This meditation encourages connection to others and the earth.
It's great to do when you are gathering as a group or when you'd like to enhance connection to the earth or to others.
It's ideal to be done outside but being outside is not necessary to experience the meditation.
The theme of this meditation is community.
It draws inspiration from the earth and nature that sustains us.
To begin with I invite you wherever you are to take a hand or perhaps your foot and place it on the earth.
If you are inside you might like to place it on the floor.
The floor beneath you is connected to the earth nonetheless and so are you.
The land underneath you was formed over millions of years by the interactions of the earth's crust,
Rivers and seas depending on where you are.
So now just take a moment to become aware of the land and the dynamic forces that have shaped it to where it is today.
As you journey through this meditation know that my guidance is simply an invitation.
There are no rules.
You are welcome to move,
Stretch,
Adjust your position.
Just do whatever you need to do to make yourself comfortable.
I invite you now to look around your surroundings gazing up,
Down,
Behind you,
Over your shoulder.
Perhaps you notice other faces around you.
Maybe your eyes are drawn to something in the landscape that you connect with.
Notice any sounds you hear.
The call of birds,
Traffic passing by,
Nearby voices,
The sounds of others breathing,
The wind brushing through the trees.
What can you smell?
What sensations can you feel on your body?
Maybe you feel your body resting on the surface beneath you or your skin feeling warm or cool.
Just like you welcome others in your community,
Welcome yourself to your practice.
Now become conscious of your body,
Checking in with yourself and noticing any particular physical sensations right now.
How do you feel in this very moment?
Welcoming any different thoughts and emotions that are with you.
Thriving communities are diverse.
You might have a variety of different thoughts and emotions present.
Can you welcome each of these just like individual community members?
Now taking your awareness to your breath,
Just being with it exactly how it is right now.
There's no need to alter the way you are breathing.
Each inhale you are drawing fresh oxygen into your body.
Each exhale you are releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
As you inhale and exhale you are exchanging air with the plants near you.
Through this simple act of breathing,
This automatic motion,
You are connected to the earth community and also to each other,
The other creatures around you.
You are in communion with nature.
In nature there are many examples of community in action.
Trees share information and nutrients with each other.
Even helping other trees out in times of stress.
Ants and bees live in colonies.
Each individual has a specific role to play in supporting the whole community.
Many different animals,
Birds and sea creatures live in groups.
Lions,
Crows,
Dolphins.
What does community feel like to you?
Perhaps images of specific places,
People or groups come to mind.
Maybe community is the sound of joyful laughter,
Music,
Deep conversation.
Community could feel like a hug,
A warm handshake,
Someone helping you carry something.
Or it could taste or smell like a particular food or drink,
A warm meal.
Spend a few moments to soak up how community makes you feel.
And if you aren't feeling very connected to community at present,
That's okay too.
Maybe you have witnessed how others feel in community,
That you could relate to.
Feelings of happiness,
Warmth,
Support,
Connection.
Start to become aware of your surroundings again.
Feeling your body exactly where it is.
The sound of your breathing,
Connecting you with the air and the world around you.
As you transition back into your day,
I encourage you to connect with others in your own way.
Spreading those feelings you've experienced individually with others around you.
Feelings of connection,
Love,
Support,
Belonging.
Maybe you meet someone's eyes,
Take a hand to a shoulder,
Extend a hug,
Whatever feels right for you.
Extending your individual experience of community to others and the world around you.
Recognising your connections with multiple layers of community.
