Elements Meditation - Live- 32 Minutes

This practice, recorded live, guides you through an exploration of the Elements and a reflection of their presence both within and external to the body. The practice will take you on a journey through the elements of earth, water, fire, air and space.

Transcript

So allow yourself to settle into your position of choice. If you're laying down, You can have your arms resting by your sides or hands resting to the front of your body. If you're in a seated position, Rest your hands where it feels comfortable. In your lap. So it can be palms down or palms up. You could have your hands resting together. And just follow what feels settling for you right now. And then gently close down your eyes or you can simply drop your gaze down the tip of your nose and allow your gaze to blur a little. If you're in a seat, Be sure you're seated nice and tall, Extending through your spine. And if you're laying down, Be sure your head is resting nice and heavy into the ground so your neck can let go. And then let's take a deep breath in through the nose. Through your mouth, Let it go. Again, Like that, Big breath in. Let that go. One more time, Deep inhale. Sigh it out if you like. And then just seal your lips and allow your breath to move easily on its own. Bring all of your awareness now to your ears and your sense of hearing. Actively opening up your sense of hearing to welcome in all of the sounds that you can discover right now. You can notice sounds that are off in the distance. Some closer towards us. And acknowledge the nature of these sounds is to come and go. And then having welcomed all of those sounds, It becomes easier to let them go. So now actively gather them up and allow them just to drift off into the background. Bring your awareness now to your breathing, Either at your nostrils or at your belly, Coming into a real one-pointed focus on your breath and making a fiery effort now. To focus only on breathing and allow everything else to fall away. And as you focus just on breath. It might be helpful to use some words to label your breathing. So you could label your breath as breathing in and breathing out. Or if your focus is at your belly, You could label your breath as rising and falling. And know that these moments here focusing just on breath. Are an opportunity to. Kind of flex and warm up that muscle of concentration. So a few more moments just with your breath. And then from that, Focused awareness on breath. Expand your awareness now to take in your whole body. Sense your whole body in space. And as you welcome your whole body into your awareness, If you notice any areas of tension, You're welcome to take a moment to encourage those areas to soften. To let go. Notice how it feels to be seated or laying down right now. And then from that awareness of your whole body. Start to focus in on the weight of your body and the parts of your body that touch the ground. As we begin to explore the element of Earth. So you can notice this physical sensation of weight, Of heaviness, Perhaps even a physical sensation of grounding as you notice those parts of your body that touch the ground. And then along with that, Awareness of physical sensation. We can reflect on the presence of this earth element throughout the body. So from a physical point of view. We have elements from the periodic table like iron. Carbon. Calcium and other minerals. These earth-like elements present throughout your body. And then alongside the physical presence of the earth element. We have this more. Metaphorical and symbolic presence of the earth element. So you can reflect on how this shows up for you. You may reflect on qualities like loyalty. Steadfastness. Perhaps a sense of remaining grounded and focused. And these elements do show up uniquely for everyone. If different ideas come into your mind, Take the moment to welcome them. And to reflect. You may also. Take a moment to reflect on what happens when the Earth element is overly present. Maybe we have a sense of digging our heels in. Or being stubborn. Or perhaps we have a physical sensation of heaviness. So what does that earth element look like for you? And now letting that go, Shift your awareness external to your body. Reflect on the presence of the floor in this room, The walls, The bolsters, All of these solid elements that represent the earth here. Outside of the room, We have the actual earth, The dirt. Amongst that earth is. Roots of trees, Other plants. And within that earth. There's a plethora of elements like iron. Carbon. Calcium and other minerals. On reflecting on this element of earth in nature. I can notice how so much of the world is connected to Earth. Embedded in Earth. And then with that awareness of the earth element external to your body. Take some time now to reflect on the relationship between the Earth element internally and externally. You may discover just how much overlap there is, Especially in terms of physical elements. And are there aspects of the earth element external to your body? That reflect ideas back to you about how it shows up for you internally. And then letting that go, Come back to an awareness of your body. And begin to be aware of any areas of moisture. As we begin to explore the elements of water. You may feel some moisture on your skin. Or inside your mouth, For example. Than deeper inside your body. There's a whole lot of fluid, A whole lot of water. This physical element of H2O, Hydrogen and oxygen. Abundantly present in your physical body. The water is the medium that allows for. . . Thousands of chemical reactions. That also allows for electrical signals through your nervous system. This medium of water. In some ways very much a connector. You may reflect on. The blood moving through your veins, Arteries. Another system of fluid in the body being the lymphatic system. The fluid that moves through the body helping to flush out. Waste. A cleansing. Action. And along with that physical presence of water. How does the symbolic presence of water show up? May think of things like going with the flow. Water consistently finds the path of least resistance. So you may reflect on. The nature of being easygoing. And then what might happen if that water element becomes too present? Can we tumble? And then how might that water element be balanced by the earth element? And then letting go of that internal awareness of water. Shift your awareness externally. And reflect on the presence of water in our external environment. You may reflect on bodies of water. Mary Creek nearby. There's also the cycle of water, Constantly moving and changing forms. And reflect on how a heavy rain acts as a cleanser for the air. And for the streets. The physical presence of water is all around. Then take a few moments to reflect on the relationship between this water element internally and externally. Where do you see a mirror, A reflection? Are there aspects that you can recognize externally? That might be helpful to reflect internally. And then letting that go, Come back to your body. Now focusing in on any areas of warmth, Heat. This is the fire element. Within our bodies there are. Thousands of chemical reactions. Happening constantly. The breaking down of food in our digestive system. The burning of oxygen as fuel for our muscles. Many of these chemical reactions produce heat, Release heat. This is your internal fire. Those chemical reactions being the physical presence of fire. And then what might the symbolic side of fire look like for you? Fiery motivation. A drive to get things done. Perhaps a fiery passion in relationships, Friendships. Perhaps an argumentative fire shows up for you sometimes. And in reflecting on these elements. There's always an awareness of balance. How might the fire element for you? Be present and balanced and informed by water and earth. And then shifting awareness external to your body. We have the ever-present fire of the sun. The fire of the sun. Providing energy. For a whole planet. How the fire of the sun. Reaches the leaves of plants and through a chemical reaction. Is turned into fuel and food. There's also an ever-present awareness of fire in our environments. How bushfire has the ability to be both destructive and to bring renewal, Rebirth. And then are there ways that you can reflect the fire element internally and externally? In a way that informs your understanding. That informs your experience of this element. You And then letting that go. Bring your awareness back to your body and specifically to your breath now. Noticing the element of air moving in and out of your lungs. Yeah, As you inhale, You absorb oxygen molecules from the air. These molecules are absorbed into your bloodstream and move around your body to fuel movement of your muscles. The air element, Very. Closely related to fire. It's our fuel. And after that, Oxygen is used by our muscles. One of the waste products is carbon dioxide. Which then moves through our bloodstream and back to our lungs to be expelled with an exhale. Within the element of air, There is a constant presence of movement and of change. And within that sense of the air element. How might it show up for you in your actions in this more symbolic sense? Elements of air often. Seen as this element of being spontaneous. Excitable. Open to change. If it becomes too present. You might find that a sense of flightiness shows up. And as always. This element of air is so closely related to fire, To water, To earth, As they all strive for balance. And then shifting your awareness external to your body. In our environment air is ever-present. And in our natural surroundings. We have plants and trees. That breathe the opposite way to us. They're absorbing our waste, Which is carbon dioxide. And expelling our fuel, Which is oxygen, Cleansing the air for us. These same molecules are in constant exchange. And have been for. Millions of years. In our environment, We also experience the elements of air through wind. On a hot day, A light breeze is quite refreshing. In a different environment, Very strong wind. Can have a very different effect, A very different. Experience. The wind also has the power to change landscapes. This element of air. Which is ever-present, Is very, Very powerful. And how might that element of air be reflected internally and externally? And then letting that go, Coming back to your body once again. As we begin to reflect on the fifth element of space. Within your body. You have a sensation of being physically solid. When we break down the body into atoms, Each atom is mostly empty space. Your body that seems so solid is mostly empty space. It's within this space that all of the other elements can even exist. And simply expanding from your body to notice the space around you. The air is also almost completely empty space. The floor is also almost completely empty space. Everything around you is made up of atoms and is mostly empty space. Allow yourself to zoom out. Keep zooming out. Our planet. Is mostly empty space. Floating through empty space. This vast universe. So much space. The space providing the potential. For everything else to exist. And within all of that space, Everything is atoms. Including your body is atoms. Simply within space. And within that sense of space. Might you notice the smallest movement. Welcoming. Again, The element of air. Wherever there is movement, There is friction creating heat. Returning to the element of fire. Wherever there is heat, There is condensation. Returning to the element of water. Water will always pool to the lowest point. Returning to Earth. And now letting all of that go. Just sense your whole body once again. Sense your body as a whole. The breath in your body. And start to welcome. The area around you. Perhaps welcoming the sounds once again. Or visualizing the room around you. And when you feel that you are fully present. Take your time. And you can gently blink open your eyes and move around however you need.