Welcome to today's meditation on the four elements.
This is the second day of a seven day journey designed to dissolve emotional numbness by noticing and releasing the emotions held in the body.
Today we'll focus on the innate intelligence of the body and how millions of interconnected parts continuously communicate and adapt to protect and support you.
This meditation draws your attention to the four classical elements of earth,
Water,
Air,
And fire,
Recognizing their essential attributes and their self-regulating integration into a responsive organic whole.
Find a comfortable position where your body is supported so you can relax completely.
For this meditation,
Many people prefer to be lying down,
But you may prefer to be sitting,
Standing,
Or kneeling today.
Let's begin by taking a few cleansing breaths.
Coming to a balanced,
Centered state.
Start with a long inhale,
Perhaps with one hand on the chest and one on the belly.
Exhale slowly.
Emptying the lungs completely.
Inhale gently but fully,
Feeling the chest and belly move.
And take a long complete exhalation.
Feel your heart beating steadily.
Inhale again as if you're breathing in from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
Then exhale from the top of your head down through the soles of your feet.
Let's begin with the earth element,
Focusing on the denser parts of your body that provide strength and structure.
Feel the solidity of your jaw,
Your teeth,
Your skull.
Feel how your head is supported by the cervical spine.
From the occipital ridge to the base of your neck.
Move your attention along your collarbones to your shoulders that are capable of carrying such weight.
Then down your arms into your wrists,
Your hands.
And end each finger.
Notice how each bone and joint has its own particular form and function.
Feel the shoulder blades in the back body and the ribcage in the front,
Appreciating the protection they provide to your heart and lungs.
Notice the length and strength of your spine.
Then moving your attention down vertebrae by vertebrae.
To your hips.
Feel the structure of the hip joints and the pelvic bones.
Appreciating their articulation,
Which allows you to move in so many ways.
Then move your attention down your legs.
Noticing how the bones become smaller despite their outsized role.
Bring your attention to your ankle joints,
Appreciating their incredible strength.
Notice the numerous bones throughout your feet and in your toes.
Appreciating their various sizes and shapes and their compact engineering.
Feel the framework of your entire skeleton and the structure it provides.
Take a few more breaths to tune into the strength and solidity of the earth element throughout your body.
Now let's turn to the water element.
Notice the moisture in your eyes and in your mouth.
Notice the moisture of your skin.
Move your attention down your throat and into your stomach.
That is busy digesting your latest meal.
Think of all the different liquids in your organs performing their various functions.
And the high water content in your muscles and fascial tissue,
Enabling them to move smoothly.
Tune into your heart.
Feel it pumping blood along miles and miles of veins,
Arteries,
And capillaries throughout your body.
Appreciate the crucial work of your lymph system,
Silently cleansing your body.
Take a few breaths now to tune into the continuous movement of the water element throughout your body.
Next,
Let's turn to the Air element.
Notice the next breath as it enters your nose.
Notice the exhale as it leaves your body.
Feel the breath move through your body.
And the body move with each breath.
Feel the chest rise and fall in a gentle rhythm.
Follow the next inhale as it enters your nose and moves down into your lungs,
Filling them with fresh oxygen,
Which then flows out to your cells.
In your mind's eye,
Notice the vast space inside each cell.
And as the oxygen moves in,
The carbon dioxide moves out of your cells and out of your body on your next exhale.
Take a few more breaths to appreciate the essential air element in your body.
Next,
Let's turn to the fire element.
Feel the temperature of any exposed skin on your feet,
Your legs,
Your arms,
Your hands,
Your face.
Contrast that to the temperature of your skin where it's covered.
Notice the warmth that's generated wherever skin touches skin.
Then move your attention to your mouth.
Noticing the warmth of your tongue,
Your palate,
And the back of your throat.
Tune into the warmth held inside your body like a warm summer day.
A tropical temperature surrounding your organs so they can function optimally as you move through your day.
Feel the various temperatures that your body is always regulating in,
On,
And around your body.
And feel the internal fire that fuels your life.
Finally,
Feel the integration of the four elements.
Earth,
Water,
Air,
And fire.
Feel the strength and structure of the earth element.
The gentle movement of the water element.
The lightness and expansiveness of the air element.
The power and protection of the fire element.
Appreciate how they collaborate quietly to support you,
Moment by moment,
Day after day.
Year after year.
When you're ready,
Deepen the breath.
And take a long inhale.
And a full exhale.
Open your eyes.
Ready to return to your day.
With a new appreciation for the four elements and for the miracle that you are.
Thank you for taking the time to meditate with me today.
Until next time.
Namaste.
