The gratitude meditation - meditation techniques for beginners

Today I'm introducing you to gratitude meditation. If you'd like to get some basic information about what meditation actually is, check out our Meditation 1×1.

I also wrote about gratitude in another Blog post We've already talked about this in more detail. Therefore, I'd just like to briefly discuss what gratitude brings you and why it's a wonderful way to practice it in meditation.

Why gratitude?

When we are grateful, we acknowledge everything that is already in our lives. Instead of only thinking about what we would like to have or what we are still missing, we focus on what we already have. And that's a lot!
Gratitude helps us refocus and adopt a different perspective. A feeling of happiness flows through us, and our mood instantly lifts. It doesn't matter whether we're grateful for something material, like our cell phone or our clothes, or for intangible things, like friends or our eyesight.

Why gratitude in meditation?

There are various gratitude exercises. One way to implement gratitude into your daily routine is through gratitude meditation. Meditation not only calms your body, but also clears your mind and slows your thoughts. You re-center yourself and can refocus your attention. Every time I incorporate gratitude into my meditation, I feel my heart warm, and I start the day feeling quite happy.

If you just want to try it out, let's get started now!

The gratitude meditation (takes about 10 minutes)

1. Make sure you're undisturbed for the next few minutes. Find a comfortable seat and place your hands on your thighs, palms facing up. Straighten your back so that it's still comfortable for you. When you're ready, close your eyes.

2. Breathe in deeply through your nose... and out through your mouth. And again: Breathe in deeply through your nose... and out through your mouth. As you inhale, feel your belly rise, and as you exhale, feel it fall again.
   

3. Now return to your natural breathing rhythm and bring your attention to your heart. Consciously connect with the power emanating from your heart. Feel your heartbeat. Become aware that your heart beats for you over 100,000 times a day.
   

4. Now, remember someone you are especially grateful for. And how grateful you are that this person is part of your life. Think back to all the special moments you've already shared with this person. Consider what makes this person so special to you. What are you most grateful for? What do you particularly value about this person? Now let your gratitude for this person flow into your heart. Imagine this gratitude as a bright white light spreading from your heart throughout your entire body.

5. Now remember a decision you made for which you are grateful. Which decision are you especially grateful for? Recall the moment you made that decision. Let the gratitude for it flow into your heart. And from there, as a bright light, spread throughout your entire body.
   

6. Now remember an experience you've had in your life. A situation, a moment for which you are grateful. Perhaps it was a wedding, a trip into nature, an experience with people you love. Now let the gratitude for this moment flow into your heart. The gratitude spreads through your body until you are filled with the white light. Your entire body is now filled with this energy, with gratitude. You recognize the abundance in your life. The love in your life. The experience.
   

7. Now, see how you can incorporate this gratitude into your day today, if you so choose. Perhaps you can occasionally remind yourself of the things that have become normal for you, but for which you can actually be incredibly grateful. You can also repeatedly remember the bright light and imagine it gradually filling your entire body.
   

8. If you like, you can now place your hands together in your lap or bring them together in prayer position in front of your chest. Give thanks for the abundance in your life and for the miracle that you are.
   

9. Breathe in deeply through your nose again... and out through your mouth. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. And breathe in through your nose one last time and breathe out through your mouth.
   

10. When you are ready, open your eyes.

You can repeat the gratitude meditation as often as you like or even incorporate it into your morning routine. The more often you practice gratitude exercises, the easier it becomes to appreciate even the little things in life. Because we all have so much to be thankful for!

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, Check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here.