Welcome.
I'm Bethany,
And I'm honored to guide you today.
This time is for you to soften,
To reconnect,
And to remember your natural state of wholeness.
Let your body settle,
Let your breath arrive,
And allow yourself to gently open to the wisdom within and around you.
Before we begin this meditation,
I want to offer a gentle reflection,
An invitation to remember your connection with the natural world.
In internal family systems,
We speak about self-energy,
The calm,
Curious,
Compassionate presence that can be with all parts.
And one of the most powerful ways to access that self-energy is through nature.
The natural world is not separate from us.
It lives in us.
We are nature.
And when we slow down and listen,
We can begin to feel how the elements of the earth mirror different aspects of our inner being.
This practice is especially meaningful for women because for centuries,
Our wisdom has been entwined with the rhythms of the earth,
The moon,
And the cycles of life.
Now is the time to reclaim our natural selves and reconnect with life.
Let's take a moment to remember the elements.
Earth is connected to the physical body.
It represents groundedness,
Strength,
Abundance,
Expansion.
Air is connected to our mind.
It carries clarity,
Insight,
And perspective.
The element of water is linked to emotions.
It brings flow,
Adaptability,
And intuitive depth.
Fire is the energy of our spirit.
It burns with passion,
Motivation,
Transformation,
And creativity.
Each of these elements is more than a metaphor.
Each element is alive within and around you.
As we enter this visualization today,
I invite you to meet the spirit of these elements and receive what it has to offer you.
Now take a moment to get into a comfortable position that you can hold for about 10 minutes and gently close your eyes or soften your gaze in front of you.
Allow your body to settle and soften.
Bring awareness to your breath.
Noticing it flowing in and flowing out,
Just like the wind or waves moving in and off the shore.
Let yourself arrive.
We will begin with the element of air,
Springtime,
The mental realm,
The birds,
The vast sky,
Clarity,
Expansion.
As you connect with your breath and the wind and the air moving through you,
Notice how the air element shows up for you.
Notice if it takes a form,
If there's any image or symbol that shows up as you contemplate the element of air.
Welcome in any sensations,
Images or symbols,
Perhaps an animal or another being.
I welcome you to let it arise naturally.
No need to force here.
There's no right or wrong way to experience this.
Listen with curiosity.
What do you notice?
Does air have any wisdom it wants to share with you in this moment?
Perhaps you can let it feel your curiosity.
See how it responds.
Perhaps you can imagine yourself out in nature on the top of a mountain or on an ocean shore feeling the breeze.
Notice how wind and air respond.
Notice your relationship if you feel open,
Willing,
Curious,
Or any other sensations.
Now invite this element to become an ally with you.
Ask it gently and observe what happens.
Allow any changes to unfold within your body,
Your mind,
Or your energy field.
You can ask it anything else you'd like to know.
And when you feel ready,
And if it feels right,
Send it appreciation,
A simple thank you,
Or a soft bow of gratitude,
And release your connection to air.
We'll move to bring curiosity to the element of fire.
Fire is about transformation,
Transmutation,
Summertime,
And the warmth of the sun shining high above.
It's also that fire in you,
In your spirit that may shine brightly or dimly at times.
Perhaps you can imagine yourself somewhere outside and feel the presence of the sun shining its light on you.
Or imagine that you're sitting at a campfire watching the flames dance and move.
Allow the element to show up however it wants to for you.
Sense your connection to it and notice how it's showing up,
Perhaps in words or an image,
A symbol,
Or an animal or being.
Allow it to arise naturally and begin to listen closely.
What do you notice and what element wisdom does this one have to share with you?
Allow fire to feel your curiosity and notice how it responds.
Notice your current relationship with fire and any sensations that may be arising inside of you as you direct your curiosity towards fire.
If it feels right,
You may ask it for some guidance,
Perhaps even around something specific in your life and listen without pressure.
Now you may invite this element to become an ally for you.
Now,
Ask it gently and observe what happens.
Allow any changes or sensations to unfold within you,
Within your body,
Your mind,
Or your energy.
You can ask it anything else you'd like to know,
Anything you'd like to know,
See,
Or feel from fire.
When you feel ready,
Send fire your appreciation if that feels right for you.
Allow this experience to settle into your system and release your connection to fire and open up to the element of water.
Water reminds us to be in the flow,
To be flexible and adaptable.
She reminds us to let our emotions flow,
Allowing them to come and go and move through us.
Water is connected to fall and the letting go of leaves.
So begin to open yourself up to the wisdom of water.
Notice how it shows up for you.
Can you feel it,
Touch it,
Sense its power in you or around you?
Notice if it shows up in any kind of form,
An animal or a being,
A symbol.
Maybe there's words or sensations that show up for you.
Allow it to arise naturally.
There is no right or wrong way to experience this.
Listen for any wisdom water wants to share with you in this moment.
Notice your relationship with water.
Do you feel open toward it,
Closed?
Is there a heaviness or tightness?
Or openness and freedom?
We're just noticing and allowing.
Now invite this element to become an ally for you.
Ask it gently as an invitation and a willingness to form a relationship and a noticed what happens.
Allow any changes to unfold or show up in your body,
Mind or energy field.
You may ask it anything else it would like you to now see or feel about who it is and what it wants for you.
And when you feel ready,
And if it feels right,
Send water your appreciation.
It could be a simple thank you,
A heart opening with gratitude and a commitment to return.
Now let this experience settle into your system and release your connection to water.
We'll move and open up to the element of earth.
Earth is connected to our physical body,
The mountains,
The solidness of a tree deeply connected downward.
It's connected to the creatures and animals that roam the earth and have a deeper,
Stronger connection with earth.
It's sometimes associated with ancestors who have come before us who have wisdom.
It's also connected with wintertime,
A time of stillness,
Listening,
Rest and going within the darkness to find the wisdom.
Notice how earth shows up for you.
Does it show up in an image or symbol,
An animal or other being,
In words or a feeling,
A sensation?
Allow it to arise naturally.
There is no right or wrong way to experience the element of earth.
Listen closely.
What do you notice?
What wisdom does earth want to share with you?
Allow earth to feel your curiosity and notice how it responds.
Notice if there's anything earth wants to communicate.
Notice how it relates to you and you relate to it.
If it feels right for you,
You may ask it for some guidance.
Listen without forcing it to come.
Allow it to arrive from earth to you.
Now invite this element to become an ally with you.
Ask it gently and observe what happens.
You're inviting earth into a new relationship.
Allow any sensations or feelings to shift or unfold within your body,
Your energetic field.
Ask earth if there's anything else it would like you to know as you move into this new deeper relationship.
When you feel ready and if you genuinely feel it,
Send earth your appreciation.
And let this rich experience of communing with the elements to settle into your system.
If it feels right,
You may use butterfly tapping to enhance any positive sensations or wisdom these elements have offered you.
Tap slowly on your arms or shoulders,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left.
Breathing into the support,
The connection,
And any insight you may have received.
Now take a few more deep breaths.
And when you feel complete,
Slowly return your awareness to your physical body,
To the space you're in,
To the four walls around you,
To the present moment.
You may want to take some time to journal the gifts,
The blessings,
The wisdom that you received.
This is the beginning of a relationship between you and the natural world,
Between yourself and the greater world around you.
I invite you to begin to notice where and how each of the elements show up and how you may listen for guidance or reminders of connecting to groundedness,
Strength,
Clarity and openness,
Flow and adaptability.
Light and carefreeness.
You may notice this as you turn on a light to shine light into your room with electricity,
Or each time you wash your hands,
Or in the breeze as you walk to and from your car.
And how the sun looks shining through the branches of trees or high up in the sky.
May this be nourishing and supportive for you.
Thank you for sharing this time and space with me.
May you carry the steadiness,
The openness and the connection you cultivated here into the rest of your day.
Trust that your inner wisdom is always with you,
Ready to meet you with tenderness and compassion.
Whenever you're ready,
Open your eyes and return to the world grounded and whole.
