Welcome to this deep doodling practice,
A way to draw yourself into a state of groundedness and growth.
Think of it like brushing your teeth,
A small regular act that keeps your inner landscape tended.
Grounding and nurturing your openness to growth is a healthy form of self-care.
When we settle into presence and give shape to our inner life on paper,
We are practicing mindfulness.
Take a moment for a quick check in.
Notice how you feel in your body,
Notice your breathing and notice your mood.
If you're unsettled,
You might want to pause this recording and breathe,
Stretch or pour yourself a hot or cold drink to soothe you before continuing this practice.
Find a place where you won't be disturbed for about 10 minutes.
Bring paper and something to draw with.
Use one color or many,
Whatever calls to you.
Start by drawing a simple person on the top two thirds of your page.
A stick figure is perfect.
This is you right now.
Accuracy and aesthetic doesn't matter for this exercise,
So try not to judge your drawing skills.
Add a simple expression on the face.
Maybe let it smile back at you and feel that smile reflected on your own face.
Draw a horizontal line under the feet.
This is the ground beneath you.
Let your figure stand firm,
Held gently by gravity.
Draw slowly and breathe deeply.
Once you're done,
Pause for a few breaths.
Inhale fully,
Hold briefly and exhale completely.
Repeat until you feel even more settled than you were just a moment ago.
Now pick up your pen or pencil and at around the chest height of your little person on the page,
Draw a heart shape.
Inside the heart,
Draw a shape that you would consider looks like a seed.
It can be any shape you like.
This seed represents something meaningful to you,
A goal,
A vision,
A joy or an idea that gives you energy.
From this seed,
Let roots begin to sprout and extend.
As you draw,
Breathe in the sense of being grounded,
Steady,
Supported and secure.
Draw the roots winding down the torso,
Branching into the arms and hands,
Flowing into the legs and feet.
Let the roots reach your feet into the ground beneath your figure,
Spreading wide and strong into the earth.
Your roots can wrap and branch and get all twisted up,
But they keep growing,
They keep supporting.
Now return your focus to the seed in the heart.
Feel how grounded it is.
Next,
Around the outside of your figure,
Begin to draw leaves.
Leaves of any shape and any size.
Draw them near the head,
Down the arms,
Along the torso and even on the outside of the legs.
All different shapes and sizes of leaves floating around you like an aura of possibility.
These are your own growth opportunities,
The ideas in your mind,
The actions of your hands and the possibilities that sprout from your grounded roots.
When you feel complete,
Put down your pen,
Close your eyes and breathe into both feelings at once.
Groundedness and expansion,
Stability and possibility.
Ask yourself,
What is one small thing I can do today to honour the me on the page?
Wait for any thought or image to arise.
Write down the first thing that comes to mind,
Even if it's simple.
If it feels right to do so,
Journal a few lines about what you felt during this drawing exercise or what you noticed.
Then thank yourself for showing up.
Thank the you on the page for reflecting your strength and your growth back to you.
Do this practice whenever you feel stagnant,
Unmoored or in need of gentle direction.
Even five minutes drawing roots or leaves can help reconnect you.
Carry the feeling of grounded expansion with you as you move into your day.
