From my perspective as a Midwestern native, having worked with clients all over the U.S., one of the deficits I have found in our culture is lack of gratitude for ourselves.

Our bodies, our minds are the constant in our lives, the instruments at hand to serve our needs and the needs of others. Why not spend time being grateful for ourselves?

So, today I’m offering a guided meditation in which we thank all the parts of us that contribute to who we are.

Click here for the audio version. Thanks to Laz Slomovitz for the accompanying music "Gratefulness" and "Tenderness."

As in the last blog on gratitude, start in your meditation posture with your eyes open. Take a couple of deep breaths, and watch your chest rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation. Take a moment to appreciate the automatic functioning of your lungs. Thank your lungs.

Next, close your eyes and become aware of your thoughts — without judgment. Your mind might be evaluating this experience or associating it with something pleasant or perhaps unpleasant. Whatever your thoughts are, thank them for the great job they do in keeping you aware and aligned with what is important to you.

Now scan your body and take time to thank the parts that you’re particularly grateful for — perhaps your feet for taking you where you want to go, perhaps for your hands for their strength. Whichever part you feel drawn to, thank that part briefly and move on to another.

Finally, connect with all the effort that you give in creating your life, the energy you put forth in taking care of yourself, taking care of others, contributing to our world. Feel the immensity of this energy in your heart. Allow your heart to relax in the knowledge of your good effort.

If your mind wanders off to negative characteristics within yourself, gently return to the feeling of gratitude in your heart — for all that you have, all that you give, all that you are. Meditate on this wonderful feeling of gratitude.

As a mental health professional, an owner of a fitness studio, a writer and a wife, mother and grandmother, I have found meditation to be helpful in every aspect of my life. To find out about my meditation classes this fall, contact me at susanmmorales@yahoo.com or check out my websites: susanscottmorales.com and bodiesinbalancefitness.com