Meditation on the Four Elements.
In Laudato si',
Pope Francis reminds us,
Quote,
We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth,
Our very bodies are made up of our elements,
We breathe her air,
And we receive life and refreshments from her waters.
In this meditation,
We will connect with the elements of creation that are in our very being,
Reminding us of our connectedness with all life,
With all creation.
As we begin,
I invite you to settle into your meditation posture,
Whether you're seated on a chair or on the floor in a cushion,
With your back straight,
Your head gently resting on your neck,
Your hands resting comfortably on your legs or in your lap,
Embodying a sense of both relaxation and alertness,
And embodying a sense of dignity,
Of your own dignity as a child of God.
Your eyes can be closed or they can be open,
Gazing downward in a soft focus.
We begin by bringing awareness to the element of earth,
Feeling the structure and hardness of our bones,
The weight of our body sitting here,
Noticing our spine that holds us upright,
Our skull resting gently on our neck.
Our very bodies are made up of the same elements that make up the Earth's crust,
Aluminum,
Iron,
Calcium,
Sodium,
Potassium,
Magnesium,
And calcium.
Grounding our feet,
Our bodies in the stability of the Earth,
We feel the strength of the ground that always holds us.
This is the element of Earth.
We now bring awareness to the element of water,
Feeling the saliva in our mouth or perhaps the moisture in our breath.
The human body is comprised of approximately 60% water.
Without water we would die.
Water assists in digestion,
Absorption,
Circulation,
The transportation of nutrients,
And the maintenance of our body temperature.
The water we drink is connected to all of the rivers and lakes,
Streams and springs on our planet.
Through water we are connected with all of life.
This is the element of water.
We now bring awareness to the element of fire touching into the heat in your own body,
Perhaps feeling your heart pumping,
Your blood surging in your body.
This fire within is animated by the huge ball of fire that we call the Sun that brings life to all algae,
Plants,
Trees,
And everything we consume,
Which then gets burned up in the process of digestion and turned into fuel for our actions,
Our thoughts,
Everything we do.
We run on this energy.
This is the element of fire.
We now bring awareness to the element of air connecting to the breath wherever it is felt the strongest,
Whether it is at the tip of the nostrils in the rising and falling of the chest or the expansion and collapse of the belly.
Connecting to this life force which sustains us at every moment and connects us to everyone here in this room with all the plants and trees that give off oxygen,
With all the living beings with which we share this beautiful planet.
This air we are breathing is the same air breathed by all living beings in the past,
Present,
And soon in the future.
This is the element of air.
We'll take this last minute just to rest in the body to connect with these elements of earth,
Water,
Fire,
And air within us and around us,
Sensing how interconnected we are with all beings,
With all of God's creation.
You you
