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9 Gratitude Meditation Ideas to Enhance Your Well-Being
INSIDE: Gratitude meditation is one of the most beneficial practices we can engage in as it improves our health on all levels. Try these ideas and discover what works for you!
Meditation is a widely used stress-reducing practice.
An interesting study highlighted by Healthline has shown that simply listening to guided meditation improves our ability to perform and focus.
It not only helps with anxiety, memory problems, and mood disorders but also increases our ability to cope with things in life with more grace.
Today, there are so many variations of meditation, and one that is proven to be particularly healing is gratitude meditation.
Let’s dive into what this practice is, how you can benefit from it, and how to practice it.
What is Gratitude Meditation & What Can It Do For You?
While other types of meditation may require us to focus on breathing or repeating a particular mantra, gratitude meditation uses our thankfulness as its main tool.
What is so powerful about it is that it doesn’t require a quiet place or solitude to practice it, as it can be done anywhere, anytime. We do it by consciously focusing on all the things that we are thankful for and letting those thoughts consume us during meditation.
These could be big things like being thankful for the people we love, the place we live, or the job that we have. However, what makes it even more empowering is that we can learn to count the little blessings in our lives, such as our first-morning coffee or the comfortable sweater we are wearing.
By focusing on our blessings, even for two minutes, we immediately raise our vibration. The gratitude health benefits are incredible, and here is what you can gain from it...
We Generate a More Positive Mindset
Because it helps redirect our attention, this meditation helps rewire our brain to focus on the positives in any given situation.
When practiced, it helps alter the mind, and assists us in ditching pessimism, so we can enjoy life rather than dwelling on the past hurts and worry. Then, we become more hopeful and peaceful in knowing that the Universe has our back.
It Improves Our Mental Health
The attitude of gratitude has a direct effect on our health and particularly on our mental wellbeing. This meditation reduces depression and anxiety symptoms by activating happy hormones as we focus on things that fill our heart.
Because it calms the nervous system and the body, we feel more relaxed and stress-free. It improves cognition and removes brain fog, helping us be more efficient in everyday tasks.
We Become More Self-Aware
Meditation that centers around gratitude can help us see ourselves and the world from a light-hearted and compassionate perspective.
It increases self-awareness, helping us embrace who we are and see our light and our shade without self-judgment. We can become more reflective, and as a result, we see things from a higher perspective. This helps us be more confident and accepting.
We Learn to be Present
Gratitude meditation teaches us to live in the moment. It is a mindful activity that helps us develop patience and reminds us to stop and smell the roses. Because we become more present, we are able to snap out of a mindless routine and become more balanced individuals.
We can focus on the here and now, without dwelling on the past and daydreaming about the future. This way, we can take the driver's seat in our own lives, rather than letting our days just pass on by.
It Heightens the Intuition
As we meditate, we get better at dealing with negative emotions because we learn how to tune into our inner voice. This kind of practice makes life circumstances easier to deal with because we learn not to overanalyze or rationalize, but to go with the flow instead.
We Are Calmer
This meditation has a positive effect on our consciousness, rewiring us to be calm even in the midst of chaos. We can step back and observe. And with time, we get better at conserving our energy instead of wasting it.
Tips and Tricks That Can Help You
Before we jump into some creative ways to build a gratitude mindset through meditation, here are some things you need to know first.
Meditation is most beneficial when we don’t force it. It shouldn’t be something we feel pressured to do, so it is very important to find what works for you and go with it.
Meditation works best when we practice it daily, and the best way to establish a meditation streak is by simply doing what feels right and natural.
If you find it difficult to make yourself meditate, try to start small. Know that even a two-minute meditation can have all of the benefits we discussed above. Every step counts, so be gentle with yourself.
Some of us find it difficult to believe every thought of gratitude, which is completely normal. If that happens to you once you start, don’t worry. Doubt will disappear over time.
Each of the techniques we will go through in the following text can be based on visualization, silent repetition, whispering, or pronouncing the words of gratitude out loud.
What matters is that you feel comfortable and not force it.
Ideas for Your Gratitude Meditation Routine
While you can do your gratitude meditation just like any other meditation, comfortably sitting with your eyes closed, there are other creative ways to practice appreciation daily.
We are going to introduce you to some, and you can find what works for you the best.
Bedtime Meditation
This practice is practical and simple. All you need to do is:
- Get ready for bed, turn off the lights, and lay in bed.
- Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes.
- While you are in a relaxed state, envision all the people, situations, and circumstances you are thankful for.
- Focus on each of these things and let the positive feelings that arise stay on your mind for as long as you can.
- Repeat to yourself how grateful each of these things makes you feel.
- You can repeat it for a couple of minutes or until you fall asleep.
Meditating With Crystals
Crystals are incredibly healing, and many of them have the power to help us focus on our intention and shift our mindset.
By holding or carrying them when meditating, we can increase our vibration faster and easier. They are natural energy cleansers, so they can be immensely helpful when reframing our thought process.
Those that can be particularly helpful for practicing gratitude include:
Learn more about gratitude crystals here.
Water Glass Meditation
For this gratitude meditation, all you need is a glass of fresh water.
- Find a transparent glass you like the most, fill it with water, and sit with it for five minutes.
- Focus on the water and while you do so, think about everything you are thankful for, starting with being thankful for the fresh glass of water you are looking at. This way, you are filling the glass with positive vibrations, and preparing it for the next step.
- Once you have consciously associated the water with gratitude, slowly start drinking it, while being aware of every sip you take.
- Feel the water and let it fill you with all the positive energy you’ve previously channeled.
You can practice this meditation early in the morning, or as frequently as you'd like.
Walking Meditation for Gratitude
Walking meditation is one of the best practices for teaching us to appreciate the moment. The benefit of it is that it increases awareness and relieves stress by being present in our physical body and mindful of the environment.
- Make walking as comfortable as possible and as long as it feels right.
- While walking, try focusing your mind on everything you are grateful for in the given moment. This can be the day, your comfortable walking shoes, the sunlight, the fresh air, etc.
Journaling Meditation
This is a great practice for those who struggle with visualization. Journaling meditation uses written words to bring our attention to everything we are grateful for.
- Find a notebook you like, and start writing down all the things you appreciate and are happy to have in life.
- Once you have written that down, stop, and look at the page, letting each word take you over. You can also do so by decorating the page while focusing on the meaning of what you’ve written.
Light Meditation
Light meditation is a gratitude meditation that helps us become more thankful by using the fire element.
Practice this mediation by lighting a candle and focusing on the flame, while we repeat to ourselves words of appreciation for what matters to us the most. The fire element is related to vitality, and this meditation will lighten perception and warm our soul.
We can do the same on a sunny day while enjoying the sunlight.
Affirmations
Affirmations are very potent and they amplify our ability to be more thankful each day.
We can repeat words of affirmation for minutes or a brief moment. We can do this while at work, out in a coffee shop, or they can be written on the fridge. What matters is that we focus on each affirmation and become aware of its meaning.
When doing affirmations, we need to think it, feel it, and let it consume our consciousness for as long as we can.
Here are some that you can repeat to yourself.
- I am grateful for this new day.
- I am grateful for the bed I sleep in.
- I am grateful for the experiences that have shaped me.
- I am grateful for my pet.
- I am grateful that I can afford to pay the rent.
- I am grateful for my strength.
- I am grateful for my ability to love.
- I am grateful for the sunshine.
- I am grateful for the breakfast I had.
- I am grateful for my family.
Guided Meditation
During a guided meditation, we let the meditation trainer or instructor help us inspire thankfulness. It is particularly potent for those who work the best with vocal instructions.
his type of meditation guides our consciousness towards higher realizations that help us see all the goodness we have and feel appreciative of those things.
If you can’t find a personal meditation guide, you can look for guided meditations online. Here are some meditations on gratitude you might like:
Guided Meditation on Gratitude with Deepak Chopra
Guided Meditation For Gratitude
5 Minute Guided Meditation for Gratitude / Mindful Movement
MAGNETIZE MIRACLES INSTANTLY | Gratitude Meditation To Shift Your Reality
Self-Care Meditation For Gratitude
This meditation directs the feeling of gratitude towards ourselves. It is ideal for anyone who tends to overlook their achievements and dwell on flaws.
We do this one by being mindful of our self-care and beauty routine. Instead of doing it routinely, we can try and think about things we are grateful for when it comes to our body, soul, and mind.
By doing these healthy routines mindfully and focusing on being thankful for our kindness, persistence, passion, empathy, or looks, we see ourselves in a better light.
Final Thoughts About Gratitude Meditation
With these gratitude meditation ideas, you're sure to discover something that will work for you. Or maybe you have your own take on some of these ideas. Do what works for you and please share them in the comments below!
