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Gratitude Meditation- Pass the Bowl of Your Own Personal Gratitude

Personal Gratitude Meditation:

Join me. Pass the Bowl of your Own Personal Gratitude.

Regardless of what your dinner environment is….

Just focus on -at least- the dinner. It might extend through the night, it might not…

DeathtoStock_Food51. Relax your shoulders and let your hands drop to your lap.
Take a deep breath. Soften. Think of the best thing
that happened to you this year. Your favorite thing. Maybe
a special goal achieved, or just a miraculous stroke of luck
seeming to come from nowhere.  Maybe something you’ve wanted, or
something you’ve wanted freedom from.

2. Bring 1 hand to your heart, 1 to your belly.

Thank yourself. Even if this thing seems like just
a lucky break, you did something that allowed you to receive it. Even just being
in the right place at the right time. Thank yourself.

 

3. Keeping your hands where they are, thank those who helped

DeathtoStock_Food7this beautiful thing happen. Your family friends, co-workers, collaborators? Maybe your 2013 best thing was an extra sweet vacation. Who took care of things at home, and/or at work while you were away? Or who talked you into going, because you were a little resistant?

4. Thank the resources that helped that thing to happen, or even make up the thing itself. Most or even all of these might be inanimate, non-human resources. We often take non-human resources for granted until they become scarce or used up entirely. Inanimate things are currently my favorite thing to thank. I used to think it was silly and useless. Now it makes total sense and feels quite sweet.

5. Now, thank all anonymous people and resources you don’t know of,
those anonymous people or resources that contributed to your gift.  The people
who have no way to know they somehow contributed to your joy- or maybe
they do know.
 
(For this one, I visualize
the planet with little lights
shining here and there.
Each light representing a person or resource.)

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EXTRA CREDIT:
Now. Think of someone you know who needs something or who has a wish.
Something they truly deserve– or something their heart really desires. Now,
just like passing a bowl of food at the Thanksgiving table, visualize
passing any benefit you received from this gratitude practice to them.
And– hidden inside the bowl is their need or wish.
They find it.  They are surprised and delighted.

Savor the special flavor of your gratitude when baked in with your generosity. Gratitude runs on abundance, not scarcity. Giving it away is a win/win. But, of course, pass this benefit to them with no thought of what you might receive in return. Happy Thanksgiving all you beautiful people!
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