| Length | 9:38 |
|---|---|
| Subject | Morning |
| Best time | First thing, daily, for a few weeks |
| Position | Sitting, back straight, alert rather than sleepy |
| Style | Breathe in appreciation, breathe out thank you. Music underneath |
Gratitude only works once it becomes a habit. Do this one for a few weeks, until you can run it without me.
About 10 minutes with Steven Webb's calm voice. Perfect for the morning.
Breathe in appreciation, breathe out thank you. That is the shape of the whole thing. Your body first, then one person who is always there or always was, then everything you own, right down to the kettle that made your drink. It finishes on whatever you take the universe to be. God, source, mystery. Your call entirely.
Treat me to a coffee, keep the podcast free, and get my Weekly Calm every Sunday. It is all on stevenwebb.uk
Thank you for sitting with me.
Steven
Who this is for
You have heard that gratitude helps and you want the version that actually sticks.
The point of this one is repetition. I say at the start that I want you doing it without me inside a few weeks, because gratitude only does its work once it stops being an exercise and becomes a habit.
What happens in this meditation
Arms up over your head, a deep breath in, then arms down either side as you breathe out.
Then one shape you keep for the whole thing. Breathe in appreciation, breathe out thank you.
First your body, filled with a warm light, for the fact that all of it works together to keep you here.
Then one person. Somebody always there, or always was, where the memory of them is comfort enough. You bring them into the room and send it to them.
Then everything you own. The house, the chair, the cup, the kettle that made your drink, the fridge, the food in it, the clothes you have on, the thing you are listening to this on.
Then, last, whatever you take the universe to be. God, source, mystery, or just the universe. Entirely your call.
How to get the most from it
Ten minutes, first thing, sitting upright rather than still half in bed.
Do it daily. This is the one where consistency beats effort by a distance, and after a fortnight you will start noticing things before you sit down.
Say thank you on the out breath every time, even when you feel nothing. The rhythm is doing more work than the sentiment is.
Questions people ask
What if I do not believe in anything at the end?
Then let it be the universe, or leave that part out. It is written to fit whatever you already think, and nothing in the rest of it depends on it.
Is thanking a kettle not a bit silly?
It looks daft on paper and it works. Everything you own arrived through somebody's effort, and noticing that is what turns a list into a feeling.
Who should I choose as the person?
Somebody easy. This is not the meditation for complicated relationships. Somebody whose being there you have never had to question.
