Let's take a moment to ground down and settle.
There's nowhere else you need to be right now.
Let's take a deep breath together.
As we breathe out,
Imagine breathing down into your roots as if you were a tree.
So often we identify so strongly with our branches.
The parts of us that get blown around by the storms,
The wind,
The rain,
The changing weather.
And if we focus only on everything that's hitting us,
When times are tough,
We can feel pretty tossed around.
What if we focus instead on the anchor that's keeping us grounded?
Breathe down into your roots.
Breathe in the nourishment that comes from the earth.
The water,
The minerals.
The strength.
And then let's notice the nourishment that comes from above.
Photosynthesis.
Water.
A continual exchange of energy.
Roots below.
Leaves above.
Strength,
Receptiveness.
In meditation,
We're not trying to stop the weather.
Or noticing it.
Experiencing it.
Changing conditions.
Everything happening around us and in us.
What shifts when we hold it?
Firmly rooted.
Meditation doesn't only happen when we're sitting quietly.
That can happen while walking,
While sipping a cup of tea.
While talking with someone.
We can feel the energy around us so acutely.
As highly sensitive and intuitive people,
It's important to also tune into the ground beneath us,
Our steadiness,
Our anchor.
Some storms can really blow us around.
And when they do,
We can return to our roots.
Put ourselves in a greenhouse perhaps for protection.
Until we're ready to go back out into the world.
Our thoughts may drift like leaves floating down a river.
They swirl,
They circle,
They pass by.
Meditation isn't about pushing thoughts away or pushing experience away or trying to create a perfectly quiet mind.
It's about being with what's here.
When we notice it,
Our perspective can shift.
We discover that we have some agency over our own energy.
Do we need to follow every thought?
Are the thoughts circling because there's something important to learn.
What do you notice?
What do you see?
Sometimes it helps to write thoughts down,
Gently set them aside for later.
So often we can become lost in thought.
We get tossed around by it.
And we're not always aware that that's happening.
Mindfulness and awareness creates space,
Gives us room.
It gives us a place where we can hold our thoughts rather than being carried away by them.
The thoughts become part of a much larger picture,
Like clouds moving through a wide open sky.
When we tune into that groundedness and that openness.
We can begin holding our experience in a kinder,
Gentler way.
It becomes less consuming,
Easier to carry,
Lighter.
When we notice what's happening in the moment with fresh eyes,
We gain new perspective.
We can see how they impact us.
We can offer ourselves compassion.
We can learn what we need.
Maybe we need a walk in nature to process thought energy.
Maybe we need a nap,
A conversation with a friend,
Some quiet time with a cup of tea.
Something that shifts our energetic experience.
That helps us hold what we're holding.
When we notice we have a choice.
Let's spend a few quiet moments together grounding down.
Feeling the breath.
Feeling the stability beneath us.
The openness around us.
The earth.
Holding us.
Our body holding us.
As you sit.
Simply notice what's present.
In a moment,
I'll ring a bell.
Feel free to remain here for as long as you'd like.
And when you're ready.
Carry this practice with you throughout your day.
And see what you notice.
