I'm going to lead you in the Standing Tree of Life Meditation,
First inspired by my spiritual director trainer,
Bill Zilke.
As you are able,
I invite you to stand and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
Begin to notice your breath,
You don't need to do anything about it at first,
Just notice.
See if you can turn to the gaze of love with you,
Welcoming God with you.
In the songs we read that those who walk with God are like trees planted by a river,
Bearing much fruit.
I invite you to imagine you are a tree,
Firmly rooted,
Standing tall,
Branches reaching high.
Notice the texture of the bark,
The size of the tree,
What surrounds you.
Now bring your attention to your trunk,
To your core,
To your breathing.
See if you can stand up a little taller,
Perhaps expanding your breath a little more fully and exhaling all the way out.
Notice the quality of air,
Is it cool,
Damp,
Fresh?
Imagine breathing in a big breath of fresh air,
Filling your lungs.
When thoughts arise,
See them as visiting birds on your branches.
As much as possible,
Acknowledge them without judgment and let them go as they fly away,
Knowing you remain stable and grounded like the tree.
In that place,
I invite you to notice how you feel in this posture.
Do you feel big or small?
What does your heart feel?
Allow yourself to sink into it,
To feel it and welcome it.
Now imagine the winds come and they blow your branches around.
Perhaps move your body a little bit and consider what has blown you around this season.
When you are ready,
Notice where your center of gravity is.
If you are able,
Bend your knees slightly and see if you can sink your center of gravity lower,
Envisioning it going down deeper below the earth.
Imagine your roots extending down into the ground,
Going down deep,
Drinking nourishment from the soil and water below.
In his famous book,
The Fellowship of the Ring,
J.
R.
Tolkien writes,
The old that is strong does not wither.
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
Imagine your roots going down deep,
Where even the coldest winter frost cannot reach.
Stay focused here for a few breaths.
There is nothing wrong with a tree that it needs good,
Nourishing soil,
Water and sunlight.
There is nothing wrong with you that you have normal human needs.
We hear throughout scripture that God desires our wholeness,
Our flourishing.
We often hear the word Shalom translated as peace can also be understood as wholeness.
Invite the creator of all,
The Holy Spirit,
The living water,
The prince of wholeness,
To be with you in what you are experiencing.
What nourishment is being offered to you right now?
When you are ready,
Begin to open your eyes or move your body,
Coming back to the here and now of wherever you are as you engage in this meditation.
Knowing that the ground of all being is with you and sustains you in all things.
