Elemental Oneness

This practice supports you to release from the spell of separation to realize Oneness with All That Is and that within which all of this arises, so you experience the ultimate peace and freedom of this realization. We’ll do this by embodying a felt sense of the elements: Earth, Water, Air, Light, and Space. From what feels most solid to what feels like almost nothing at all. Enjoy!

Transcript

ELEMENTAL ONENESS The purpose of this practice is to release from the spell of separation,

To realize oneness with all that is,

And that within which all of this arises,

So you experience the ultimate peace and freedom of this realization.

We'll do this by embodying a felt sense of the elements,

Earth,

Water,

Air,

Light,

And space,

From what feels most solid to what feels like almost nothing at all.

Let's begin by sitting comfortably upright with the soles of your feet firmly on the ground.

Rest your hands,

Palms cupped in your lap,

With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly in an open,

Receptive posture.

If this posture is not comfortable for you,

You can use any comfortable upright position.

Once you are settled in your seat,

Lightly close your eyes,

And allow yourself to be present in your body,

Here,

Now.

Notice anything that is present in awareness.

You might have lingering thoughts,

Feelings,

Or sensations.

Allow yourself to be just as you are.

Call to mind your intention for this practice.

Why is this important?

What is the result of feeling separate?

And what might happen if you fully embodied a felt sense of oneness?

What is the effect of this on your body,

Your mind,

Your mind,

Your mind,

Your mind?

Consider that the effect of your practice extends to all your loved ones,

To everyone you interact with,

And even more widely and invisibly,

To all beings,

Our whole planet,

And throughout our collective consciousness,

And all that is.

You are an expression of a greater whole,

And your state of consciousness contributes to the whole.

So,

Consider dedicating this practice to the well-being and awakening of all beings.

That we all might come to know our essential being and live from this realization.

Now,

Focus down into the soles of your feet contacting the ground.

Press your feet firmly down into the ground,

And then allow them to soften and relax,

Feeling as if you have energetic roots extending down through the center of your feet,

Deep down into the earth.

Feel the richness of the soil,

And the green life that sprouts from the earth.

You are rooted here in the grounding energetic field of the earth.

Feel the solid support and grounding presence of the earth underneath you.

And thank the earth for supporting your life.

Feel the sensation of solid support,

Of being grounded and present here,

Now,

In this body,

On this earth.

Allow this feeling of grounded presence to flow up through your feet,

Like sap flowing up through the roots of a tree,

Up through your shins and calves,

Your knees and thighs,

Into your hips and pelvic bowl,

Resting down in your seat.

Feel the weight of your body resting down in your pelvic bowl,

Resting down in your seat,

Resting down on the earth.

Feel the weighted solidity and presence in your feet,

Legs,

Hips and lower abdomen.

Now focus into your palms and fingers resting cupped in your lap.

Awaken sensory awareness here in your hands.

For a few moments,

Press the tips of your thumbs together.

Press firmly.

Now relax your thumbs.

Relax your fingers while keeping their tips touching lightly.

Feel the subtle pulse of warmth,

Blood flow and life energy in your thumb tips.

Feel the connection of this subtle pulse in your thumbs to the subtle pulse of your heart.

Feel the warmth and energy flowing from your heart,

Through your shoulders,

Arms,

Hands and fingers.

Feel the tingling aliveness of this gently pulsing flow from your soft open heart down through your soft open hands.

Feel the gentle pulse of life energy flowing from your heart up through your neck and head.

Relax your tongue,

Jaw,

Forehead,

Neck,

Shoulders and arms.

Allow the smooth flow of blood and life energy here.

Soften and relax your chest and upper back.

Feel the gentle pulsing flow from your heart here.

Soften and relax your abdomen and lower back.

Feel the gentle pulsing flow of energy here.

Allow your hips,

Legs and feet to soften and relax.

And feel the gentle pulse of energy flowing down through your legs and feet.

Your body is mostly water in the form of blood,

Lymphatic fluid and fluids inside and around all your cells.

Allow your whole body to soften and relax.

So you feel the effervescent current of life energy bathing every cell.

Feel your body as a whole from the inside.

The entire space inside your skin bathed in shimmering liquid life energy.

As you feel this fluid aliveness,

Smile.

A subtle smile of calm happiness.

The simple joy of being relaxed,

Present and alive.

To enhance this feeling of joyful aliveness,

Breathe in deeply,

Feeling the inspired energy of oxygen.

And smile on your out breath.

Continue breathing in and out through your nose.

Nasal breathing warms and purifies the air you breathe in,

Increases oxygenation and calms your nervous system.

Feel the gentle flow of the breath,

In and out through your nasal passages.

Feel the gentle flow of the breath,

In and out from your lungs.

Enjoy the gentle rhythm of breathing in and breathing out.

Allow your attention to ride on the breath.

Imagine and feel the energy of oxygen flowing through your whole body,

Through every cell,

Enlivening every cell,

Every cell sparkling with oxygen.

Now feel your breath deep in your lower abdomen,

Feeding the vital energy here.

As you breathe in,

Feel a gentle downward pressure in your lower abdomen and perineum.

And as you breathe out,

Allow the energy to gather here,

In your lower abdomen and perineum.

Now,

As you inhale,

Feel that gentle downward pressure turn into an upward rising current flowing from your perineum up through the cerebrospinal fluid in your spine,

Up to the center of your brain.

And as you exhale,

Feel your whole spine like a stream of light flowing upwards into the center of your brain.

Continue to breathe in,

Feeling the gentle downward pressure become an upward current of light rising up through your spine,

Flowing up into the center of your brain.

And as you exhale,

Feel your whole spine at once and the center of your brain lit up with life energy.

Now,

Let go of breathing and feel your whole spine and the center of your brain lit up.

Feel this light radiating outwards from your spine,

Out through every cell.

Feel this light shine outwards from the center of your brain.

Your heart and your lower abdomen,

Amplifying the feeling of light through your whole body.

Feel this light shining out through the pores of your skin into the space all around.

So there is no inside,

No outside,

Simply a radiant space,

A space of light.

Feel this space extending infinitely in front of you.

Feel this space extending infinitely behind you.

Feel this space extending infinitely out to the left and infinitely out to the right.

Feel this space extending infinitely below you.

Feel this space extending infinitely above you.

Feel this space extending infinitely in front of you.

Feel this space extending infinitely in front of you.

Feel this space extending infinitely in front of you.

Now attend to the background within which this boundless space arises.

Prior to space and time,

Prior to any names,

Qualities or characteristics,

That within which the infinite field,

All the elements and all forms arise and into which they dissolve.

Let go and rest as the background within which all that is arises.

Allow this ubiquitous background to come to the foreground.

So there is only this,

Almost like nothing at all,

Prior to anything arising peaceful,

Free,

Clear.

If anything arises,

Allow it to dissolve.

Now feel the vast space of experience arising again.

Feel the light of awareness illuminating this space,

Making it known.

Feel the air in this space,

The air upon your skin,

The air flowing in and out of your lungs.

Feel the fluid aliveness bathing all your cells.

Feel the solidity of your body and the grounding presence of the earth underneath you.

All these elements together give shape and quality to countless experiences,

Forms,

Perspectives and beings which appear within vast openness.

Infinite expressions of that which embraces all because it is all and the background within which we all arise.

Smile to the unfathomable mystery of how all of this comes to be.

Now check in with your body and notice how you feel.

If you could describe the feeling in a word,

Phrase or image,

What would this be?

Record this feeling together with your word,

Phrase or image in every cell deep in your consciousness so you remember it,

Bring it with you,

Share this embodied knowing in all your interactions and can return to it whenever you forget your oneness with all beings,

With all that is and your essential being as that within which all of this arises.

Very slowly begin to open your eyes and take in the feeling of the space all around you together with the feeling of the space inside as one space awake and aware.

Smile to all the elements,

Smile to this ever-changing play of form and to that within which it all happens.

You are that.