Take a few moments now to settle into a comfortable position with your body well supported.
If your eyes are still open,
Let your gaze soften and then gently close your eyes when you're ready.
This is your time,
Time to be fully present with yourself with no other demands on your mind and no need to hurry.
Bring your awareness to your breath,
Inhaling slowly and steadily and exhaling deep exhalation.
Each inhale gathers your focus into the present moment and each exhale allows your body to release to release anything that needs to be removed.
The weight of the day,
Thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions.
There's no need to force the rhythm,
Simply notice your breath and allow it to become a little deeper,
A little calmer as you rest there.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaw soften and your body sinks comfortably into the support beneath you.
You are safe,
You are held.
As you continue beautiful deep breaths with awareness,
Begin to bring your focus to the connection between your body and the earth.
Imagine that the soles of your feet or the base of your spine,
If you're lying down,
Are gently opening to connect with the ground,
The earth beneath you.
From these points of contact,
Sense long steady roots growing outwards and downwards.
These roots extend into the earth,
Weaving their way through layers of soil and rock,
Finding their way deeper and deeper with each breath.
Allow these roots to travel as far as they need to go,
Anchoring you to the steady nourishing presence of the earth.
You may wish to imagine the roots glowing with light or pulsating gently with energy,
Alive and responsive.
Notice how it feels to have this connection beneath you,
A line of strength and stability that holds you steady no matter what is happening above the surface of your life.
Now begin to sense the earth's energy rising up through these roots.
This energy is ancient,
Grounding and deeply supportive.
It carries the qualities of resilience,
Patience and balance.
Imagine this earthy current flowing upwards into your feet,
Your legs and into your hips.
With each breath,
Feel your lower body becoming heavier,
Calmer,
More grounded,
Stable,
As if you were being filled with the strength of stone and the steadiness of deep and ancient tree roots.
Bring this earthy current further upward into your abdomen and chest,
Allow it to spread into your back and shoulders,
Filling your whole torso with grounded strength.
Feel the nourishment and steadiness rising into your arms and hands and then upward into your neck and head.
With every inhale,
You are drawing in the earth's steadying presence and with every exhale you're letting go of tension,
Distraction or anything that pulls you away from balance.
Notice how your spine feels,
Imagine it as the trunk of a great tree,
Rising up from your roots below into the space above you.
It's strong,
Upright and steady,
Holding you in balance between the earth and the sky.
With your spine aligned,
Feel how the rest of your body can relax and soften,
Knowing it's well supported.
Gently lift your awareness to the crown of your head,
Visualize a soft radiant light above you,
The clear expansive energy of the sky and of the pure consciousness.
Allow this light to flow down through the top of your head,
Entering your body like a gentle waterfall of clarity.
It enters your mind,
Quieting thoughts and clearing away mental clutter.
It flows down into your throat,
Creating a space for clear and authentic expression.
It softens into your heart,
Filling you with compassion and a sense of presence.
And it continues downward,
Moving through your whole body,
Until it meets the grounded energy rising from the earth.
Take a few breaths here,
Sensing these two energies,
The nourishing strength of the earth rising up and the clear expansive light of the sky descending.
They meet and blend within your heart,
Forming a calm,
Centered presence at your core.
This is the place where you're balanced,
Connected and whole.
Rest for a while in this heart-centered space.
Notice how it feels to be simultaneously anchored below and uplifted above,
Your energy and body steady and harmonious.
If your mind wanders,
Gently guide it back to the rhythm of your breath and the sense of rooted light flowing through you.
You're like a bridge between the earth and the sky,
Stable,
Present and alive.
Now begin to expand your awareness to include the space around your whole body,
Your energetic field.
Sense how the combination of earth and sky energy brings calm and clarity into this field.
Imagine your aura smoothing,
Brightening and gently expanding to form a clear,
Soft boundary around you.
Within this space,
Your energy is your own.
You are safe,
Steady and centered.
Nothing heavy or chaotic needs to enter here.
You might notice colors,
Sensations or simply a feeling of calm.
Trust your own experience.
Your field knows how to reorganize itself when you're grounded and centered.
Allow it to come into balance like a lake becoming still after a ripple,
Or like a lantern glowing steadily once the wind has passed.
Silently affirm to yourself,
I am grounded.
I am centered.
My energy is calm and clear.
I belong to myself.
I am safe in my own energy field.
Repeat these words slowly,
Letting them sink into your body and aura with each exhale.
I am grounded.
I am centered.
My energy is calm and clear.
I belong to myself.
I am safe in my own energy field.
I am grounded.
I am centered.
My energy is beautifully calm and clear.
I belong to myself.
I'm safe in my own energy field.
Stay with this awareness for a few more breaths.
Feeling the strength and the stability of your grounding roots.
The clarity of the light above.
The calm presence in your heart.
The calm presence.
Revel in this state of being.
Feel it flood your body and remember that it's always available to you.
Grounding and centering are not only practices for meditation,
But ways of living in daily life.
Each time you pause to connect with your breath,
Feel your feet on the earth or notice your energy.
You're strengthening this steady foundation.
So when you're ready to return,
Begin to bring your awareness back to your physical body.
Notice the support beneath you.
Feel the weight of your feet,
The rest of your body,
The air moving in and out of your lungs.
Slowly wriggle your fingers and toes.
Gently reawaken the body.
Take one more full breath in,
Filling yourself with light and stability,
And then exhale with a nice big sigh,
Releasing any last traces of heaviness.
When it feels right,
Open your eyes,
Bringing with you calm,
Grounded presence that you've cultivated in this meditation.
Carry this steadiness into whatever comes next,
Knowing that you can return to this practice whenever you need to realign and reconnect with your center.
Welcome back.
