An Anti-Anxiety Gratitude Practice

Find a comfortable position in which you can be still and quiet in your body
Close your eyes, or keep them open and softening your focus
Breathe slowly and patiently in and out through your nose

Intentionally place your attention on your breath
Take three deep cycles of breath
And let yourself be fully present with each one

Stay with breath as it moves in and out through the nose
Or feel the sensation of breath is it moves the body
Or notice how the body is breathing itself

Three full in breaths, and three full out breaths

(pause for 3 breaths)

And now as you notice your breath,
As you look upon your breath with wonder and awe
Notice also a warm sensation of gratitude arising in your heart

Continue to watch the breath
As you let this warmth or this light of gratitude
Grow and expand

(pause for 2 breaths)

And as this gratitude grows,
Feel it embracing or enveloping the heart itself
And intentionally draw awareness to your heart and your heartbeat
Feel or hear your heartbeat
Or just visualize, imagine, trust that it’s there