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Gratitude meditation is a heart-opening practice that can soothe and relax us by bringing our attention to all that’s going well in our lives and in our own bodies. Shifting our focus from negative thoughts and habitual patterns can make room for appreciation.
In this guided meditation led by Sean Fargo, we cultivate gratitude by bringing to mind a past treasured moment. Sean begins with a posture that feels relaxed and alert, a few belly breaths, and a check-in with physical sensations. Sensing appreciation as it is felt in the body takes the practice beyond a cognitive exercise.
Listen in a safe, quiet place where you can be relatively free from distraction. Practice with eyes opened or closed, in a posture that balances comfort with alertness. May this meditation be of benefit to you in your mindfulness practice.
Sponsored by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification MindfulnessExercises.com/Certification
The negativity bias of the human mind once served us well. It kept us safe by drawing our attention to what could be harmful. Many of us now notice our general dislikes as readily as danger, and our constant judgment of our surroundings and ourselves leaves little room for appreciation.
Gratitude meditation can help us balance this negativity bias by intentionally cultivating our ability to recognize the good. As long as we’re alive and breathing, there is always something to be grateful for, moment to moment. We can also cultivate gratitude by bringing to mind a treasured moment from the past and then observing the sensation that arises.
Looking for things to appreciate may begin to rewire our brains, an idea Rick Hanson explores in “How to Hardwire Happiness.” Speaking our gratitude, either out loud or to ourselves, may begin to change our thought patterns. Sensing gratitude in the body can help us connect with appreciation more fully, and we may carry it with us through the day.
Mindfulness connects us to the reality of the present moment. We observe what is true and accept that truth, which can reduce suffering. Gratitude meditation shapes what we become mindful of, and it can open the heart and mind to the preciousness of experience.
Learn more about gratitude meditation and how to practice and teach it with these additional free mindfulness resources:
- Blog: Cultivate An Attitude of Gratitude & Why It’s Important
- Blog: The Power of Gratitude Meditation
- Blog: Daily Gratitude Journal: What is it? Should You Have One?
- Podcast: Contentment with Simply Being, A Meditation with Sean Fargo
- Podcast: Opening to Gladness, A Meditation with Sean Fargo
- Podcast: How to Hardwire Happiness, with Rick Hanson
- Podcast: Gratitude for Life through Mindfulness of Death, with Sean Fargo
- Mindfulness Worksheet: Gratitude
- Mindfulness Worksheet: Gratitude Practice
- Meditation Script: Mindfulness Body Scan for Gratitude
- Video: Mindfulness Gratitude Meditation
- Free Course: Living With Gratitude
About Sean Fargo:
Sean Fargo is a former Buddhist monk who founded Mindfulness Exercises and leads the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification.
