Hello,
My name is Kasia Merfet and today I'm going to share with you a tree meditation which was adapted from Kenneth Cohen's book The Way of Qigong.
I like to do this practice outside,
Either sitting or standing.
Just make sure you are standing in front of a healthy looking tree.
But you can also use your imagination to visualize a tree in your mind.
Let's begin.
Approach a tree respectfully like you would a wise elder.
Mentally ask tree for a permission to connect with its healing energy.
Stand a few feet away from the tree and close your eyes.
Feel the presence of the tree and become aware of any sounds around you.
Firstly,
Acknowledge the most obvious sounds.
The sound of my voice,
Perhaps the birds singing.
Now shift your awareness towards more subtle sounds.
Your breath or beating of your own heart.
Now place your awareness in your feet.
Feel them making the contact with the ground beneath you.
You can spread your toes and gently bend your knees.
Relax your hands,
Your shoulders,
Your neck.
Soften the face and unclench the jaw.
Feel your entire body relaxed and at ease in the presence of the tree.
Now become aware of your breath.
Inhale gently through the nose,
Feeling the healing chi enter your nostrils.
Exhale slowly releasing any stagnation.
Feel it release in the ground like the compost.
We will stay here for a few moments.
Now you are going to start circulating the chi between yourself and the tree.
Inhale drawing the tree chi up your feet,
Moving through your entire body.
As the chi leaves the crown of your head,
Imagine it traveling to the tree and being absorbed by its branches.
And then it moves down through the trunk.
As the chi exits through the roots,
It begins to circulate back to your body.
Inhale it through your feet.
And allow it for it to travel up all the way to the crown of your head before it's being released back to the tree.
Continue breathing this way for a few rounds.
Now we are going to reverse the circuit.
As you inhale,
Absorb the chi through the crown of your head and move it down towards your feet.
As the chi exits your feet,
Imagine the tree absorbing it through its roots and rising up like a sap towards the trunk.
See it travel through the branches and leaves before it moves towards your head again.
Allow the chi to travel through your body and move towards your feet.
And as you exhale,
Let the tree absorb your chi through the roots.
Let's continue breathing this way for a few rounds.
Let go of the practice and notice how you are feeling.
Perhaps like a tree itself,
You are feeling more rooted and grounded.
Finish by making a deep bow towards the tree and give thanks for sharing the practice.
I wish you a beautiful day and I'll see you again sometime.
You
