And begin to welcome yourself to this practice,
Opening to your internal world.
It's like pressing the pause button to the external world.
I'm here.
I can feel myself.
I'm safe with myself.
I support myself.
I'm open to receiving this practice.
You've landed here.
Arrived.
Notice how you need to orientate yourself to your body.
And begin by feeling the ground.
The earth below the body.
The sense of the body surrendering to the earth.
Being held.
Welcome.
And the feeling of letting go.
Gravity weighing you down.
And feel into the earth rising up to support the body.
And notice this sense of being.
This ground of being.
Giving up any self-improvement project.
Just resting.
Notice how that feels.
Nothing to gain from this practice.
Just resting on the earth.
Everything that we are belongs to the earth.
The food we eat.
The liquids we drink.
All come from this planet's earth.
And begin to open your senses.
Any colours or images behind your closed eyelids.
Any lingering smells or fragrances in the air.
Tastes from food or drinks you had earlier.
And notice the sounds.
The sounds close by.
The sounds further away.
And all the sounds travelling through space.
And the time used for this practice is for you.
Begin to set your intention.
Excluding the other things in your life such as doing,
Thinking,
Activities.
This practice is different.
It's about being.
Grounding.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Simply being in the present moment.
Ask yourself.
How do I want to use this time?
Inquiring into your own answer to this question.
There might be something you would like to digest over the day or last few days.
Something you want to integrate or get a better understanding of.
Notice what arises for you here and now.
I'll give you a few moments to set your intention.
And sense into the breath.
How the breath rises and falls.
And with each exhale.
Sink deeper and deeper.
Into the surface you're resting upon.
The breath even.
Smooth.
No jerks.
Flowing continuously.
No pauses between the inhales and exhales.
The breath flowing deep down into the belly.
And out into the sides of the ribcage.
And begin to sense this breath anchoring you to the ground.
Anchoring your body to the surface it's resting upon.
Anchoring yourself to the present moment.
And on each exhale notice all the points the body touches the ground.
Feet.
Legs.
Buttocks.
Back.
Arms.
The back of the hands on the earth.
The back of the head.
Feel the body become heavier and heavier.
Allow gravity to pull you into the earth.
And what does groundedness feel like in the body?
Words such as safe,
Secure,
Trusting yourself.
Where in the body do you feel grounded?
Anchored.
It could be where your body is resting on the surface.
Or an internal felt sense.
Notice the sensations of groundedness in the body.
And now imagine roots flowing from each point of your body down into the earth.
Flowing down deep into the darkness of the earth.
Roots that nurture and support you.
And notice what type of tree wants to merge up from the soil.
As you trace your way back upwards.
Is it an oak tree?
A palm tree?
Other fruit tree?
A weeping willow?
A tree wants to merge from the ground.
And allow it to merge.
Growing up from the soil.
Sturdy.
Strong.
With inner strength and purpose.
No thoughts of,
I'm not a good enough tree.
Or this branch isn't perfect enough.
Just grounded in the trust of the type of tree you are.
No comparison with the other trees.
No thoughts such as,
I wish I was a mango tree or an ash tree.
Acceptance of the tree just as it is.
And full trust in the knowledge of the DNA held of the tree you're growing into.
And as you hit a speed bump here and there.
Your root or branches find a new direction to expand and grow into.
Moving in all directions.
And when the wind blows.
The tree's trunk and branches bend.
They're flexible.
And notice what type of foliage is budding on the tree.
Leaves.
Flowers.
Fruit.
And what animals the tree attracts.
Bees.
Birds.
Insects.
Not denying any visitor to its branches.
And now as you lie here rooted in your tree form.
Notice how the seasons come and go.
Spring.
Winter.
And how each season brings a different internal and external environment.
No denying of the seasons.
Like different moods that arrive.
How everything is constantly changing.
Coming and going.
Yet the tree inside remains the tree.
Not broken when its leaves disappear.
Not worried about the future.
Not dwelling on the past.
Just allowing.
The darkness and coldness of the winter arrives.
Yet the tree has an inner source of strength to withstand it.
Knowing that the seasons change.
The weather of time comes and goes.
Yet the tree still stands solid in its roots.
And notice what's present now.
Scanning the body.
And visualize the rest of your day with this awareness or presence.
And begin to take several deeper breaths.
Bringing some gentle movement into the fingers and toes.
And slowly begin to reorientate yourself to the room.
Opening and closing your eyes a few times.
Coming back to your wide awake and alert state.
