Five Minute Meditation of "Thank You"

This is a practice that was recommended to me by a dear friend - I then added a little bit of a twist to it and the experience has been amazing!

The idea is to set your mindfulness to a state of gratitude from the start of the day. Gratitude for what? That breath you just took - another day on this planet - the miracle of existence in its entirety. I then had an experience with the friend who suggested that I start my days this way which slightly shifted the intention of this morning practice. I started expressing gratitude for those who are important in my life.

To start - while the coffee is steeping in the French Press I sit on this chair with the sun rising behind me. I place my hand over the center of my heart and close my eyes. A deep inhale through my nose and a slow exhale out my mouth. During each exhale I vocalize a soft and general "thank you". The thank you has no specific direction, a thank you for life, for that breath for my existence and everything. A smile undoubtably grows on my face with each breath cycle.

My twist - I started to feel an urge to recognize gratitude for those who are important in my life. I did not have a list, but let my mind drift from one person to the next as it saw fit. An image of that person would be conjured in my minds eye - I would "breath them in" and hold the breath for a brief moment and during the exhale a soft and simple "thank you" was vocalized. "Thank you" for who they are and the importance they play in my life. Nothing specific, just an acknowledgment. As mentioned, I did not have a list but freely let my mind decide from breath to breath who to conjure. I felt no obligation or guilt to think of or "forget" a specific person, it is what my mind and heart felt at the moment. The experience was beautiful!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a beautiful day full of gratitude! It truly is beautiful to be alive.