If you have ever gone to sleep with worries crowding your mind and then woke up the following morning with the same set of worries, you'll understand how the thoughts we take with us when we fall asleep affect our thoughts when we get up.

This simple gratitude exercise is one that you do as you are falling sleep and it will set you up to carry joyful energies through your dreams and to have you awaken joyfully in the morning.

As you are falling asleep, recall a few things that you feel grateful for. Perhaps something that happened that day. Perhaps that cold drink when you came in from a hot day. Try to feel this gratitude and not just think about it. Let the feeling of warmth or pleasure you experienced at the time be a part of it.

These things don't have to be big or profound. They just have to be genuine. A simple deeply-felt appreciation for the warmth or comfort of the bed is enough.

This is a positive energy that you carry into your sleep and is still with you when you awaken so you can take it into the next day.

There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.

Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.

Meditations like these are a regular feature of my free monthly Ezine, Starry Night. Subscribe today!

All content Copyright © Janet Dane unless otherwise stated.