Close your eyes.
Imagine that you are walking down a pathway in the woods.
Notice what time of day it is.
Notice the trees,
The foliage,
The plants around you.
The smell of the forest.
What kind of forest are you walking in?
What kinds of animals might live here?
Feel your feet stepping along the path,
Really bringing you into this visualization,
Into this space.
Notice if you can hear any sounds around you,
Any rustling,
Any animals peeking out at you.
Notice the details,
The beauty and the majesty of the trees.
Notice the path that you're on.
Is it narrow?
Is it wide?
Is it straight or is it windy?
As you're walking along this path,
You notice a little bit of an opening off to the side.
It could be a deer path,
Perhaps cleared by animals going through it often or maybe other people.
It's a little bit off of your normal path,
But you decide to walk down it.
So you step off your path and you move your way through the trees.
The leaves brush up against you.
It's a much more intimate experience with the forest and you feel that you are a part of the forest,
Just like the animals you were observing.
And this little off-road trail leads to an opening,
A big clearing in the forest,
A meadow.
Notice what kinds of plants are in this meadow.
Are there flowers,
Types of grass?
Notice what sorts of insects you hear or see.
Do you see butterflies?
What sounds are in this meadow?
Find yourself a comfortable spot to sit in this meadow,
A spot where the plants aren't so thick that you can't see the soil.
Go ahead and take a seat in the soft soil.
Place your hands on it.
Feel the earth.
Take a moment to connect with the history of the earth beneath your hands.
And now go inwards and connect with your ancestors.
Think for a moment if you have a message for your ancestors or a feeling you want to send toward them.
Go ahead and take a small stick beside you and write any messages you have into the soil.
Really feel these messages sinking into the earth.
Take as long as you want and write as many things as you want.
But when you are done,
Just sit quietly and see if any ancestor comes and pays you a visit or animal spirit guides.
And just wait and observe your surroundings.
Now bring yourself back to where you're sitting.
Place your hands on the soil and thank it for helping you bridge this connection.
You stand up in the meadow.
You take a last look around.
You lock it in your memory,
What it looks like,
How it's felt.
Then you re-enter the opening and you move along the forest again,
Back to the path where you began.
On your way,
You send gratitude towards the trees.
You step off into the path and you walk back.
Notice if anything's changed around you,
The time of day,
The animals that you see or hear.
Now bring yourself back to the room around you,
To the spot that you're sitting or lying in.
Bring yourself back to the present moment and open your eyes.
