WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:05.679 Welcome to this quiet moment, this sacred space you have 2 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:09.720 chosen just for yourself. I am so glad you are here. 3 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:14.320 Take a moment to settle into wherever you are, whether 4 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:17.519 you're sitting in a comfortable chair, lying on your bed, 5 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:20.600 or resting on a cushion on the four more, wherever 6 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:21.199 you are. 7 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.879 Let that be exactly enough. You do not need to 8 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:28.640 be anywhere else. You do not need to do anything else. 9 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:33.039 You have arrived and that is all that matters. This 10 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:35.920 is your time, this is your practice. 11 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.320 And today we are going to open our hearts. We 12 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:47.240 are going to explore the beautiful, transformative power of gratitude. 13 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.479 Not the kind of gratitude we rush through on our 14 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:54.240 way to sleep, not the kind we mumble quickly before 15 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:59.560 a meal or before a presentation, but deep, unhurried, heart 16 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:04.439 expanse and in gratitude, the kind that shifts something inside you, 17 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:07.680 the kind that changes the way you see your life, 18 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:12.040 not just in this moment, but in every moment that follows. 19 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.400 Gratitude is not just a feeling. 20 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.239 It is a practice. It is a skill, and like 21 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:21.920 any skill, it deepens with attention and care. Tonight we 22 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.879 are going to give it the attention it deserves. We 23 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:28.040 are going to explore it from any angles. We are 24 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.200 going to let it work on us in ways that 25 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:33.439 may surprise us. So let us begin. Let us begin 26 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.799 by simply being here, right here, in this breath, in 27 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:42.239 this body, in this moment. Nothing to fix, nothing to solve, 28 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:47.840 just presence, just awareness, just a quiet miracle of being 29 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:56.280 alive and choosing to be fully here for it. Take 30 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:07.159 one deep breath in and let it go. You are here, 31 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:13.319 and that is beautiful to as arise. If that feels 32 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:16.960 comfortable for you, and if it does not, soften your 33 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:20.319 gaze toward the floor or toward a point in your 34 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.680 room that does not move, Let your eyelids grow heavy. 35 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:29.840 Let the world outside this room, outside this moment, become 36 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:34.439 a distant tone. You are here, Now, you are safe. 37 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:39.080 You are held. Begin to notice your breath, not to 38 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:43.280 change it, not to control it, not to improve it, 39 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.840 simply to notice it. Feel the air as it ends 40 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:51.080 through your nostrils, Feel the gentle coolness as it travels 41 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:54.120 down your throat, past the base of your tongue, filling 42 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:57.599 your lungs from the bottom up, and then feel the 43 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:01.039 warmth as you release it back into the world. The exhale, 44 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:05.120 the letting go, the soft quiet release. Inhale through your 45 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:11.479 nose one two, three, four, and exhale through your mouth one, two, 46 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:16.840 three or five six again inhale, slowly, feeling your chest 47 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:21.800 or eyes, your ribs expand, your bellies, soften, and exhale completely, 48 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.080 feeling your shoulders, drop your jaw, loosen the muscles around 49 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.479 your eyes. Relax with each breath. Feel yourself settling deeper 50 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.520 into this moment. Feel your body growing heavier, not in 51 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:37.599 a burdensome way, but in a way that says I 52 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.520 can rest now. I do not need to hold myself up. 53 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:44.240 The chair holds me, the floor holds me, the earth 54 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:48.400 holds me. I can release your hands, resting gently in 55 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:52.280 your lap or at your sides, your fingers uncurled and soft, 56 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:58.120 your jaw unclenching your forehead, smoothing the space between your eyebrows, 57 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:01.680 opening your entire body, beginning to trust that it is 58 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.360 safe to relax here, that it is safe to let 59 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:06.840 go of the day, that it is safe to be still. 60 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.120 Take three more breaths at your own pace, and with 61 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:15.639 each exhalispers silently to yourself, I am here, I am present, 62 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:19.360 I am grateful, to be alive. Let us pause for 63 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:23.120 a few breaths now, just to arrive fully to lend 64 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:25.759 in this moment before we begin the deeper work of 65 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:37.519 the hut. Good. You are here, and that is beautiful. 66 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:40.480 Now I want you to bring your attention to the 67 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:43.639 center of your chest, to the space behind your breast bone, 68 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:46.519 where your heart beats. This is not just a muscle 69 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:49.120 pumping blood through your veins. This is the seat of 70 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:52.759 your emotional life. This is where joy lives, where love lives, 71 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:56.759 where grief lifts, where hope lifts, and where gratitude begins. 72 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.920 Imagine now that there is a warm, golden light glow 73 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:03.160 softly in the center of your chest. It is small 74 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:07.360 at first, no bigger than a candle flame. Notice its color, 75 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:12.040 Notice its warms. It flickers gently, steady and persistent. It 76 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:15.120 is not loud, It is not demanding. It is simply there. 77 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.360 It has always been there, waiting for you to notice it. 78 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.639 This light is the light of your heart. It has 79 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:25.319 been with you your entire life, through every joy and 80 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.720 every sorrow, through every triumph and every struggle, through every 81 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.240 quiet morning and every restless night, through every moment of connection, 82 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:39.000 and every moment of loneliness. This light has never gone out. 83 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:43.360 It has flickered, yes, it has dimmed at times, but 84 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:48.120 it has never gone out. It is here now, steady 85 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:50.519 and warm, inviting you closer. 86 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:52.040 With each breath. 87 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:56.279 Imagine this light growing just a little larger. Breathing in, 88 00:05:56.519 --> 00:06:03.160 it expands, breathing out. It glows brighter in out, expanding, 89 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.519 brightening in helle, and the light pushes outward a little further. 90 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:14.879 Exhale and intensiface becomes richer, more vivid. This is your 91 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:18.720 heart space. This is where we will practice tonight. And 92 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:23.040 this golden light is the light of gratitude itself. It 93 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:28.079 is fed by appreciation. It grows with awareness. It shines 94 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:31.800 brightest when we pause long enough to notice the gifts 95 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:35.800 that are already ours. Feel the light growing now as 96 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:43.399 you breathe, warm, golden amber, rich, expanding with each inhale, 97 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:48.720 radiating outward with each exhaling, until it. 98 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:53.000 Fills not just your chest, but your entire body. Your 99 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:57.839 arms warm with it, your legs glowing with it, your head, 100 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:02.639 your face, your scalp, all of you bathed in this warm, 101 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:07.240 golden glow of the heart. Stay here for a moment, 102 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:13.399 just feel it, this warmth, this openness. This is your 103 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:18.839 heart space. This is where we begin before we go deeper. 104 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:22.920 I want to invite you to notice something, something that 105 00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:26.519 is easy to forget in the rush and noise of 106 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:31.720 daily life. You carry so much with you every single day. 107 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:37.120 You carry responsibilities and worries, tasks and to do less, 108 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:43.199 expectations from others, obligations to yourself, fears about the future, 109 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:47.360 and regrets about the past. Some of these are heavy, 110 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:48.920 some of them are light. 111 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.079 And sometimes in the middle of carrying all of this, 112 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:57.639 we forget to notice what else we carry. Because you 113 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:02.519 also carry beautiful things. Carry memories that make you smile 114 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:06.560 without warning. You carry the voice of someone you love, 115 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:09.040 the way they set your name, the way they laughed 116 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.319 at your worst joke. You carry the warmth of a 117 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:16.120 kindness that was shown to you, perhaps years ago, that 118 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.000 you still hold close to your heart like a secret treasure. 119 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:24.240 You carry the ability to feel, to love, to care, 120 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:27.439 to be moved to tears by a sunset or a song, 121 00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:29.959 or the sight of a child sleeping peacefully. 122 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:31.639 These are gifts. 123 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.000 These are the treasures hidden in the ordinary fabric of 124 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.039 your life. They are not flashy, They do not announce themselves. 125 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:42.559 They live in the quiet spaces between the big events 126 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.919 and the loud moments, and tonight we are going to 127 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.200 notice them. We are going to honor them. We are 128 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.360 going to hold them up to the light and let 129 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:54.279 them shine. So take a moment now, without. 130 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:58.799 Trying too hard, without straining or reaching, just let a 131 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:04.039 memory flow to the surface, A small moment, a quiet moment, 132 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:09.039 something that happened recently or long ago, something that made 133 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:13.600 you feel glad to be alive. Perhaps it was a 134 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.679 meal you shared with someone, the way the food tasted 135 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:18.879 and the way the conversation flowed. 136 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:21.440 Perhaps it was the feeling of warm sun light on 137 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.000 your skin in a cool morning. Perhaps it was a 138 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:28.000 conversation that made you laugh until your stomach cart and 139 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:32.440 you realized afterward that you had not laughed like that 140 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:36.919 in months. Perhaps it was simply a moment of peace, 141 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:41.759 a moment when everything was quiet and still and you felt, 142 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:45.679 for just an instant that the world was exactly as 143 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:49.240 it should be. Whatever it is. Let it come, Do 144 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:53.320 not chase it, do not force it. Just receive it. 145 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:57.679 By catching a leaf drifting down from a tree, gently 146 00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:05.919 soft frey, without effort. As you hold this memory in 147 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:11.159 your awareness, notice how your body responds. Notice if you 148 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:16.519 feel a warmth in your chest, a softness, a gentle expansion, 149 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:21.600 a tingling at the edges of your heart space, that 150 00:10:21.799 --> 00:10:27.120 is your heart recognizing a gift that is gratitude, unbidden 151 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:32.080 and pure, rising up from the depths of you. Stay 152 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:35.440 with this memory for a few breaths. Let it fill 153 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.919 the golden light in your chest. Let it become part 154 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:46.679 of the light good Now gender release it. 155 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:53.519 Let the memory fade back into the landscape of your mind. 156 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:00.879 We are going to explore gratitude in many forms harms today. 157 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:07.720 This is just the beginning, just the first step through 158 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:08.360 the door. 159 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:12.519 Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces available to 160 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:16.000 the human heart. It has been studied by scientists, explored 161 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.240 by philosophers, practiced by spiritual traditions across the world for 162 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:23.879 thousands of years, and what they have found is remarkable. 163 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:30.120 Regular gratitude practice literally rewires the brain. It creates new 164 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:32.639 neural pathways that make it easier to notice the good 165 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:36.480 in your life. It reduces cortasol, the stress hormone. It 166 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.519 lowers blood pressure, It improves the mean function, It enhances 167 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:46.240 sleep quality, It strengthens relationships, It eases symptoms of depression 168 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:51.200 and anxiety. It deepens overall happiness and life satisfaction. But 169 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:55.519 beyond all the science, beyond all the measurements and cities, 170 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:59.519 gratitude does something even more profound. It connects you to 171 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:03.279 life itself. When you are grateful, you are not wishing 172 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.279 for something else. You are not changing the next thing. 173 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:10.159 You are not measuring your worth by what you like, 174 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:12.639 or comparing your life to someone else's. 175 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:17.360 You are here, You are receiving. You are noticing the 176 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:22.320 extraordinary abundance that already surrounds you, much of which you 177 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.360 have simply never had the time or the stillness to see. 178 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:30.639 And tonight we are going to practice this not as 179 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:34.440 a one time exercise that ends when this meditation is over, 180 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:38.000 but as a doorway, a doorway into our way of being, 181 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:42.039 a way of seeing, a way of carrying yourself through 182 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.559 the world that you can take with you long after 183 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:49.440 this meditation ends. So let us begin the practice, and 184 00:12:49.559 --> 00:12:54.399 we will begin with the simplest and most fundamental thing, 185 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:58.440 the thing that is so obvious, so constant, so ever present, 186 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.159 that most of us never think be grateful for it. 187 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:06.240 Your breath. The fact that you are breathing right now, 188 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:12.000 without effort, without thought, without even a conscious decision from you, 189 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.240 Your body knows exactly what to do. It has been 190 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.399 doing it since the moment you drew your first breath, 191 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:22.879 the moment you entered this world. In hell, exhale again 192 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:27.320 and again and again, sustaining you, keeping you alive, keeping 193 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:30.600 you here, without you ever having to ask, without you 194 00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:34.000 ever having to remind it. Let us offer gratitude for 195 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.960 this in hell, and as you breathe in silently say 196 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.840 thank you for this breath. Exhale, And as you breed out, 197 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:46.440 feel gratitude flowing from your heart into your entire body. 198 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.480 Feel it in your fingertips, in the crown of your head, 199 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.919 in the soles of your feet. Again in hell, thank 200 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:53.360 you for this breath. 201 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:58.759 Ex Hell. Feel the gratitude expand, feel it grow. Breathe 202 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:04.080 for several cycles. Now, let us expand this further. Let 203 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:06.679 us move from the breath to the body itself. Because 204 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:09.639 your body has been with you through all of it, 205 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:14.279 every single day, every single moment. It has been your 206 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:17.120 constant companion, your faithful partner, your home. 207 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.279 Let us begin with your feet. They may be tired, 208 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:22.799 they may carry aches and pains, They may not be 209 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:25.240 the prettiest part of you. But they have carried you 210 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:29.360 forward every single day of your life. Every step, every journey, 211 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.519 every walk to the car, every climb up a staircase, 212 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.440 every dance in the kitchen, every run to catch a train, 213 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:38.759 every slow, tired shuffle back to bed. They have connected 214 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:41.759 you to the earth, keeping you steady, keeping you balanced, 215 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:45.399 keeping you upright. Without them, you could not go anywhere. 216 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:50.000 Without them, you could not stand. Thank your feet silently. 217 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:53.440 Now send them on from the golden light in your chest. 218 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:59.639 Send them gratitude and appreciation for their tireless service. Now 219 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.600 move you your awareness up to your ankles and your caps. 220 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:07.759 These connective tissues, these working muscles, have supported you through 221 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.679 every season of your life. They have grown with you. 222 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:14.519 They have strengthened as you grew, and adapted as you aged. 223 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:20.639 Thank them for their quiet, uncompleting work. Move your awareness 224 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:26.200 now to your legs, strong and steady. They have carried 225 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:30.639 you uphills and downstairs. They have run and walked inside, 226 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.679 and stood and knelt and jumped, then sprawled across couches 227 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:41.279 on lazy afternoons. They have given you independence, freedom and do, 228 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:45.159 ability to go where you choose, when you choose to 229 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.039 walk beside the people you love. 230 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.159 To stand tall when you needed to, to bend when 231 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:53.600 you needed to rest. Thank your legs for their strength, 232 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:01.120 Thank them for their service. Your hands. Take a moment. 233 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:05.720 Take a moment to really think about your hands, these 234 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:10.120 remarkable instruments. They have held the hands of people you love. 235 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.799 They have written words that mattered. They have cooked meals 236 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:18.759 for people you care about. They have wiped tears your 237 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:19.600 own in others. 238 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:24.399 They have built things and created things, and held babies, 239 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:28.440 and turned pages and picked flowers and typed messages and 240 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:32.559 wrapped gifts and smooth sheets. They have done so much, 241 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:35.759 and they have done it all, day after day, year 242 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.679 after year, without complaint. Look at your hands now, if 243 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:42.440 your eyes are open, or picture them in your mind. 244 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:46.679 Thank them now. Send them love your arms. They have 245 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:50.000 embraced the people who matter most to you. They have 246 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:52.919 helped you up when you felt like falling. They have 247 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:57.159 reached out in kindness. They have pulled you forward in strength. 248 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:01.320 They have crashed themselves over your chat when you needed comfort. 249 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:05.400 They have waved hello and waved goodbye, and held on 250 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:08.319 when letting go was the last thing you wanted to do. 251 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:15.119 Thank your arms your torso, your core, the center that 252 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:19.759 holds everything together. Your stomach, which has processed every meal 253 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:20.920 you have ever eaten. 254 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:27.440 Your back, which has supported your upright posture through thousands 255 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:31.279 of hours. Your chest, within which your lungs and your 256 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:35.880 heart have worked tirelessly, faithfully, moment after moment. So much 257 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:39.640 happens here, so much invisible, so much unnoticed. Your heart 258 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:43.799 beats approximately one hundred thousand times a day, one hundred 259 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:48.079 thousand faithful beats, asking nothing in return. Your lungs expand 260 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.079 and contract about twenty thousand times a day, twenty thousand 261 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:56.599 breaths each on the gift. This is a miracle of engineering, 262 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:00.440 this body of yours. Thank you tosso, Thank you core. 263 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:04.680 Thank your organs for their tireless, invisible work. Your neck 264 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:08.599 and shoulders wear so much. Tension gathers where you hold 265 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:13.279 the weight of your days, your responsibilities, your worries. Tonight, 266 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:17.359 let those shoulders soften, let them drop away from your ears, 267 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:21.640 Let them release, and thank them for bearing so much 268 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.000 without complaint. 269 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:26.720 Your face, your eyes that lets you see the faces 270 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:29.839 of those you love. The color of the sky at dawn, 271 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:33.559 the pattern of rain on a window, the expression of 272 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.039 a dog tilting its head. Your ears that let you 273 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:40.359 hear music and laughter and bird song and the voice 274 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:44.480 of a friend calling your name. Your mouth that lets 275 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:47.759 you spear truth and taste the sweetness of fresh fruit 276 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:51.359 and smile at a stranger. Your nose that lets you 277 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.920 smell rain on warm pavement and flowers in a garden, 278 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:58.839 and the skin of someone you hold clothes. Thank your face, 279 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:04.160 Thank your senses. Thank your body for the gift of perception. 280 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:10.279 And your brain, that extraordinary, mysterious organ that lets you 281 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:14.920 think and dream and imagine and solve and create and 282 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:19.680 remember and love. It works so hard for you every 283 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:23.519 second of every day, even now as you lie here 284 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:27.599 in meditation. It is processing my words, creating images in 285 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:32.839 your mind, guiding your breath, maintaining your heartbeat, regulating your temperature, 286 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:36.480 filtering out the sounds that do not matter, and implifying 287 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:39.599 the ones that do. It never rests, it never takes 288 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:43.799 a vacation. It serves you with total dedication. Thank your brain. 289 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:47.799 Take a deep breath now and feel gratitude for this 290 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:51.720 incredible body, this besl. 291 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.920 That has carried you through every moment of your life. 292 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.759 It is not perfect, it never will be, but it 293 00:19:58.839 --> 00:20:04.279 is yours, and it is remarkable, and it is worthy 294 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:05.640 of your love. 295 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:09.599 And your thanks. Inhale, thank you body. 296 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:17.359 Exhile, I honor you, I appreciate you, I am grateful 297 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:17.759 for you. 298 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.279 Now let us turn our attention outward. Let us bring 299 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.240 to mind the people in your life. Because so much 300 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:25.559 of the beauty, the richness, the meaning of this life 301 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:28.880 comes not from things, or achievements or accolades, but from connection, 302 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:33.599 from love, from the simple, profound gift of knowing and 303 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.839 being known, of being seen and accepted. 304 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:37.720 Of belonging. 305 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:39.799 Think of some one right now who has made your 306 00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:42.240 life better simply by being in it. Someone who has 307 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.880 shown you kindness when you needed it. Some one who 308 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:49.640 has stood by you when things were difficult, someone who 309 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:54.359 has celebrated your victories, even the small ones. Someone whose 310 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:56.519 presence in your life is a gift you did not 311 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:00.880 own but receive every single day. Perhaps it is a partner, 312 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:05.240 the person who shares your home, your bed, your morning coffee, 313 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.640 the person who knows your moods and your habits and 314 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:12.720 your fears and loves you anyway. Perhaps it is apparent, 315 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.519 the one who gave you life and tried their best 316 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.359 with whatever tools they had to give you a good one. 317 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.680 Perhaps it is a child, the one who makes you 318 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:24.160 laugh and makes you worry, and makes you realize what 319 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:27.240 it truly means to love someone more than yourself. Perhaps 320 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:29.759 it is a friend, a true friend, the one who 321 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:32.240 calls just to check in, the one who remembers what 322 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:34.640 you told them weeks ago, the one who shows up 323 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.599 without being asked. Whoever it is, bring their face to 324 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:38.720 your mind now. 325 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:43.599 See them clearly. See the details of their face, the 326 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:47.200 way their eyes cringle when they smile, the way their 327 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:50.480 hair falls, the way they tilt their head when they 328 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:55.680 are listening. Hear their voice, the particular sound of it, 329 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:00.119 the way they say your name. Feel the warmth of 330 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:05.200 their presence, whether they are near or far, whether they 331 00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:09.680 are here now or here only in memory. Now, from 332 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:13.880 the center of your heart, send them gratitude, not words, 333 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:17.279 not a message or a text. 334 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:22.279 Or a phone call, just pure silent gratitude, a wave 335 00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:25.799 of warmth flowing from your golden heart space to theirs. 336 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:31.440 Imagine the light from your chest extending outward, wrapping around them, 337 00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:35.839 holding them in your love. Silently, say thank you for 338 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:39.319 being in my life, thank you for your kindness, Thank 339 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:42.160 you for your patience. Thank you for loving me as 340 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.640 I am, not as you wish I were. Feel how 341 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.240 this gratitude opens something in your chest. Feel how it 342 00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:52.839 softens something that was tight. Feel how it warms something 343 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:57.039 that was called. This is the power of relationship, the 344 00:22:57.079 --> 00:23:00.920 power of love. Acknowledge the power of grad to express 345 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:04.920 from the heart. Let us do this for three people, now, 346 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:09.680 one by one, slowly, giving each one the time and 347 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:13.119 space they deserve. Because each person in your life is 348 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:16.799 a universe unto themselves. Each one teares their own story, 349 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.839 their own struggles, their own quiet heroism, and each one 350 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:25.759 deserves your full, unhurried attention. The first person, the one 351 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:29.240 you came to mind first, perhaps the most obvious choice, 352 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.799 the person you think of when you think of love. 353 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:35.480 Bring them back to your awareness. Now send them a 354 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:39.000 wave of golden light from your heart. Thank them for 355 00:23:39.079 --> 00:23:41.720 who they are, not for what they do for you, 356 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:45.240 not for what they provide, just for who they are, 357 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:52.160 their existence, their presence, their particular, irreplaceable, unrepeatable way of 358 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:55.400 being in the world. There is no one else like them, 359 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:59.119 there never has been, they never will be. And your 360 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:03.720 life is richer because they are in it. Good Now, 361 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:07.119 a second person, perhaps someone you have not thanked enough, 362 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:11.599 someone you see often but appreciate silently, someone you have 363 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.799 perhaps taken for granted. The coworker who always asks how 364 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:19.000 you are and actually waits for the answer. The neighbor 365 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:22.119 who waters your plants when you are away, the friend 366 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:24.559 you have known so long that you have forgotten to 367 00:24:24.599 --> 00:24:27.960 say thank you for staying. Bring them to mind and 368 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:31.880 send them gratitude. Let them feel, even from a distance, 369 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:36.440 the warmth of your appreciation. And a third person. This 370 00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:40.119 one might surprise you. Perhaps someone who is no longer 371 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:44.000 in your life, someone who has passed on, someone you 372 00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:48.599 miss deeply and ache for in quiet moments. Or perhaps 373 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:53.000 someone who has simply moved on, a friend from another 374 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:56.799 chapter of your life. If that person has come to mind, 375 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:00.599 it is because they still live in your heart. Their 376 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:04.680 love did not end when the relationship did. Their impact 377 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:08.599 did not fade when they left the room. Send them 378 00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:12.680 gratitude now. Thank them for what they taught you, for 379 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:16.400 the love they gave you, for the memories that sustain you, 380 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:21.839 for the ways they changed you for the better. Breathe 381 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:25.480 deeply and feel the fullness of your heart after this 382 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:30.960 practice gratitude for the people who make your life worth living. 383 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:35.200 It is one of the most beautiful things you can feel. 384 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:42.640 It costs nothing, and it means everything. 385 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:46.480 Now, this part of the practice may surprise you because 386 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:49.079 we are going to be grateful for something that does 387 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:52.920 not usually feel like a gift. We are going to 388 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:57.119 be grateful for our challenges, for our difficulties, for the 389 00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:57.960 hard things. 390 00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:58.480 I know. 391 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:01.920 I know that this feel difficult, and I want you 392 00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:04.960 to know that this is not about pretending that painful 393 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:09.480 things are actually good. This is not about toxic positivity 394 00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:12.799 or forcing yourself to smile when you are hurting. 395 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:16.240 This is not about denying the reality of suffering. This 396 00:26:16.359 --> 00:26:20.359 is about recognizing something true and deep and real, that 397 00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:24.160 our greatest growth very often comes from our greatest challenges. 398 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:27.440 Think about a difficult time in your life, a time 399 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:30.799 that tested you, a time that hurt, a time that 400 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:34.400 you are not sure you would survive. And now think 401 00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:38.400