Episode 369: The Gratitude Experiment - Week 4 - Mindful Gratitude - Discover The Beauty Of The Present Moment

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SHOW NOTES

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Episode Number: 369

Episode Title: The Gratitude Experiment - Week 4: Mindful Gratitude -Discover the Beauty Of The Present Moment

Introduction

In Episode 369 of The Everyday Life Balance Show, Pascale Gibon guides listeners through a soothing gratitude meditation, blending mindfulness with thankfulness. This week focuses on appreciating the little things in life -the day-to-day gifts we often overlook. By slowing down and becoming more present, we can nurture gratitude and transform how we experience the world.

Through this meditation, Pascale encourages listeners to engage their senses, embrace the beauty of the present moment, and find gratitude even in life’s challenges.

Podcast Highlights

[00:54] Warm introduction and Thanksgiving wishes.

[01:50] Exploring the connection between mindfulness and gratitude.

[02:31] Guided gratitude meditation to appreciate the little things.

[07:22] Reflection on nature, the seasons, and the gifts they bring.

[08:29] Finding gratitude in life’s challenges and everyday inconveniences.

[11:43] Weekly gratitude challenge: Observing overlooked aspects of your surroundings daily.

[12:02] Closing thoughts on the transformative power of mindfulness and gratitude.

Resources

Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness

Connect with Pascale Gibon:

Website: www.pascalegibon.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Awaken Your Authentic Self Community

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Episode Summary: Mindful Gratitude - Discover the Beauty of the Present Moment

This episode focuses on the powerful combination of mindfulness and gratitude. Through guided meditation, Pascale helps listeners slow down, engage their senses, and connect with the present moment. She highlights the importance of finding gratitude for life’s blessings and challenges, encouraging a shift in perspective that can bring more peace and appreciation into daily life.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Mindfulness and Gratitude
2. Guided Gratitude Meditation: Appreciating the Little Things
3. Reflection on Nature and Life’s Challenges
4. Weekly Gratitude Challenge: Observing the Overlooked
5. Conclusion: Embracing Gratitude and Mindfulness

Introduction: Mindfulness and Gratitude

Pascale begins the episode by sharing a quote from mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, emphasizing the importance of awareness and presence. She explains how mindfulness enhances gratitude, helping us notice and appreciate life’s small, everyday gifts.

Guided Gratitude Meditation: Appreciating the Little Things

Listeners are guided through a calming meditation to connect with their immediate surroundings. Pascale encourages them to appreciate the comfort of their home, the sounds, smells, and textures they often take for granted, and the modern conveniences that support their daily lives.

Reflection on Nature and Life’s Challenges

The meditation extends to nature and the changing seasons, highlighting the beauty each one brings. Pascale also invites listeners to find gratitude in life’s minor inconveniences, such as spilt milk or long grocery lines, by reframing them as opportunities to slow down and stay present.

Weekly Gratitude Challenge: Observing the Overlooked

Pascale introduces a simple yet profound challenge: Take time each day to observe and appreciate something you usually overlook, such as the morning birdsong or the play of light in your room. She invites listeners to share their experiences in her private Facebook community to inspire and connect with others.

Conclusion: Embracing Gratitude and Mindfulness

Pascale closes the episode by reminding listeners of the transformative power of gratitude and mindfulness. She encourages them to integrate these practices into their daily lives, savouring the beauty of the present moment and turning the “taken for granted” into moments of appreciation.

Conclusion

This week’s gratitude practice focuses on slowing down and becoming more present. Through mindfulness and gratitude, Pascale guides listeners to appreciate the little things and embrace life with a renewed sense of wonder and peace.

Thank you for joining this week’s journey! Stay tuned for the next episode, where Pascale continues exploring the power of gratitude.

Until then, she sends you love and light and wishes you a week filled with mindful gratitude. 💖

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ABOUT PASCALE

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Meet Pascale, the Founder of The Everyday Life Balance Show, author and "Freedom Coach," your ultimate guide to achieving your vision and fulfilling your dreams faster than you ever thought possible.

With an unwavering dedication to empowering women in life transitions, Pascale possesses an innate ability to catalyze transformative change. Her mission is to guide women on a profound journey of self-discovery, enabling them to unlock their true potential and align their soul's purpose with their everyday lives.

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Welcome to the Everyday Life Balance Show, the podcast dedicated to men and women who want to cultivate greater harmony and balance in every aspect of their lives on a mental, physical and spiritual level. Every Monday, you will gain exclusive access to invaluable insights, practical tools and strategies shared by esteemed experts in various fields ranging from wellness and personal development to life fulfilment, happiness and success. And, of course, your trusted host Pascale Gibon, an authority in her own right as a #1 Amazon bestselling author and “Freedom Coach”.

Pascale’s unwavering mission is to serve and guide you towards happiness, leading you to discover profound joy, inner peace and balance. With every episode, she invites you to embark on a transformative journey, one step at a time, as you weave a tapestry of a life truly well-lived. For more information go to: https://www.pascalegibon.com/

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

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Hello, beautiful soul!

If you are in the US, I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving week filled with love and warmth. Welcome to week 4 of The Gratitude Experiment. I am Pascale Gibon, your host. Today, we'll explore the powerful connection between mindfulness and gratitude through soothing gratitude meditation.

Thank you for joining me for episode 369 of The Everyday Life Balance Show. This week, we will focus on appreciating the little things in life, those daily gifts that often go unnoticed.

Let's begin this beautiful practice together as we deepen our awareness and gratitude for life's simple yet profound moments.

Adopting a spirit of gratitude reminds us to be present.

According to the mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is:

"The awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally." 

Mindfulness invites us to slow down, connect with our senses, and fully embrace each moment. When paired with gratitude, mindfulness transforms how we see and experience the world, helping us uncover beauty and joy in the simplest details.

Let's begin:

Hello and welcome to this gratitude meditation, where we will express gratitude for the little things in life and the daily gifts that often go unnoticed.

Let's begin by calming the mind as you sit or lie comfortably. Allow your mind to become more comfortable too. Close your eyes now and start to focus on your breathing, breathing in more deeply than you usually do and exhaling more slowly. Observing the breath is a great way to bring the mind into a state of focus.

Take your time breathing: letting it move slowly and effortlessly.

Then, shift your awareness from breath to your body, feeling the floor beneath you.

Now, think about the room or space you are in. How does it feel to be here? What is that place like? Begin to notice the little things around you that you might take for granted as you go about your busy days.

Think of this room as a shelter, a haven, keeping you safe from the outside elements and well-protected and comfortable. Feel the air on your skin and notice what it feels like. Warm or cold, appreciate the temperature of the air that surrounds you.

Notice the sounds in this room now. Perhaps you hear a ticking clock, the hum of a fan or the murmur of voices. You may pause this recording or lower the volume if necessary as you observe. 

Rather than considering these sounds as noises or distractions, lend them some appreciation. Think of each sound as an opportunity to explore your surroundings and become more mindful of all the moving parts here. Just listen. Be present. Again, you may pause the recording or lower the volume if necessary.

Breathe deeply now and see what you can smell. See if you can uncover scents you may not have realized were there. Inhaling through the nose as you pick up on subtle aromas. Perhaps you smell the wood of the floor beneath you or of the walls around you. Maybe you can smell flowers, plants, or soil or notice other scents drifting in through the window or from another room. Just breathe, explore, and appreciate this moment of mindfulness.

If the smell or any other sense is absent, that is okay, too. Just notice what you notice.

Now, extend your awareness to the outside of your immediate surroundings. Think about your entire home and everything within it. Bring to mind the things you use daily to help your life run more smoothly: alarm clocks, fridges, sinks, closets, clothes, lamps.

See yourself going through a typical day but moving more slowly through it, more mindfully, taking your time getting dressed, washing up, eating, and working. Imagine taking the time each day to express gratitude for all of these modern conveniences.

Try not to dwell on the haves and have-nots. Appreciate every aspect of your daily experience. Continue to breathe deeply, setting an intention to move more mindfully throughout each day starting right now.

Extending your awareness even further now as you think of the world outside. Think of the blue sky above, the sun, the trees that offer shade, and the soil beneath your feet. Think of the seasons:

Autumn with its deep, rich colours and crisp breeze.

Picture the perfect winter day with a warm cup of tea or coffee and a comforting fireplace.

Breathe in the dewy freshness of spring, watching flowers bloom as the full warmth of the sun returns to the earth.

Think of the slow, lazy days of summer soaking up the sunlight, savouring sweet, ripe fruits and cool, refreshing drinks.

Continue to express appreciation for the changing seasons and the gifts each one brings.

Now, it's easy to find gratitude for everything that runs smoothly in our lives, but how about the bumps in the road? We can be thankful for these little life lessons too. The spilt milk. The flat tire. The seemingly endless grocery line. All of the little errands or minor annoyances that pepper our days. Every mishap offers us a chance to slow down. The change is to live in the present moment and focus on the matters at hand.

Imagine navigating these bumps in the road gracefully and easily, effortlessly going with the flow and keeping a cool, calm head. Adopting a "come what may" attitude.

Breathe in deeply now, pulling the air as far into the body as is comfortable. And a slow, letting-go breath as you release all stress.

Another deep inhale and slow exhale, releasing expectation.

And take a few more slow breaths, letting go of anything that prevents you from experiencing gratitude. Releasing all blocks, letting all inner barriers to gratitude dissolve, and inhaling clarity and relaxation instead. 

Engage with a peaceful, steady rhythm of your breath as you continue to invite gratitude into this experience.

In the wise words of author G. K Chesterton, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." 

Let that sentiment sink in: "The critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."

Commit to turning all of your 'for granted' into gratitude, mindfully working through your life and making an effort to notice more, feel more, and see more. Take a couple more deep breaths, fully integrating this idea of taking everything with gratitude.

And when you are ready, breathe naturally, and become aware of your body again. Feel the floor beneath you, the air against your skin. Notice the sounds around you as you slowly allow your eyes to open, taking everything in.

You are here right now. As you continue your day or night, let's commit to taking everything with gratitude. Combining mindfulness and gratitude opens our hearts, enriches our lives, and creates a deeper connection to the present moment.

Thank you for joining me on this transformative journey. I look forward to continuing our gratitude exploration next week. Until next time, I'm sending you lots of love and light. Have a beautiful week filled with mindful gratitude.