Meditation Monday
Experiencing Gratitude Through Your Body
True happiness of body, mind, heart, and soul arise when we can see life with “sacred vision.” This means that we have developed the ability to view people and circumstances as good—our cup of life as full. We might call its opposite seeing the world with “scarred vision.” From this perspective, life appears (and feels) disappointing or lacking—our cup of life is half empty.
How we view our lives, as full or lacking, hinges upon our ability to focus on what we have, or what we don’t. Gratitude for what is can be cultivated through personal practice. Here is a powerful meditation practice to use upon waking. It has often helped lift me out of a depressive mood. May it serve you well.
Getting Started ...
Before you rise in the morning, lay in bed for a few minutes more and mentally list your gratitudes. Begin with exactly where you are. Feel your body upon the mattress and give thanks for that. Allow your mind to focus on the next thing nearest your body. Give thanks for blankets. For warmth. For a good night’s sleep. For the comfort you feel. Give thanks for the person lying next to you (if there is one.) For your children (if you have them) in the next room.
Now make your circle of gratitude a little wider. Expand it outwards. Give thanks for the food in your refrigerator that you will eat this morning. For the hot water you'll shower in as you begin your day. For your house or apartment that protects you from the elements.
Continue to expand your scope of gratitude. Offer thanks for your friends and family. Name them by name. For your neighborhood or church community. Your job or co-workers. Your city, state, country. Gratitude for the earth itself that overflows with natural beauty and provides resources that make our lives more comfortable. For health, for love, for the Spirit which encompasses us all. For breath, for the gift of being alive. And on you go, naming all the things in your world for which you are grateful.
Then, notice how you feel. If you’ve done this practice slowly, with sincerity, I can guarantee you will feel a whole lot lighter, even after only a few minutes. Don’t be surprised if the hue of your entire day shifts to be brighter, more hopeful, and peace-filled.
Does your heart have anything to say? I'm eager to hear ...
(Photo source: treehugger.com)
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15 comments:
This truly works and I'm so grateful you shared it with us..I actually have a podcast coming up, which is this very topic. :)
This is just what I needed this morning. I have wanted a morning meditation, but have been struggling with finding the right one. Filling my beginning with gratitude is just what I need to do. Thank you. Love Meditation Monday.
Hi Jan,
Beautiful post and what you wrote about is something that is dear to my heart. After seeing what my mother went through due to terminal cancer, it made me realize that the mere fact I can get out of my bed on my own is a huge blessing.
So each morning, I watch the sunrise and give thanks that I have what I have. With that in mind, I just try to send love to everyone who crosses my path. Some days are easier than others but I truly do my best each day.
For we are all brothers and sisters trying to find our way.
Tabitha,
I do know gratitude oozes through your being. :-) I will look forward to that podcast! xo
Jill,
I am so glad this will help. I know you have been struggling. Believe, breathe and be well!
Nadia,
Traveling through an illness (and into death) with a loved one will certainly do this. I did much the same with my dad as he journeyed through (and passed on) from cancer over a 6 year span. It does make one grateful to simply BE HERE NOW...May love prevail. :-)
We actually didn't have hot water this a.m. as a breaker was tripped. Poor Jim, cold shower. I took a hot bath later.
If I started counting my blessings I'd still have a million to go, might never get out of bed. :)
Have a beauty-joyous day.
Hi Jan .. that is a lovely idea before rising - thank you so much - I will put that into practise tomorrow morning - gratitude for my life.
Thank you for this thought and letting us know about it -
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
What a beautiful, beautiful meditation. I have two friends in Oregon who start each morning with shared gratitude lists that they do while lying in bed. How grand! Giving thanks, as you said, always shifts my energy and raises my vibration.
And Jan, I'm grateful for you!
Jannie,
Oh, hot water is something to be soooo grateful for. Truly, I cannot imagine living without it--or fresh water for that matter. So happy to hear you are aware of all those blessings May yours be joy-filled too~
Hilary,
Glad this resonated. I've found it really helps to beat those early morning blues....Esp. in gray, cold Michigan winter weather. More sun, please! May your day be bright.
Megan,
Yes, gratitude does offer a very high vibration no matter when we do it. May your day be graced.
I've tried this gratitude session in a less expansive form before Jan. It really woke up my mind, heart and body and made a positive difference in how I viewed my day and the demands it held.
You have inspired me to expand the boarders of my gratitude.
Hello Jan!
Wonderful, wonderful post. I'm printing this out and starting tomorrow morning with this new daily practice. I love taking time to feel gratitude for the seemingly small things like the warm bed and the food in the fridge, as well as the big things like the person lying next to you, the children in the next room and the special friends and family in your life. You have really perfected the practice of gratitude, Jan. Thank you so much for sharing these gems with all of us!
Hi Jan,
This is a wonderful reminder. Thank you! I try to be mindfully thankful for even the smallest, mundane things, but life does get in the way. I forget, and then I have to be jolted by something to start gain.
It's a lovely idea to do it first thing in the morning. I'll remember that. I'm sure it does, indeed, set a much better tone for the day. (As long as my 18 year old son cooperates.)
:0)
Thank you, too, for telling me about Andy Lakey. I had not heard of him, and I'm having a wonderful time looking up information about him and his art. His art is stunning! (Thanks for your kind comments on my blog. They mean a great deal to me!)
Hugs,
Angela
Jan, I have practiced this for years. Before my feet hit the floor in the morning - I would feel empty without doing this. Thankfulness for all and expressing it and praying for others as they come to mind. This begins your day with a smile on your face.
I will have to say that when I was younger with a mate and 4 children it was almost impossible. Now at this time of life and being solo it comes naturally.
Beautiful meta practice Jan...and don't we all just have so much to be grateful for?
xoxoxo
Laura
This is a practice I began the morning that my husband walked out. It was life saving and life changing for me.
In just the last week or so, I've added to this habit. Now, in addition to taking time in the morning to list the things I'm grateful for, I also do it after I've shut the lights off and before I fall asleep each night. I believe it primes my mind to contemplate those things and works to keep me in a Full Cup state of beingness.
Cheryl,
Oh, I am glad this expanded your borders, Cheryl, though it is sort of hard to imagine this happening. You are so expansive already!
Jodi,
Wonderful to know that this practice really spoke to you. It is a fun one and does open up new pathways to gratitude, especially for the simple things and the people in our life. Enjoy!
Angela,
Such is the case with life. We do forget and get jolted back toward our practices. I hope you will this activity pleasurable.
You are welcome on the Lakey lead. I have been a fan of his for a very long time. I have an original. :-) Met him years ago and he painted my guardian angel. Actually he said I had two!
One Woman,
How wonderful that you can remember to offer your gratitudes throughout the day. I do think this ability comes with age and life experience. Your loved ones are blessed...
Laura,
Yes, this is a form of metta. Perhaps that is why I love it so. And despite the difficulties, there is still much to be grateful for, as you so wisely say. :-)
Carolynn,
Beautifully said! Obviously this has been a lifesaving and life-affirming practice for you. Good for you. Love the "Cup Full" metaphor, don't you?
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