Guided Meditation for Gratitude
This article outlines a simple method for nurturing feelings of gratitude through a guided meditation script. You can either approach it two ways: as a true gratitude meditation, or as a more active exercise, of which both have examples below. But the catch is, do what best suits you.
In This Article:
Gratitude Meditation, what is it?
What Is Social Intelligence?
Benefits of Gratitude Meditation
Guided Gratitude Meditation Script
Another Great Gratitude Exercise
What Exactly is the Association between Mindfulness and Gratitude?
How to Lead a Guided Meditation
Gratitude Meditation, what is it?
Gratitude meditation is an exerciseof the mind by which people concentrate on considering the things that they have to be thankful for in their lives. Each day, Buddhist monks will participate in a chant of gratitude and think about the blessings they have in their lives. But gratitude meditation is not new, and it is not reserved for just one particular religious movement or spiritual belief system.
Gratitude meditation is not really new, and it is not made just for one particular religious movement or spiritual belief system. Native Americans also do an almost similar ceremony, starting with grateful prayers to the father sky, mother earth, and the four directions, as well as the animal, minerals, and plant brothers and sisters that we all share the world. Tibetan monks and nuns also offer prayers of gratitude for the grief and misery that has been given to them.
Most of us may think of meditation as a practice that involves sitting in darkness and focusing on clearing their mind. While this may be true for other kinds of meditation, gratitude meditation is slightly different, and it can be practiced in diverse settings.
It is something that can be practiced in a short time and space, for example, while waiting for your morning coffee to brew. Gratitude meditation is an unpretentious way to meditate. All you need is to devote a moment to think about the things and people that make you thankful. But in this sense, “gratitude” is not merely about being appreciative for positive things. It is about being thankful for everything— the good and the bad.
Things in your life right now may seem bad, but if you try to reflect upon them, you may see that they provide an opportunity for you to learn and grow. An important part of gratitude can recognize those blessings.
One way to practice gratitude meditation is to keep a journal. In this journal, write down the things that make you feel grateful, and write letters to the people that you are thankful to have in your life.
Everyone does not use gratitude journals, but they can be a valuable tool if you want to stay grateful throughout each day and not lose sight of important things.
Why Practice Gratitude Meditation?
Gratitude meditation is something that many religions and belief systems include in their start of day ceremonies, but you do not have to hold a spiritual belief to try it, and there are many benefits to starting your day with a few moments focusing on gratitude. One study by Rao from 2016 into the benefits of meditation, in general, found that meditation can help increase feelings of gratitude and well-being, self-compassion, and confidence. While it may seem evident that using a gratitude meditation script can increase gratitude, healthcare professionals need to study and document such effects before recommending the practice.The study is fascinating because the practitioners were given some basic training in meditation practices online, and they immediately saw results. Many of us appreciate that it helps focus on the things that make us grateful, but an active practice of feeling gratitude is not common in day-to-day life. This is important because gratitude meditation increases our feelings of gratitude and amplifies the benefits that gratitude produces. “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr, A Tour Round My Garden
Benefits of Gratitude Meditation
Study has found that individuals who practice gratitude meditation habitually have lower blood pressure, improved immunity, and a generally better mood.
One of the easiest means to feel cheerier is to direct your focus or thinking to the good things in your life. Equally, shining an encouraging light on bad or neutral things changes how you think about them.
When you’re trapped in a cycle of misery, you can easily step out of it by intentionally thinking about all that is helpful and life-firming in the situation that is causing you frustration.
These benefits were found to be evident even after a relatively brief period of gratitude-centered meditation. Even doing gratitude activities for short bursts can support to progress a person’s general well-being.
Gratitude is a protecting factor for some individuals and can support people to produce positive outcomes following distressing experiences. It has been used to help people recuperate from substance abuse and traumatic events such as destructive earthquakes or campus shootings.
One study looked at African-Americal adolescents’ lifestyles and found that those who practiced gratitude benefited from its protective factors regarding several different aspects of adolescence, including increased academic interest, performance, and engagement.
Higher gratitude was also reported to help reduce drug use levels and lower occurrences of sexual behavior from those in the lower adolescent age group.
In a research into suicidal thoughts published by Kleiman (2013) and Stockton (2016) looked into humor, gratitude, and the pervasiveness of suicide and suicidal thoughts, great levels of gratitude have been linked with lesser instances of suicide. This shows the importance of practicing gratitude and offers the potential value of appreciation as an intervention strategy in those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts. The following relates the extensive benefits of gratitude meditation.
A research by O’Leary (2015) found that doing meditation and gratitude regularly (four times a week for three weeks, while keeping a diary) facilitated reduced levels of stress and depression and increase in the reported feelings of happiness in the study’s participants. Anyone can supplement this kind of intervention to their life with slight effort and almost zero cost. This means that the notion of a gratitude meditation script is very encouraging as an intervention.
The schedule used in the research is one that it would be likely to be used into prisons, colleges, and other institutions and possibly even apply in a workplace or in a hospital to propose benefits to personnel and patients.
When you relate these findings together, it becomes clear that gratitude meditation has its near-immediate benefits.
Gratitude meditation script and activities have the potential to significantly increase a person’s well-being and attend as a protective factor against unhelpful and risky behaviors and intensify mental resilience in the light of demanding or traumatic events.
The study by Rao and Kemper (2016) shows that it is probable to teach a person how to involve in gratitude meditation quite quickly, and even through remote teaching. This means that anyone, no matter where they are in the world, can learn about gratitude and start using the practices for their benefit.
One joy scatters a hundred griefs. ~ Chinese Proverb
Gratitude Guided Meditation Script
Note: This reflection is adapted from Vajragupta’s book, Buddhism: Tools for Living Your Life. Though taken from a Buddhist framework, it’s a worldwide practice appropriate for people of any faith (or none). The purpose of the meditation is to nurture an open and gentle feeling of gratitude for all that is worthy in your life, for the gift of life itself. Although it can be, much of the rage and frustration we experience isn’t directed at a definite object. In either case, promoting gratitude can replace those excruciating feelings with affirmative ones. Go at your own stride and contain anything else that comes to mind:
- Let yourself settle yourself in a relaxed bearing. Take a few deep, soothing breaths to relax and focus. Let your awareness move to your surrounding environment: all the things that you can sense, those that you can smell, taste, touch, see, hear. Then say to yourself: “For this thing, I am grateful.”
- Next, bring to your mind those people in your life to whom you are close: these maybe your friends, family, partner… Then say to yourself, “For this, I am grateful.”
- Next, put your attention onto yourself: you are a unique person, blessed with imagination, the capability to communicate, learn from the past, and plan for the future to overcome any hurt you may be feeling. Now say to yourself: “For this, these things, I am grateful.”
Finally, relax in the realization that life is a valuable gift—how you have been born into a period of huge prosperity, that you have the advantage of health, culture, and access to spiritual wisdoms. Then say to yourself: “For this, I am grateful.”
Another Great Gratitude Exercise
My friend started working as a meditation teacher when he was living in UK about three years ago. One of the exercises that he suggested I do was to make a list, each morning, of all the things I was thankful for. It’s an great way to start the day. You’ll walk out of the door with a lightness in your step. Rememebr that it doesn’t need to be a long list. You can, for example, only list five things before hastening out going to work. Well, mine might look like this:
- I am thankful for: the spring view from my window.
- My great health.
- Having my books and the opportunity to make meaningful work and research.
- The great support of my friends and family.
- My bowl of veggies and fruits before going out.
There is a link between having a mindful awareness and being capable of feeling grateful for the different things and people that are a part of your life. And this is something that philosophers and academics have given much thought to. Rosenzweig calls gratitude as one of the sisters of mindfulness. For example, suggesting that it is an essential relative of the practice because gratitude is one of Buddhism’s core tenets. To further support this assertion, it is highlighted that the Dalai Lama was able to show appreciation even towards the Chinese when they were inhabiting his nation.
What Exactly is the Association between Mindfulness and Gratitude?
O’Leary’s (2015) research on the effects of gratitude and mindfulness interventions upon a person’s wellbeing associated the two types of interventions and observed that gratitude and mindfulness created comparable outcomes. Both practices would produce higher levels of well-being. So it is then clear, that both mindfulness and gratitude help improve a person’s well-being, but there is more.
In O’Leary (2016) if you already practice mindfulness activities, try adding some gratitude into your meditation. If you are fascinated with the concept of gratitude, then try starting with some mindful meditation. There is indeed much truth to the idea that mindfulness and gratitude are sisters of each other.
There was another published study looking at the power of mindfulness and gratitude on prenatal well-being. Both of these were positively associated with improvement of well-being of pregnant women.
Since meditation is a non-invasive, low-impact practice that can be executed anywhere, it is suitable for a large cross-section of the populace, including the elderly, younger people, and pregnant women. It is also appropriate for young men, as a study by Loo in 2014 demonstrated. This study showed that gratitude and mindfulness helped lessen the prevalence of problem gambling in young men.
The study into prenatal period and the practice of gratitude meditation as well as mindfulness presented some exciting results. While both approaches were beneficial in terms of accumulative wellbeing, the exact reported outcomes varied slightly, so it can be that both practices are best when used in combination with one another, instead of them being used in separation.
Buddhists and Native Americans have made gratitude a vital part of their day-to-day lives, and we can benefit a lot from performing the same thing. The history of mindfulness has been long stated and storied. Academics such as Emmons and Trousellard have examined the practice and put its proficiency to the test with contemporary research methods that have so far helped to back up the ideas that the Native Americans, Tibetans, and Buddhists already assumed they knew.
The practice’s cultural significance is clear and easy to understand when the benefits are demonstrated in laboratory conditions. Meditation serves an essential role in society, and we can benefit from both gratitude and mindfulness. The practices are not switchable, but they are related in many ways, and they are two practices that can incorporate well with each other.
How to Lead a Guided Meditation
If you already practice mindfulness, try including some gratitude into your meditation. If you are fascinated in gratitude, then try starting with some mindful meditation. There is indeed much truth to the idea that mindfulness and gratitude are sisters of each other.
Voice
Lead practices with your normal speaking voice. Please avoid a particular “meditation voice.” Occasionally when listening to guided meditation scripts, I realize that the voices might become very soft, even hypnotic or singsong. Doing mindfulness meditation is not very dreamlike; it doesn’t really need a unique voice. Go speak with your normal tone of voice and volume so people can hear you across the room. Make sure your representative has a standard intonation and doesn’t become uninteresting.
Be mindful that your voice might get weaker when leading a class through a meditation. You may want to find a balance between guaranteeing all group members can overhear you without ever screaming. But if the volume and tone becomes too low, you may lose the class.
You can also try to use your voice to help control the dynamism in the room. For example, if you notice that people are starting to fall asleep (if you see much head bobbing around when you look around, or you hear the usual sounds of sleeping), you might intensify your volume and intonation—that might be just enough. Or you can say, “If you notice yourself being sleepy, you might want to sit up straight, or maybe open your eyes sometime.”
Giving Instructions
When you are leading a meditation, you are usually either giving directives or providing cues and space. Giving instructions is the how-to part of the meditation. A usual reflection frontloads some teaching (and then moves among cues and silent silences of variable lengths). Keep in mind that when you provide instructions, you can ask your students to pay attention, not to practice. Be clear with guidelines. But avoid overexplaining, because you want them to do the meditation itself, not necessarily your focus too much on your directions, to advise the meditation experience.
Guidelines tell the participants what you want them to concentrate on in the meditation. For example: “Feeling the sensations of your breath” or “If you notice the attention is not on the breath, gently guiding it back.” In general, avoid giving instructions that lead the attention outside the meditation. For instance, you wouldn’t want to say, “And this is how you would also bring the mind back during the day,” since it references a time outside the present moment.
Cueing and Space
Cueing reminds participants to bring back their attention, and space is the silent time given to practice what you ask the participants to do. Here are three samples:
“Where is your mind right now?”
“If the mind wanders, just try noticing it and gently bring it back to your breath.” (This is an sample of an instruction that is also a very common suggestion.)
“This instance is like this… And this moment is like this.”
The meditation guide titrates the cues and space to equal the needs of the particular group and practice. You can adjust both the frequency of cueing to impact the spaciousness of the course and the content of the cues themselves. For new practitioners, facilitators may want to provide a bit more support with more frequent cues, ensuring the content includes normalizing the wandering mind and any judgments that might arise. It is an important conceptual point that every practice should have enough spaciousness for the meditator to notice that the mind has wandered but not so much that she feels unsupported, lost, and overwhelmed by the task at hand. The more the class advances, the fewer cues are necessary and the more space or silence we want to allow for.
Beginning facilitators tend to talk too much throughout a meditation practice. This might come from a sense of anxiety (which changes the sense of time: a silence might feel a lot longer than it is—checks your timer if in hesitation!) and the feeling of having the need “to do something” as the guide, which is typically conveyed in talking. Silence can feel uncomfortable to a new facilitator, especially one with little background personal practice. It can be hard to trust that we provide what is needed by holding the space for the group.
Teaching Tip: Differ pause lengths during the meditation from two breaths to eight or more (counting them helps!). If in doubt, try to chat less. On the other hand, those who comes to teach from the practitioner path tend to cue too little or stop reminding altogether, leaving beginners may feel abandoned.
So as a general rule, be sure you leave regular silent spaces throughout. During meditation, if you want participants to explore a particular area, it can help give some samples to get an idea of what could be there to experience. For instance, with the Body Scan, we provide the class many alternatives, including feelings of numbness.
For example: “Now going into your lower legs. What is here that you notice? Is there pressure? Temperature? Is it at an awkward position? Maybe nothing at all? There is no necessity to evoke a sensation. We are just presenting up for whatever is already here.
Or what is not here.” If you ask them during meditation to focus on, let’s say,their emotional states, list a few. For example, “Now as you are bringing your [or “the”] focus to any emotional flavors that might be existent right now.” That can be sufficient, so you can add something like, “There might be some anxiety or restlessness that you are feeling. Or maybe sadness. Or joy. Whatever it is.”
Offer Cues from the Middle of Your Practice
When you guide your class through meditation, you have to do the practice yourself too. You can’t just talk all the way (and please, please don’t just read a script—ever). Your model helps the participants to get into their practice. You and your learners will co-create the experience of kind awareness in the room. While you are attending to your own experience, doing it together is a shared event that helps steady everyone’s exercise.
On one end of the continuum are meditation teachers who just read the script, do not take part in the class meditation, and do not have a personal meditation as the learners do their practice. On the other end are facilitators who plunge so deeply into their way while leading the reflection that they become entirely oblivious of the participants, hardly present for what goes on outside themselves, and hardly perceptible; the participants can feel abandoned and will often get uneasy as a result. These two overindulgences contribute to vastly different class ambiances.
Newer teachers with less personal practice experience believe that to “get it right,” they have to practice the exact words from the meditation transcript. This is mainly true among well-trained clinicians who have a strong sense of devotion to a technique from other forms of interventions. But it isn’t about the words that they say. It’s about the unique moment-by-moment unfolding. When you lead people from your own experience, you channel the energy and everyone can sense this.
A leading practice is different from doing your way. While facilitating, you have to balance your training to contact the class not to lose anyone, especially beginners. It’s essential never to lose track of where the group is, what cues they might need, and how much spaciousness to allow.
Teaching Tip: Imagine an immersion scale that can graph how deeply you involve in the meditation while leading it. A 0 associates reading a script and just focusing on the words, while ten means getting fully caught up in the reflection to the class’s disadvantage. Target for a 5.
“Cueing from the middle” is a system all facilitators need to practice and is a skill correlated to but detached from practicing itself. In the silences between your sentences or cues, connect with your body, your breath. Feel it. Then say the other sentences. Then feel back into your body, your personal present-moment skill. Practice doing this back and forth until it feels normal and not like a back and forth anymore.
Practice Tip: Leading practices in class do not count as a daily meditation practice! After all, your main attention is on the class, so you can’t attend to your own experience the way you do when you meditate.
Most of us meditate because it extends our feelings of well-being, and it’s right that doing the practice for only ten or fifteen minutes a day can have incredible effects. Individuals often notice a greater sense of inner-stability after a few weeks of doing a daily practice through guided meditation scripts especially when it is about extending gratitude to the world.
Have you tried using a guided meditation script for gratitude? How did it go for you?
