Welcome and good morning.
This is a morning meditation in two movements.
We begin with the earth.
Dropping down.
Grounding.
Settling and releasing.
And then when the birds arrive we rise into the sky.
Expanding,
Opening.
And setting our intention for the day ahead.
So let yourself arise.
Finding a comfortable place to sit.
With your back tall and straight if you can.
But there's no need to be rigid or tight.
Let your body feel relaxed and natural.
With a sense of ease and movement in it.
Gently close your eyes.
And just take a moment to really arise.
Arriving in the room that you're in right now.
Arriving in the seat beneath you.
Arriving in your body.
In this present moment.
Letting everything else in your life around you go.
Just for now.
Virtually become aware of your breath.
Not trying to change it or control it.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your lungs,
Your ribs,
Your belly.
Rising and falling with each in-breath and each out-breath.
Is allowing yourself to be quietly curious of whatever you notice.
Now bring your attention particularly to the out-breath.
And as you breathe out,
Really feeling your whole body soften and relax downwards.
With each out-breath continue to follow that sense of release.
That sense of your body softening,
Dropping,
Relaxing down.
You Now take your awareness down to the ground beneath you,
Which might be a chair,
A cushion,
A bed.
Becoming aware of the feelings and sensations where your body meets that ground.
Weight of your body resting down into it.
The pressure of it pushing up gently from below.
And how that ground really holds you.
Really supports you and simply allows you to be exactly as you are.
And with each out breath allow your whole body to deeply let go and relax into it.
This is the energy of the Earth.
Heavy.
Still.
Nourishing.
Patient.
Allow yourself to drop into that feeling.
Like a tree whose roots reach deep into the dark,
Quiet earth.
Save.
Steady.
And hold.
Oh.
If your mind drifts off into thoughts,
As you notice you've drifted,
You may feel a sense of holding or contraction or lifting up.
Just allow that to soften and relax again.
And gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
Back to your body.
Relaxing back down into the ground.
Now begin to become aware of your body from the inside.
Not looking for anything in particular,
But just being curious of whatever feelings and sensations you notice.
Becoming aware of the sensations and feelings in your feet and ankles.
Weight of your legs resting heavily into the ground.
Moving your awareness up into your hips and pelvis,
Into the trunk of your body.
Noticing whatever is there.
Any areas of tension or holding.
Just allowing them to soften and let go with the out-breath.
Becoming aware of your chest.
Heart center.
Whatever is there,
Just allowing it to be there with a sense of warmth and compassion.
Moving your awareness up into your shoulders and neck.
If you notice any tightness allowing it to soften and release.
Letting your shoulders drop.
Letting your jaw relax.
And now allowing your awareness to expand out to encompass your whole body.
Your arms,
Your neck,
Your head.
Just resting in the space of your whole body.
Aware of its aliveness,
Its warmth.
Rooted and still like the Earth itself.
Now listen.
The birds are beginning to sing.
Something in the natural world is stirring an awakening.
Something quiet and alive.
Wants to stir and awaken too.
You're still rooted.
Still held by the earth beneath you.
But now allow your awareness to begin to lift.
To open.
Like the first light of morning touching the top of the trees.
Feel the energy in your body beginning to rise,
Like sap moving upwards through the body of a tree in spring.
Still rooted deep in the earth,
But alive,
Moving,
Opening upward towards the light.
Allow your awareness to expand outward and upward,
Becoming more spacious.
Open.
As if the space within your body is connecting with the vast space around you.
You you are both earth and sky.
Rooted and open.
Grounded and free.
And from this place,
This rare place of being both deeply settled and quietly alive.
Want to invite you to bring something forward.
Not really a to-do list or a plan,
But a feeling.
How do you want to feel today?
What quality do you want to carry with you as you move through your day?
Maybe a sense of calm.
Strength.
Or openness.
Maybe joy.
Or love.
Simply presence.
Whatever it is,
Don't just think it.
See if you can feel it right now in your body.
Allow it to arise as an actual feeling.
An aliveness within you.
Really let yourself feel it.
Let it fill your chest.
Let it radiate out through your body.
Real branches.
It's not something you need to go looking for out there in the world.
It is already here,
Already alive within you.
And now if there is something you want to bring into your day,
Something meaningful,
Something that matters to you.
Allow it to arise.
Not as a thought or achievement to chase,
But as a seed.
White knowing in your heart.
Feel it settling down into your body.
To the nourished grounded earth of your being.
Like a seed dropped into rich,
Ready soil.
Know that you can.
Know that you deserve to.
And allow yourself to rest in that quiet knowing for a few moments.
You As we bring this practice to a close,
Carry both of these with you today.
The earth and the sky.
The rootedness and the openness.
Stillness and the aliveness.
Bye!
When the day gets busy or difficult,
You can always come back to this.
A breath.
Your body.
The ground beneath your feet.
It's always there for you.
And slowly begin to bring your awareness back into the room around you.
Gently wriggling your fingers and toes.
Taking your deep breath in.
And a really long,
Slow breath out.
Letting everything settle.
And when you're ready,
Softly opening your eyes.
Have a beautiful day.
