Grounding In Heart Awareness

In this calming 22-minute meditation, ground your body awareness in a nonjudgmental compassionate way. From this place of being grounded and centered, you will explore the innate knowledge of your wisest self. The meditation will also include some visualization and messages of loving kindness.

Transcript

Welcome to this meditation,

Grounding the Heart Awareness,

By Carrie Kasich.

Begin by finding your breath.

You may want to count four in and four out so that the beginning breaths are the same length.

Cleaning and cleansing your body,

Relaxing your nervous system.

Feel the sensation of the breath coming into your body.

Imagine yourself surrendering to the in-breath.

What does that feel like?

And now take your awareness outside of your body just a little bit and observe what it feels like to allow your breath just to come and go.

To observe your body breathing itself as if you're watching the ocean waves or a river from the shore.

This breath,

Just the way it is,

Can be an anchor at any time in this meditation.

If your attention wanders and it will,

That's part of the the journey of meditation.

Just practice with a kind attention,

Bringing it back to this space of the breath.

And then when you're ready,

You can tune into the words of this meditation again at any time.

Even if that's what you practice over and over,

That is the practice.

Now let's begin to ground ourselves in our body.

So bring that attention down into our felt senses.

Become more present to noticing any pressure or change in temperature,

Any tightness.

You might even want to bring an awareness to that tightness.

You can even whisper calm or ease as you do that to allow compassion to come into this meditation.

Again,

Noticing your body like the ocean or river,

Feeling a steadiness and an ease with which to observe.

If it helps,

You can put a slight smile on your lips and noticing the energy in the palms of your hands.

Feel that energy flowing up your wrist,

Your lower arm,

Into your shoulders and your heart space,

Up your body,

Your face,

The top of your head,

And down all the way through your feet into the ground.

You might follow that life energy as we first begin to ground our body by finding its length,

Almost elongating it.

So we can start at the feet and feeling our feet in contact with the ground beneath us and rising that attention up our legs,

Our hip and our spine.

And as we do,

Imagine that you are lengthening as you go,

Feeling your vertebrae moving up,

Stretching up,

Your shoulders rolling back,

Your neck elongating,

That lengthening rising through the top of your head and out into the air above your head,

The ceiling and beyond,

While also settling down your legs and feet and into the earth and beyond.

And as that frame elongates,

Feel yourself relaxing and settling into that frame,

Your cheeks and jaw relaxing,

Your shoulders.

Feel that sensation of the length of your body and the relaxation of the tissues as it settles into its own innate dignity.

You might want to continue to whisper the words calm and ease as you feel this dignity of your body,

This relaxation and energy playing out.

And as we keep that tension,

We're going to shift our attention to our sides,

The side body from the sides of our feet all the way up to the sides of our head and engage that awareness.

You can almost feel the prickle of energy as the awareness moves beyond the body as we widen into the air.

You can feel the coolness of the air as we stretch and widen and keep widening ourself until we fill the room or the space that we're standing in.

Move beyond any walls or fences or barriers.

Imagine yourself just widening your shoulder blades,

Stretching out on both sides like wings.

If it helps,

You can even let your arms go out wide and just notice,

Is this sensation familiar or is it new?

Does it feel safe or vulnerable?

Do you feel connected with the world around you or is it fighting boundaries that you normally have in place?

Without any judgment,

Just notice these sensations as your chest widens out,

Your arms,

Your hips and from here keeping our body wide and our spine long,

Shift the attention to the back body.

Feeling the back of your head and neck,

Your shoulders now,

Bringing that attention around almost to the center of your shoulder blades,

Back all the way down to the backs of your heels.

What does that feel like?

What happens if you begin to bring that awareness,

Stretching that body back behind you to the chair or wall,

The path you walked to get to where you are now,

The events of today,

Of yesterday,

Your childhood,

All your lived experiences and the lived experiences of your family,

Your loved ones,

Your friends,

Your ancestors.

Imagine your ancestors,

Those who are benevolent and those who are not,

Those who have been victims and victimizers,

Those who have just lived good solid lives.

Imagine them all stretched out behind you,

Looking at you.

Three billion years of evolutionary wisdom at your back and from this place of awareness,

Make your back a little more open to invite in just those who have had your back,

Who have held you in your life.

Lean into them and imagine them just holding you.

Mentors,

Loved ones,

Friends,

Teachers.

Allow yourself to just settle back there.

Notice what it feels like to rest knowing that all of these people have you,

Not just those you know,

But those you don't know,

Like your ancestors.

Now bring that awareness to the front,

To your belly,

To your chest,

To the front of your neck,

Your face,

Down your hips and knees,

To the tops of your toes.

Begin to stretch that awareness out beyond your body into the cool air in front of you.

Bringing that attention out to the walls beyond,

Imagining whatever is in front of you,

Imagining that attention moving beyond trees to the sky,

Filling that blue sky.

All of it,

Your hopes,

Your future,

Possibility,

Just in front of you.

Feel your heart space opening to that.

Feel your body opening to that possibility,

To that future in front of you,

All the while resting in the comfort of those who have you from the past and that connection of your with and the dignity of your body stretched to the top of your head.

Feel the energy of that as you slowly take your left hand and place it on your belly and your right hand goes to your heart.

Feel the center space holding all of the past and the community in the future,

The dignity of your being held into this space between your two hands and notice any calm or steadiness or ease or peace that arises and just rest.

Take that pressure of your right hand on your heart and press a little bit stronger on your heart.

Feel the heat rising from your hand into your body or your body into your hand,

That contact space permeating all of you with real curiosity and real compassion.

How is it to feel this genuine care coming from you to rest in this love?

If it helps,

You can bring to mind someone that has offered this kind of love to you.

It could be a loved one or a loving presence or energy,

A spiritual being or even a pet.

Imagine that being right there with you,

Hand on heart,

Filling you with this calm,

Steady,

Peaceful compassion.

What does it feel like in your body?

What sensations,

What moods rise as you come into contact with what really matters,

What you really care about?

And from this place that's deeply at the center of all of your life,

I want you to pay attention to what rises in you as I ask this question.

What does your wisest self want you to know?

Now pay attention to whatever rises with that question.

It could be words or sensation or colors.

Stay here and listen to your body.

What is it that your wisest self wants you to know?

If it helps,

You can imagine that kind presence alongside you,

Helping you to take in this message.

Is there something that you may need to shift or change,

Cultivate or heal?

Or perhaps your wisest self is asking you just to trust?

Whatever that message is,

Try to listen with your body and stay in that grounded place.

As I repeat words of love and kindness,

You can quietly repeat the words yourself.

You can just keep your hands on your belly and your heart and listen in.

Whatever works best for you.

May I be free and happy.

May I trust my inner resources.

May I experience the world from a place of healing and love.

May I stay calm and grounded and at ease.

May I wish all beings contentment.

May I be free.

May I be happy.

Perhaps you have some other words you'd like to offer to yourself right now.

Resting in the calm ease of this moment.

And now slowly return your attention to your breath.

You can release your hands and place them on your lap or the chair.

And as you do,

Notice the sensations of warmth inside your hands and the coolness of the surface of your hands.

And follow this to an awareness of what is around you right now.

I wish you much peace as you engage fully with your day.

And if anything came to you that you want to jot down,

Take the time before starting off into your day.

Thanks for meditating with me.