Gratitude Meditation:
Begin by sitting comfortably, close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you. Breathe in, and out slowly notice your breath filling your body. As you start to feel relaxed, use your thinking bubble to imagine the person you are most grateful or thankful for sitting in front of you. Think about how they make you feel, and why you are so very grateful for them. You can give them a smile or a hug. Let your body fill up with gratitude with every breath you take. Take another long, deep breath in and out. Open your eyes. The music called "Weightless" by Marconi Union has some strong neuroscience behind its ability to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety and panic.
"Equally remarkable is the fact the song was actually constructed to do so. The group that created "Weightless", Marconi Union, did so in collaboration with sound therapists. Its carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines help slow a listener's heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol." Check out the science here, and click on the above picture to visit you tube where you can hear this music free. How can we use gratitude in a mindful way? How can we get the added benefit of gratitude more regularly? In what ways can we practice gratitude? There are many questions that come to mind when I think about what it means to "practice gratitude" and if you have questions like mine, I was able to find some answers on Mindful.org. One of the suggested ways to practice mindful gratitude that caught my attention is "Come to Your Senses. Through our senses—the ability to touch, see, smell, taste, and hear—we gain an appreciation of what it means to be human and of what an incredible miracle it is to be alive. Seen through the lens of gratitude, the human body is not only a miraculous construction, but also a gift." Many times we are rushing through our day and not stopping to deepen our use of our senses. Years ago I had a mentor explain mindfulness to me using the metaphor of a "mindful salad" and how you can turn any ordinary task into an opportunity to deepen the use of your senses to build appreciation of the ordinary. When gathering the contents of the salad, notice the colors, textures, smells and tastes as you cut, and assemble the salad. Take note of how you experience this task with your eyes, ears, hands, nose and of course your mouth! You can learn more about mindful eating from this website.
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mindfulness:The act of being present, and aware in the moment. Archives
April 2024
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