• Home
  • Lifestyle
    • Self Care
  • Real Talk
    • Michelle
    • Lauren
    • Our Dementia Journey
  • The Hygge Project
    • What Is HYGGE?
    • Hygge Lifestyle
    • Hygge Home
    • Hygge Fashion
  • Food & Drink
    • Things To Eat
    • Things To Drink
  • Places We Go
    • Travel
    • Chicago, IL
  • Podcast
  • Our Story
    • Michelle
    • Lauren
    • Contact

The Sister Project Blog

  • Inspiration
  • Lifestyle
  • Cool Ass Shit
  • Series

inspiration. lifestyle. cool ass shit.

A Simple & Effective Gratitude Meditation

July 28, 2020 By Lauren Leave a Comment

Share Article
Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Pinterest Share
Share on LinkedIn Share
Send email Mail
Yoga is not about tightening your ass, it’s about getting your head out of it.

I anticipate you may have expected something deeper and more profound than that, but for me, that is why I practice yoga.

Now, don’t get me wrong, my glutes are very strong. They help me hike, go on long walks, get up and downstairs, travel, do yoga, squat, lift things – they literally help me and my body do almost everything.

Every single day, my glutes do an incredible amount of work for me. For that, I am very grateful for them.

When I first started showing gratitude for things like my butt muscles, sunsets, clean drinking water, a roof over my head, a conversation with a stranger, a  stove with fire, people in my life, and so on, it struck me as a bit weird. But I’m kind of weird in general, so I just kept going with it.

Over time, the more I practiced gratitude, the more I realized why so many individuals do so as well.

I’m less of an asshole because of it. I mean, I still have my moments, but as a whole, it has changed me.

I see the beauty in more things and the people around me. I’m more patient. I complain less. I compare less…which reminds me of another wonderful quote I love because it’s so damn true:

Comparing is the thief of joy.

That right there is what I call a truth bomb. Let that one simmer.

Sometimes immense gratitude comes out of nowhere and at other times I practice it by journaling.

My preferred way though is through meditation. With gratitude based meditation, I focus both on mindful breathing and the aspects of my life for which I am grateful for. Two birds, one stone.

I realized over many years of this practice, the more I’m thankful for, the less there is to bitch about.

With that being said, I’m grateful for the teachers who taught me so I can empower my students (and readers) to try this simple act of gratitude.

Below is a meditation to help encourage you to find gratitude in your life. Be thankful for the things you never thought you’d say thanks to.

This is a very simple, yet effective meditation that can be done anywhere at any time.

 


Gratitude Meditation

 

To begin, find a comfortable spot. You can sit in a chair, on the floor, or make it extra convenient and practice this as you lay in bed in the AM or PM.

Start by drawing in slow, intentional breaths through your nose.

Think about taking deep breaths in and loooong breaths out.

Focus on your breathing. The sounds of it. The pace. How your body moves as you breathe.

If it helps, place your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your belly.

Clear your mind and take three more deep breaths.

On your next inhale, introduce your gratitude mantra:

I am grateful for…

As you exhale, mentally list someone or something you are grateful for.

Continue this mantra and breathing exercise for 5-10 rounds more.

After you have listed your gratitude for the day, take one more deep breath in and one last mindful, long breath out to seal your practice.

Sit with yourself for a few moments and notice how you feel.

Now you can move forward with your day with gratitude in your mind and in your heart.


I hope you explode with gratitude and find the beautiful benefits of this practice. The more you do it, the more you’ll feel it.
Please feel free to share. For more of The Sister Project, follow us on Instagram at @thesisterproj.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Self Care

About Lauren

I'm a hygge enthusiast and lifestyle influencer living my best and coziest life in Chicago with my husband, Anthony, and our cat, Egon. When I'm not teaching yoga, I'm exploring the world I live in. I love art, traveling, French bistro music, autumn, and laughing so hard I cry. YOLO is my way of life.

« Angela’s Pudding Shots
Hygge by IKEA »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




meet the sister project

ABOUT US

Hey there, welcome to The Sister Project! We’re Michelle and Lauren and, you guessed it, we’re sisters. Consider this space your cozy home-away-from- home where you will find everything you want to know about living your most hygge life. We’re thrilled you stopped by for a visit, come on in! Can we get you something to drink? Coffee? Wine?

Meet the Sisters -
♥ Lauren & Michelle

Connect

We love to hear from you!!

  • Mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Blog Lovin

Instagram

thesisterproj

Did you know that Scandinavian folks are some of t Did you know that Scandinavian folks are some of the happiest people in the whole wide freaking world?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s a fact.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And the truth of the matter is, it’s all in the way they live life and experience the world around them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When we first heard the word “hygge”, we were hooked. We identified with it and knew that if we implemented more of these lifestyle concepts, we may find more joy and love in the little things in life. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And it worked. Or well, works. Implementing these concepts into our daily lives have proven to amp up our happiness, mindfulness, and all around well-being. That’s also a fact. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We’d be real selfish sisters if we didn’t share some of our favorite Scandinavian concepts with you, so go right on ahead and swipe.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To learn more about these, head to our blog (link in bio) where we write all about this stuff and tune into Episodes 14,19, and 32 of Cozy Conversations @cozyconvoswithtsp podcast (link in bio). 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#hygge #friluftsliv #hyggehome #hyggelife #scandinavianlifestyle #scandi #happiness #fika #lagom #lifestyleblogger #podcast #cozy #cozyvibes #wellbeing #wellbeingjourney #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #getoutside #thelittlethings #seethebeauty #danish #mindfulness #chicagoblogger #windycitybloggers #canva #nordic #wellness

All of the thoughts, feelings and opinions expressed here on The Sister Project, are our own and are not in any way meant to be seen as professional or medical advice. All information provided on our blog is for informational and entertainment purposes only.

All photography that is not our own is given direct credit to it’s creator.

Explore

  • The Hygge Project
  • Real Talk
  • Food & Drink
  • Places We Go
  • Podcast
  • Our Story

Hygge is humble and slow. It is choosing rustic over new, simple over posh, and ambience over excitement. In many ways, hygge might be the Danish cousin to slow and simple living.

MEIK WIKING

“The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living"

  • Mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • BlogLovin

Copyright © 2021 The Sister Project · All Rights Reserved · Website by AdeptPlus and HBW

  • Get your mini-cookbook here!

  • Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe
X
Listen and subscribe to Cozy Conversations with The Sister Project. Click here.