Standing Tree Meditation

This is a beautiful and restorative meditation that guides you to embody the strength, resilience, and beauty of a tree. You truly connect with nature and finish feeling strong and full of life. Tree meditations are powerful and great medicine. Even better when done outdoors.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Michael from Pure Turtle and welcome to this standing guided meditation.

This meditation can be done anywhere but I recommend doing it outside,

Standing barefoot on the earth.

Please only listen to this meditation in a safe environment and never when operating machinery.

To begin I'd like to invite you to remove your shoes and your socks if you haven't already and find a place to stand.

If you are outdoors turn to face the sun but never look directly at it,

Just allow its rays to warm your face,

Widening your stance a little so your feet are no closer than shoulder width apart to create a strong and stable base.

These are your roots and need to hold you up so we need to make sure that they are solid.

I'd like you to really feel the ground beneath your feet and bringing your attention to your weight,

Is it on your heels or on your toes?

If it is more one way or the other then gently rock back and forth to find the balanced middle ground so your weight is spread evenly to give you a firm standing.

And weight distribution from heel to toe.

Allow yourself to become aware of gravity pulling you towards the earth,

Feel it pulling you down making that base firm and stable,

Resting your arms by your side,

Not loose and dangling but held nicely just off your hips so there is a tiny amount of tension in your muscles,

Relaxing your shoulders,

Your back straight,

With your head level and eyes looking forward with a gentle gaze.

When you feel comfortable and stable gently close your eyes,

If you find yourself losing balance adjust your stance to compensate,

Sometimes it can take a minute to find your centre but if you really struggle then keep your eyes open and softly focus on one point directly ahead of you level with your eyes.

Now begin to take a few deep breaths in and out,

Lightening your chest making it soft and airy,

Each breath coming to you easier and easier,

Your lungs filling fully and freely,

And with each breath finding the pause at the bottom of your out breath,

Remembering to enjoy your time in that pause,

Being aware of the stillness,

The peace,

The comfort.

Starting to breathe like this for a minute now,

Inhaling fully and exhaling long and shining to the pause with every breath.

And now allowing your breath to return to a natural comfortable rhythm I'd like you to picture in your mind a tree,

You can pick any type of tree you like,

You could pick an oak tree in a forest in England or a coconut tree on a beach in the tropics,

A redwood in Canada or even a Christmas tree,

Whichever feels right to you,

Any tree you feel a connection with,

And I'd like you to picture yourself as one of those trees in the environment you have chosen,

The forest,

The beach,

Wherever that may be.

I'd like you to feel the soil beneath you and notice your fellow trees around you,

Bringing your attention to your feet,

I'd like you to tune in to the connection you have with the ground,

Is it warm or cold where you are,

Is the ground hard or soft,

Is it wet or dry,

Concentrating on those feelings I'd like you to imagine your feet as your roots,

Feeling gravity pulling you down,

I'd like you to grow your roots out into the ground,

Gently pushing them deeper,

Feeling them growing and digging deep into the earth,

Growing out from your position in all directions into the soil,

You feel them expand,

And as they grow you feel them holding you tighter to the ground,

That base can be stronger and stronger,

And as that base gets firmer you find you are more stable,

You can stand taller and grow higher,

With your base now firmly locked in place,

We are going to begin to grow,

For this you will need energy,

So I'd like you to imagine your roots drawing up energy from the earth beneath you,

Water,

Minerals,

Vitamins and nutrients,

All flowing up the roots into your feet,

You could imagine it as a white light travelling up the roots into the base of your legs,

Follow that energy up your legs,

Feel your muscles responding to that energy,

Making your legs warm as it builds,

Making you strong,

Making you grow taller,

Flowing up over your knees and thighs up to your hips and your waist,

Making your base solid and secure,

The energy builds and your skin tingles with warm energy radiating from your roots to the surface of your skin,

Your muscles responding to the energy making you grow taller,

Taller than all the trees around you,

Energy flowing up through your stomach,

Making your trunk,

Your core strong,

Straightening your back,

Flowing up your chest and over your shoulders,

Giving you the strength to breathe deeply,

Allowing more air into your lungs,

Growing taller still,

You stand proud and true,

The energy flowing to your branches,

Your arms,

To your fingertips and up to the top of your head,

Your tree is now strong and tall,

Growing so high you stand proud of all the trees that surround you,

You feel the sun warming your leaves and you draw in that warmth and energy,

Breathing long and slow as a tree would,

In and out,

In and out.

I'd like to invite you now to spend some time as your tree,

Slowly breathing and idly watching the world around you,

Feeling the wind blow through your leaves,

You might feel yourself move with the wind but not break to it,

You watch the clouds drift over here gently,

Birds circling above,

Singing to each other as they hunt for food and you spend a few minutes as your tree watching the world go by,

Animals foraging at your roots,

Day turning into night,

And nights breaking into a beautiful dawn sunrise over the trees,

If your mind wanders away from your tree then gently bring yourself back,

Letting go of any unwanted thoughts and returning to spending time watching the world from the top of your tree.

If you feel yourself tiring don't forget you can draw more energy from your roots and down giving you the strength to continue.

As you watch the world passing you by,

Be aware of the passage of time,

Weeks or seasons might change,

All the time a tree is strong and roots are stable as you draw the energy up from the earth,

Through the spring,

The summer,

Through autumn and winter,

Enjoy the sensations and changing seasons.

Drawing more energy up through the earth,

Behind your breath becomes lighter,

The more powerful,

The easier,

And deeper your lungs easily filling with oxygen,

Powering your muscles,

Making you feel strong and confident.

And now,

I'd like you to bring me back to the surface.

Bring your attention back to your own body,

Allowing the tree to remain where it is.

I'd like you to take a moment to feel the energy restored from the earth in your body.

Allow its positive energy to flow through you,

Lifting your mood,

Giving you confidence and appreciation all around you.

Then gently start to move your muscles,

Wiggling your fingers and your toes,

Rolling your shoulders.

And when you are ready,

Gently bring yourself back to full awareness,

Knowing that this energy will sustain you for a long time.

And also,

That you can return to your tree anytime you like,

To enjoy the peace and recharge your body and mind.

And when you are ready,

Gently open your eyes.

And now,

I'd like you to bring me back to the surface.

And now,

I'd like you to bring me back to the surface.

And now,

I'd like you to bring me back to the surface.

And now,

I'd like you to bring me back to the surface.