In this guided meditation we will explore gratitude, things we are thankful for. It’s a practise that’s been done for thousands of years by many different people, including yogis, Buddhist monks, and native American elders.

Research has shown that practising a gratitude meditation can bring almost-immediate benefits that lead to increased levels of well-being and happiness. Practising regularly can have incredible benefits such as decreased levels of depression, higher levels of well-being, it improves our relationships, allows us to trust others more, even increases our sleep quality. The practise itself increases your levels of gratitude, which can serve as a shield when facing traumatic events and has been shown to also prevent more negative behaviours such as substance abuse or compulsive behaviour.

When it comes to gratitude meditation specifically, it’s key to consider that being thankful isn’t just about the good stuff. It’s about finding a way to be grateful for everything in your life, including the not so good stuff; the people that annoy you, the situations that upset you and the other events that happen that you have no control over. Sometimes, when we look back on these more negative occurrences, with further reflection we can find things to be grateful for in them. You’ve probably heard the phrase “silver lining”, or “behind every dark cloud” and that’s what this is. There is usually some “good” or learning to come from every situation, good or bad.

Meditation is not, or rather, it doesn’t have to be something that’s done sat alone in a dark room where you try to clear your mind of thoughts. Meditation can be practiced in lots of different settings; like during the time you have whilst waiting for a bus to arrive or waiting for the kettle to boil. It’s simply a period in which you are in a calm, reflective state. Anybody can do it.

So click play and let’s begin.