Introduction
When anxious, the mind is preoccupied with the future, wondering what might happen next. Intentionally returning to the present can help ease anxiety. In this gratitude meditation for anxiety, we return to the present by focusing on all we have to appreciate.
There’s always something to be grateful for, in each and every moment. This gratitude meditation script invites us to appreciatively observe our breath, our beating heart, and the feeling of gratitude itself.
The more we can practice opening to gratitude in meditation, the more likely we are to notice gratitude arising outside of formal practice. By imbuing each day, and each moment, with gratitude, we become present with all that’s going well, and anxiety melts away.
- Practice Time: <10 minutes
- Purpose: Reduce Anxiety
- May Help With: Cultivating Gratitude, Heart Opening, Presence
- Practice Level: Intermediate
Here’s a Sample of the “A Gratitude Meditation to Relieve Anxiety” Guided Meditation Script:
Find a comfortable position in which you can be still and quiet in your bodyClose your eyes, or keep them open and softening your focusBreathe slowly and patiently in and out through your noseIntentionally place your attention on your breathTake three deep cycles of breathAnd let yourself be fully present with each oneStay with breath as it moves in and out through the noseOr feel the sensation of breath is it moves the bodyOr notice how the body is breathing itselfThree 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 aweNotice also a warm sensation of gratitude arising in your heartContinue to watch the breathAs you let this warmth or this light of gratitudeGrow and expand(pause for 2 breaths)And as this gratitude grows,Feel it embracing or enveloping the heart itselfAnd intentionally draw awareness to your heart and your heartbeatFeel or hear your heartbeatOr just visualize, imagine, trust that it’s there
How to Use this Gratitude Meditation for Anxiety Script
You can use this gratitude meditation script to inform an intention for your personal practice, or you can use it to help guide others in mindfulness meditation.
In either case, familiarize yourself with the script and its intention before your meditation. Then, you might use the script in any of the following ways.
- Read the script as is, or make edits that better reflect your own authentic voice
- Use the script to guide others in person, either 1-on-1, or in a group
- Make an audio recording of yourself teaching the meditation, using the script as a guide
- Create a meditation video, using this gratitude meditation script as inspiration
Cultivating gratitude benefits us all. Even if we’re not experiencing anxiety, the human brain has a negativity bias that can keep us from accepting the present moment. The practice of gratitude lets us see the good that is always with us.
Conclusion
Gratitude meditation is just one means of countering anxiety. It works by grounding us in the present and directing us to place our awareness on all that’s going well. We can always be grateful for our own body and breath. Cultivating gratitude on a regular basis also has benefits that go far beyond just feeling more calm.
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