M15 Med014: Guided gratitude meditation

Just Sit: The Mindful15 Guided Meditations

Today, I want to invite you to practice gratitude with me. It’s another great way to practice mindfulness and it’s benefits are many. Listen to the podcast: Or, read the blog: A growing body of research shows that being grateful has positive physical and emotional health benefits. Gratitude leads to: Better stress management. Studies show gratitude practitioners have a reduction in perceived stress (1), increased feelings of happiness (2) and optimism (3), and improved sleep quality (1). Improved health (1, 4). Gratitude practitioners experience less depression, less fatigue, less systemic inflammation, and lower blood pressure. Better self-care (1, 4). Gratitude practitioners engage in more healthy self-care behaviours such as good eating and exercise habits. They also engaged in fewer negative health behaviours such as smoking and alcohol and substance abuse. How does gratitude lead to better health? Robert A. Emmons, author of Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity, says that gratitude keeps you focused on the present and, therefore, blocks negative emotions. Sound familiar? Is this just a game of make-believe? No, practicing gratitude is not about pretending that everything’s okay. It’s about finding things you really are grateful for, be they big and profound, or small and simple. Let me give you a couple of my own examples: I am grateful to have siblings who will always be there for me, no matter what. I am grateful for fuzzy socks. How to practice There are many ways to practice. You might: Say a heartfelt thank-you to someone you’re grateful to Practice a gratefulness ritual such as saying thank you for your meals before you eat Appreciate the beauty in the things you see today Keep a gratitude journal - every day, jot down something you’re grateful for Invitation to practice with me on Twitter Starting today, I’m going to tweet one thing I’m grateful for every day. I’ll use the hashtag: #practiceGratitude. You’re invited to join me. In fact, do it right now! But then, come back to meditate. (By the way, my Twitter handle is @MindfulFifteen.) Today’s meditation: The following is a 12-minute guided gratitude meditation. Before you go Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss a single mindfulness lesson. Sign up and you'll get a free deep relaxation right away. If you enjoyed this lesson, please share it using the social media buttons you see below, or click here to tell your friends. To subscribe to our lessons, use one of these links: Email (you’ll get free extras) | iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube | Google Play | Blubrry | Libsyn | Blogger | facebook | iHeartRADIO | Spotify (search for Mindful15) Sources Gratitude is good medicine (2015, November 25). In UCDavis Medical Center. Retrieved November 22, 2017, from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/features/2015-2016/11/20151125_gratitude.html Lyubomirsky, S. (n.d.). Expressing gratitude. In Gratefulness. Retrieved November 22, 2017, from http://gratefulness.org/resource/expressing-gratitude/ Giving thanks can make you happier (n.d.). In Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved November 22, 2017, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier Mills, P. J., & Redwine, L. (2017, October 25). Can gratitude be good for your heart?. In Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved November 22, 2017, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_gratitude_be_good_for_your_heart%20#