Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Re-Release: Morning Meditation - Daily Gratitude

Episode Date: July 26, 2022

This morning, enjoy a gratitude meditation you can come back to over and over again to feel great about your day. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everybody, I am taking a much-needed vacation this week. So I hope you can appreciate that I've taken this opportunity to bring back some of your most beloved Wake Me Up episodes. Each day this week, I'll be releasing an old episode from the back catalog, the ones that are the most popular. Hopefully this reminds you that there are tons of great Wake Me Up episodes in the back catalog, which you can find and enjoy each and every morning. So I hope you enjoy these episodes, and I'll see you next week.

Hi there, and welcome to Wake Me Up, the podcast where morning people are made. Thank you so much for tuning in this morning. Gratitude is a fantastic practice to start the day with. Not only does it make us happier and more fulfilled with life, but there are a host of health benefits associated with gratitude. Better sleep, reduced symptoms of physical pain and fatigue, lower levels of inflammation, and lower blood pressure, to name a few. So in this episode, I want to offer a quick, daily meditation that will fill you with gratitude,

one that you can come back to time and time again and always find something new to appreciate. So, let's get right to it. Whether you're joining from bed or you're up and Adam already, take a big breath. in. Hold it for a moment at the top and then exhale. If you are still in bed, then go ahead and roll over and make your way to standing up. There's so much to be excited about today, as you'll soon remember. Don't waste another precious moment idly laying around in bed. And now, find a comfortable seat anywhere in your home. Just don't sit in your bed. It can be on the ground, in a chair, even on your couch.

And feel free to grab a sip of water if you want a little hydration along the way. Today's meditation will be nice and simple. I'll offer some general topics or ideas for which we can all find something to appreciate. When you come back and listen to this episode again, I encourage you to find at least one new thing each time. So by now, hopefully you're in a nice comfortable seat.

and make sure you're sitting up straight, but try not to hold on to any tension. Let your shoulders relax, rest your hands softly in your lap, or on your thighs, and let's take a big inhale, filling all the way into the belly, and as you exhale, just close your eyes.

As you settle in, just make sure you're comfortable here first. Let everything soften down. Again, making sure you're nice and supported, though. Allow your face to relax and let your shoulders drop down. Let's take one more big breath together, inhale, and exhale. You can breathe at your own pace now, whatever feels most comfortable and natural to you, and just follow the rise and fall of your breath for a moment while we settle in.

Let's begin by bringing to mind a person who has your first. shaped your life in positive ways. Maybe it's a friend, a family member, or a mentor, and specifically remember one time that this person made your life better. It can be something grand, but it doesn't have to be. It can be a simple gesture, or even something you didn't fully appreciate at the time. notice how this person improved your life, how they changed you for the better, and send a silent thank you out to this person. They didn't have to bring positivity in your life,

but they did, and that's something to truly be grateful for. Let that image go, and in its place, think of a meal, some food you had that nourished your body and soul. one that really sticks out in your mind. Maybe it's from your favorite restaurant or a meal one of your parents made growing up.

Remember the taste of it in your mouth. Notice anything else you associate with this meal too. Where you were, people that were with you, conversations you may have had. Now think of all of the energy and resources that the world put into this meal for you. to nourish you. Think way back to the beginning.

To when the food was just growing and follow it forward all the way to its preparation and when you ate it. All of this was done for you, to sustain you, to keep you alive, so that you might live and enjoy another day. So send a silent thank you out to everyone

and everything involved in providing you this meal. They didn't have to spend their time and energy feeding you, but they did. And that's something to be grateful for. Now let that image go, and instead bring to mind an aspiration, a goal, a dream you want to accomplish in life. See yourself living it out,

enjoying all of the excitement and fulfillment that comes with it. See all of the people who will take part along the way, those that will help you, those that will teach you, those that will motivate you, and those that will celebrate you. Send a silent thank you out to this dream for giving you a reason to live fully, for giving you something to chase,

for giving you something to live up to, and then send a silent thank you out to all of those who have or will take part in your journey. All right. Now just return your focus to the breath for a moment. Take a deep breath in, filling all the way up with air, and then exhale, nice and slow.

The world made that air for you to breathe. It wants you to live. It wants you to have the energy to do everything you dream of. Remember that this world is working for you, not against you. So take another big breath on your own. Enjoying that gift of life, a gift you're experiencing right now. Okay, now slowly begin to bring yourself back to the body. Feel your seat beneath you and your feet on the floor.

maybe your hands in your lap. You can give your fingers and toes a little wiggle to start to wake the body back up. Take a big breath in, and as you exhale, open your eyes, and just take a moment to collect and gather yourself. Friends, we are so lucky to be alive right now.

On average, our lives today are easier than all of the humans that came before us. I know at times it may not feel that way. but it's true. You have been given the gift of life, but not only that, you've been given the gift of living in a time where we all can pursue our dreams.

It wasn't that long ago when our ancestors spent all of their time just gathering the food they needed to sustain for that day. They worked hard all day, every single day, with very little margin for error, to make life.

life better for the next generation. They wanted this opportunity for us. The ease with which we live today is a gift from those who came before us. It's not one to be taken lightly because they spent their entire lives hard at work so that we could enjoy ours a bit more than they did, so that we could pursue our dreams a bit farther than they did. This, my friends, is our greatest gift. And so it is our responsibility to make sure that we don't waste it.

So be grateful and go, live, make the most of this day. Well, that's all I've got for you in this episode. I really appreciate you tuning in and joining me for this bit of gratitude. I hope you're feeling uplifted and excited. I'll talk to you all next week. Until then, remember to be grateful and go out and make the most of this day.