HOW TO MEDITATE - VIDEO 4 GRATITUDE

Hello and welcome to How to Meditate. Today I wish to focus on the simple act of gratitude, which will change anyone's life positively and immediately. There's a whole host of reasons why we should make gratitude a daily practice. Gratitude opens the door to to more relationships. Gratitude improves physical health. Gratitude improves psychological health as well. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Gratitude— people who are grateful sleep Better and gratitude improves self-esteem. Gratitude increases mental strength. All good, eh? So let's begin the gratitude meditation. Firstly, make sure that you're not going to be disturbed, so you turn off all distractions like your mobile phone. Tell everyone you're taking some time out. Now get into your posture. Remember your straight back, and if you feel chilly, cover yourself with a soft blanket. And when you're comfortable, close your eyes. Focus your awareness on your breathing. Let go of any thoughts, images, or feelings that That arise. Whenever you become distracted, bring your awareness gently back to the sensation of the breath going in your nose and out your mouth. And we'll start by being grateful for all the good things that you experience in your life. Begin with physical things such as the chair or cushion you're sitting on, thanking it for supporting you in your practice. Honor the person who made your seat and thank all the elements that were involved in the making of the different components. Now extend your appreciation to your home or possessions or surroundings, feeling gratitude for its protection safety, for the space it provides in which you can meditate. Silently thank those who made the building, the materials they used, and the work that was put into its construction. Then extend that appreciation to the ground beneath you, always there supporting and sustaining you throughout your life. Feel a deep gratitude for this earth that sustains all life, that is part of the intricate connection between all things. Feel a gratitude for the trees and plants, the animals and birds, the oceans and fish, all contributing to the whole. Now focus and send gratitude to your body, Appreciating how it cares for you and nourishes you, how it is within this body that you experience love, joy, and unconditional happiness. Feel the vibrance and beauty of your physical self. Honour the way your body is dependent on the food you eat, the water you drink, and the air you breathe. Take the time to appreciate some less tangible things such as your relationships, health, freedom, and knowledge. Experience a sense of thankfulness and appreciation for each of the good things in your life. Turn your mind to the many people who have been kind to you in the past. Recall the relatives and friends who were supportive or kind to you when you were young. Remember the teachers who showed you how to read and write or who inspired you to learn. Focus on as many specific incidents of kindness as you can. Spend some time imagining the kindnesses received from your parents, For without them you would not be here, would not have this body, would not be sitting in meditation opening your heart to your true self. Honor however much or little they gave you as being the most that they were capable of. See how all the love and kindness you have received in your life depended on similar love and and kindness in previous generations. Send gratitude further back to your grandparents and distant ancestors. Between them all, they gave you the color of your hair, the shape of your eyes, the laughter in your voice, the form of your bones. They passed on to you their experience, their wisdom and insight, so that you may grow greater Than them. Now bring your appreciation and gratitude back to yourself and your breath. Become aware of the glow of your breath entering and leaving your body. Spend a few moments appreciating your breath and the life it brings to you. Now say in your mind after me, may all beings be happy. What a life and what an incredible journey. With a grateful heart, I thank myself. Now take a deep breath in and out. And bring yourself back to breathing normally. And when you're ready, feel your feet, feel your hands. Allow yourself to come gently back into the space from where you began with the appreciation that you now take into your daily life. Open your eyes. Focus on something around you and gently bring yourself back into your space. How do you feel? Let me know on the Facebook page, or if you wish to contact me privately, email heather@heatherprince.co.uk. Tomorrow we'll move on to the next simple step on how to meditate.