Gratitude meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on expressing gratitude for one’s life.

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Past research has shown that increased feelings of gratitude are associated with a wide range of positive outcomes (for a review, see Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010). An important question remains about how gratitude can be cultivated. Past research findings suggest that gratitude meditation is a potential way to increase gratitude. In a study by Rao and Kemper (2016), participants received online training in gratitude meditation. The results showed that brief training in gratitude mediation significantly increased participants’ levels of gratitude.

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Goal:

The goal of this exercise is to increase gratitude through meditation.

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Advice:

• Gratitude involves being thankful for both the “good” things in life and the difficult things in life. Research on benefit finding and post-traumatic growth has repeatedly demonstrated that positive reinterpretation of difficult experiences is associated with positive change following trauma and adversity (for a review, see Linley & Joseph, 2004).

• Make sure that you pay attention to how gratitude feels in terms of a physical sensation at a bodily level. The mindful attention to the sensation in our bodies is the difference between contemplating gratitude and meditating on gratitude.

• Starting gratitude meditation with a brief mindful breathing exercise (e.g., a seated meditation) may help calm the mind and enhance a relaxed state of reflection that is required in this exercise.

• Gratitude-focused meditation should be practiced repeatedly. However, when repeatedly meditating on the same object of gratitude, the effects may become less strong or even counterproductive. When used repeatedly, you should use different sources of gratitude in your meditation practice.

• Please note that research findings on practicing gratitude are mixed. While some studies reveal significant benefits, other studies show that repeatedly practicing gratitude does not always work. The findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate methods of intervention implementation. For instance, Lyubomirsky, Tkach, and Sheldon (2004) found that increases in happiness were only observed for participants who wrote in their gratitude journals once a week for six weeks. Participants who wrote three times per week did not report these increases. Possibly, focusing too much on gratitude can increase adaptation to positive events and may increase numbness to regular sources of goodness in our lives.

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• Linley, P. A., & Joseph, S. (2004). Positive change following trauma and adversity: A review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17, 11-21.

• Rao, N., & Kemper, K.J. (2016). Online training in specific meditation practices improves gratitude, well-being, self-compassion, and confidence in providing compassionate care among health professionals. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, 22, 237-241.

• Reynolds, D.K. (1981). Naikan psychotherapy. In R.J. Corsini (Ed.), Handbook of innovative psychotherapies (pp. 544-553). Wiley.

• Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical psychology review, 30, 890-905.