel your lungs expand. Let it out and feel your lungs contract. Again, slowly expanding and then slowly contracting. Now allow yourself to breathe at your natural pace.
 
Your body is a perfect silent machine knowing how to perform vital functions without your conscious thought. How blessed we are to have these bodies that serve us so well. 
 
Now, I am going to ask you to think of a few things from your life …to bring into your awareness some other blessings we may have forgotten about.
 
I want you to think of one simple thing that you are grateful for. You may not recognize the value of this thing often, but let’s hold space in tonight’s meditation to honor this little gift. Maybe a warm spring breeze on your face or the sound of a child’s giggle? Maybe the sweet scent of your favorite flower or the way grass or sand feels under your feet. What is that simple joy that enriches your human experience? How does it make you feel? What emotions does it inspire within you? Express gratitude for this simple thing that reminds you that you are alive.
 
Next, I want you to imagine a place where you love to be. Maybe it’s a place that gives you peace and quiet. Maybe it’s a busy family kitchen. Maybe it’s somewhere in nature. What does your place look like? Imagine it in your mind now, every detail. What colors do you see? Are there people there or are you alone? What does it smell like? What can you touch? What sounds do you hear? How does being in this place make you feel? Be thankful you have such a place that you can come back to in your mind whenever you wish.
 
This next one may take some thought. Think of an event in your past that changed your life for the better. It could be a big event. Maybe the birth of a child? Or meeting your partner? Maybe graduating college or landing that amazing job. It could be a small event like a quiet decision to start practicing yoga. What’s one thing that completely changed the course of your life? Nothing was the same after this happened. Imagine all the details that had to fall perfectly into place for this one thing to be happen. Express your gratitude for many smaller events that led up to this one. It’s like … it was all meant to be.
 
Now, bring to your mind’s eye, a person who is very special to you. Visualize this person’s face. Their eyes, their smile. Why are they special to you? What role does this person play in your life? Think about how you met them. In what way did they come into your life? Remember a happy memory with this person. Think of the sound of their laughter. You’ve been able to share so many great memories together! Feel the feeling now that you get when you’re with them. Feel it within you. Let it rise up from your heart and extend outward, so that your whole body is filled with that amazing feeling of love. How blessed are we! How much we have to be grateful for! Relax into this feeling of love and gratitude. This is yours. Any time you want to remember, you can. This feeling is yours. Enjoy it!