Welcome to this Embrace the Tree standing meditation practice.
This practice will help to begin to support you to feel strong,
Rooted and connected with the earth.
Begin with your feet hip distance apart,
Your knees soft,
Your shoulders relaxed.
From here,
Allow your arms to float up so your wrists are at the height of your shoulders.
Let your fingers gently point towards each other,
Allowing the flow of Qi to connect from one palm to the other.
You may wish to visualize that your arms and your hands are embracing a tree as you do this.
Maintaining this rounded shape,
Gently align your pubic bone slightly,
Relaxing your tailbone down towards the earth.
This allows your lower back to be full.
And it enables smooth flow of Qi into your governing vessel and up into your brain,
Down along your conception vessel.
This entire loop of energy or circuit is known as your microcosmic orbit.
From here,
Exhale to relax your chest so it becomes a slightly curved shape.
And as you inhale,
Allow the crown of your head to lift slightly upwards towards the sky,
Gently tucking your chin inwards.
This aligns your cervical vertebrae of your neck and enhances the natural flow of Qi towards your brain.
With your next exhale,
Yield your weight down through your head,
Shoulders,
Hips,
Knees,
Ankles and all the way down to your toes underneath you where you can feel underneath the arches of your feet.
The kidney one meridian points your bubbling spring.
Inhaling,
Allowing the back of the crown of your head to lift slightly upwards towards the sky.
You may wish to allow your eyes to either stay open,
Holding a soft gaze on a point not moving,
Or if you prefer to keep your eyes closed,
Draw your awareness,
Your internal gaze inwards to the space between your eyebrows deep within your mind.
The space known as your crystal palace.
With every exhale,
Allow the weight of your body to yield towards the earth.
And with every inhale,
Allow the crown of your head,
The back of your head to grow towards the sky.
Allow your shoulders to be relaxed,
Elbows to be soft,
Arms as if embracing a tree.
Begin to feel that you are not just embracing the tree,
But you are a tree,
You are the tree itself.
Begin to hold this position,
Connecting with your breath.
We will stay here for about three to five more minutes in this position.
If you notice your mind wandering away,
Return to the visualization that you are embracing a tree.
Connect with the expansiveness as you breathe out of this rooting energy of the tree that allows you on inhale to grow,
Expand,
And extend upwards towards the sky.
Notice if any discomfort arises within the space that is your body.
And notice if this discomfort or any sensations pass or if they remain.
If this discomfort remains,
Allow your body to become softer,
Relaxing your shoulders,
Elbows,
Your wrists,
Even the joints of your fingers,
While maintaining your fingers,
Lengthening towards each other.
Soften your spine.
Feel your lower back full.
Feel your tailbone release like a plumb line towards the earth and allow your hips,
Your knees,
Your ankles to be soft.
Feel the base of your feet connected,
Rooted with the earth.
Feel the earth.
Know the earth.
Trust the earth.
Exhaling,
Allowing the weight of your body to release downwards through your roots from underneath you.
Inhaling,
Allow all of the spaces in your joints,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hips,
All the joints of your spine,
Your knees,
Your ankles to feel spacious,
Expansive and open.
If and when you begin to feel ready to conclude this standing meditation practice,
You may gently and slowly allow your arms to float downwards to the sides of your body.
Exhaling your arms to be by the sides of your body,
Your feet still connected to the earth,
Having any sensations around and inside your body.
If your eyes are closed,
You may gently and slowly begin to allow them to open.
From here,
Place one palm on top of the other on your lower energy centre,
Three fingers below your belly button.
This is your lower tan tian,
Your field of energy.
Allow a few moments here,
Breathing in and out to connect with your energy here.
Feel that you are connected,
Expansive,
Rooted and strong.
And when you feel ready to move,
Take this strength,
This rootedness,
This stability and expansive energy with you for the rest of the day.
