In this practice,
We will find a spot outside,
In a park or a garden or near a tree,
A beautiful plant or a stream or lake,
Anywhere outside that we feel connected to or drawn to.
We will spend time exploring what attracts us in that place and see what comes up as we spend time there alone for a little while.
We will approach this special place in silence.
Before we sit or stand in that spot,
We will ask permission of that place if we can be there.
We will listen quietly to feel nature's answer.
If we feel it is a yes,
We can settle ourselves there.
If we feel it is a no,
We will move on and find another spot,
Again requesting permission.
Some of the things that children and adults have shared as representing a yes answer for them are a soft breeze,
The song of a bird,
Or a warm feeling in their chest.
Some have shared that they feel a no when they heard a sharp or sudden sound or had an uncomfortable physical feeling,
Like getting stung by nettles or caught on thorns.
Nature sometimes gives us a no because the area is not safe for us or something in that place needs protection.
There are no right or wrong experiences.
Just go with what you feel and use your intuition.
So take some time now to find your spot and request permission to be there.
Give yourself enough time to find a place where you feel it's okay to be.
Feel free to press the pause button anytime until you are ready to continue with the meditation.
Settle yourself in a comfortable position,
Either sitting or standing in the spot you have chosen and received permission to be in.
You could also lie down.
Breathe deeply in and out a few times.
Guess what it feels like for you to be in this spot.
What was it that attracted you to this spot?
Look around you.
What colors do you see?
What sounds do you hear?
Are there any smells that you're aware of?
What is the temperature like?
Cool or warm?
Is the air around you humid,
Dry,
Windy,
Balmy?
What is the ground like beneath you?
Hard or soft or something else?
What kind of things are around you?
Are there trees,
Grass,
Animals,
Birds,
Bushes,
Rocks,
Sand,
Water,
Other things?
What do you feel inside you being in this spot?
Is there something you are drawn to do there?
Do you want to change your position to relax more or perhaps look at something more closely?
Or maybe close your eyes and just listen to the sounds around you.
Whatever you are drawn to do,
Give yourself time and space to do it.
Notice something that you find beautiful around you,
A sound,
A smell,
Or something you're looking at.
Know that what you find beautiful outside of you is also inside you.
Feel that you are a part of this spot and that it is a part of you.
Let yourself be held by this special spot of the earth.
Let the earth hold you and care for you.
Let the earth know you also want to care for her and protect her.
Breathe deeply in and out a few times.
Now close your eyes and let your whole body relax.
Ask this special spot you have chosen if it has anything to tell you,
Any message or something it wants you to know or experience.
Open yourself to listen with your whole body.
Messages can come in many forms,
Sometimes with words,
But sometimes with a feeling or sound or smell or something else.
Be open to whatever arises.
Take a few more moments to quietly enjoy your spot.
When you are ready,
Thank this place for welcoming you and say goodbye as you leave.
So you have just spent some time being aware of and connecting with nature,
With Mother Earth.
We can learn so much from her.
It can be helpful and interesting to visit the same place in nature each day.
It could be a place in a park or the school playground or your backyard or even just near a plant.
Go there every day and notice how each day that place is a little different,
Just as each day you are a little different.
Spending time like this in nature helps to build awareness of nature and to cultivate respect for nature.
Asking permission and listening to what nature wants helps us recognize that we are part of nature and not the masters of it.
Have a wonderful day today and enjoy being with the Earth today.
