Gratitude Meditation

Sitting in a comfortable position beginning with the breath, breathing in, relaxing the body, breathing out, relaxing the mind, establishing a ritual for how we begin our meditations. So when we sit, we sit in the same position. Perhaps we sit in the same place. Our posture is the same. Our body position is the same. And as always, we begin with the breath and this gets you into being mindful right away.

Open your awareness to what's going on right now and brings you into the present moment. So breathing in and breathing out, settling yourself in this present moment. And today we'll be contemplating gratitude. Gratitude can bring you into a positive way of thinking immediately. It's like turning a light switch on. If you are involved in negative thinking and want to switch things up really quickly, think about something that you're grateful for.

It changes your energy. [inaudible] even if it's as simple as, I'm so grateful to be alive today, I'm grateful to be, uh, to be able to open my eyes and look at what's around me. I'm grateful to be able to hear the sounds, hear the birds singing, give gratitude. It's an easy practice. We all have something that we're grateful for, even if it's that we are taking a breath. Give gratitude for that. I'm going to read you a quote by Osho on gratitude.

Happiness is when there is no desire for something just to gratitude for what is then. It is not a temporary state because as long as you have gratitude, you have happiness. There has never been a person like you before. There is nobody else like you right now in the whole world and there will never be anybody like you. Just see how much respect God has paid to you.

You are a masterpiece. Unrepeatable in comparable, utterly unique, even the hardest heart. The Rock Leichhardt will start melting in gratitude. Tears will start flowing tears of bliss and joy. Tears which laugh. This world has to be loved.

This world has to be respected. This world has to be your temple, your mosque, your church. This world has to be your gratefulness. Your gratitude and enlightenment is not something of another world. Enlightenment happens now in here. Just to be in such a beautiful existence is enough to be grateful. I know no other prayer than gratefulness, a deep gratitude to existence.

So imagine that to have happiness, you just need to be grateful. I leave you with that for today.