Meditation,
Medication,
Part 1 of 3,
Grounding for Anxiety or Overwhelm.
This is the first in a set of three meditations inspired by the Ayurvedic system of medicine,
Which uses the qualities of the elements to help balance our physical,
Mental,
And spiritual selves.
We start today with a grounding meditation to help you find calm if you're feeling anxious,
Overwhelmed,
Or like your energy is split in too many different places.
This meditation balances what's called vata dosha in Ayurveda,
An excess of the air element.
Please find a comfortable supported seat for this meditation.
You may like to sit on a cushion or on a chair,
And it's totally appropriate to have support for your back for this one.
Place your palms face down on your lap.
If you like,
You can tuck your first fingernail into your thumb pad,
A reassuring mudra called gyan.
Close your eyes or let your gaze rest gently down on the floor in front of you.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale out your mouth.
Please do this two more times,
Drawing your breath deeply down into your abdomen and releasing it on the exhale.
With that exhale,
Letting go of anything that's not here and now.
As you're ready,
Close the lips and continue to breathe in and out through your nose.
Now take a moment to consider the earth below you.
Notice the parts of your body that are touching the chair with a cushion underneath you.
Feel the way the earth rises up to meet your body,
Supporting you completely.
Notice the heaviness of your hands in your lap.
Allow your shoulders to soften into the gentle pull of gravity.
Now bring your awareness into the bowl of your pelvis,
Right down to the pelvic floor.
In chakra theory,
This is your root chakra,
The energy center that has to do with grounding,
Home and your physical body.
See if you can relax this area.
Let your stomach muscles soften a little bit more and see if you can feel the breath moving low into your body,
Below the belly button.
If you'd like to feel this a little more sensitively,
Perhaps place your hand there,
Just under your belly button.
Notice how it feels to allow the breath to drop.
Imagine that the energy in your body is slowing down a little bit with your breath.
There is a gentle rise and fall,
But the energy is moving downward,
Through the hands,
Into the earth,
Through the root,
The pelvic floor,
Into the earth below you.
Imagine offering up any stress,
Any extra thoughts,
Any worries,
Into the earth as a part of this flowing energy.
The earth has the amazing ability to hold whatever you give her and transform it into something else.
Feel the way that you are always already connected to the earth below you.
Allow the energy that's flowing downwards to become like roots,
Connecting to the earth below,
Offering up what you do not need,
And creating the possibility of nourishing your body,
Mind and heart with the earth energy that can rise up through these roots into you.
Feel the strong and healthy roots connecting into the earth.
As you do,
Imagine your body as a tree,
Solid and rooted,
A deep supportive base.
Your body strong and solid,
Steady,
But flexible like healthy wood,
Able to move and respond to the winds of life and stay steady and connected to its home.
Consider what type of a tree you might be,
Your size and height,
The texture of your bark,
How long your branches are.
Do you have leaves?
What color are they?
Explore your inner experience as a tree rooted to the earth below you.
Allow the exchange of energy between you and the earth to continue with the rise and fall of your breath,
Releasing what you do not need,
Receiving nourishment from the earth below you.
Take a moment to come back to your body as it is.
Allow the spirit of the tree to stay present with you as a part of who you are,
Have always been and will always be.
Slide your thumbs across your four other fingers to gently return to your body in the room.
Allow your breath to deepen slightly,
Letting your body stay relaxed and grounded.
As you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
You may bring your hands together in front of your heart here and gently bow your mind to your hands,
The earth,
And your inner self as a tree.
Thank you for your practice.
