I Am Rooted But I Flow

Using Virginia Woolf's quote "I am rooted, but I flow," we explore the contradiction of being grounded and flowing in order to increase creative flow, focus, and resilience. This practice is meant to train you in working with the uncertainties of the creative life, be it on the page or out of the writer's seat. Using this quote as part affirmation, part mantra, as well as working with the concept of being grounded despite the whirling of our minds, we work toward finding creative equanimity.

Transcript

For today's meditation practice,

We'll be working with Virginia Woolf's quote,

I am rooted but I flow.

I recommend practicing today by either sitting in a chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground,

Ideally barefoot or with socks.

Or alternatively,

You can do this practice standing.

Wherever you are,

Take a moment just to arrive in the space.

Allow your eyes to gently close,

Roll your shoulders back,

Find a comfortable seat or if you're standing,

A comfortable posture.

And we're going to start by taking three nice deep breaths.

Inhaling through the nose,

Exhaling through the mouth.

So as you breathe in,

Really allow the air to refresh you,

To bring in a sense of ease and arrival.

Taking in a nice deep breath in through the nose.

And exhaling any tension in the body out through the mouth as audibly as you wish.

Let's do that one more time in through the nose,

Breathing in ease,

A sense of flow.

And exhaling out,

Do this on a nice audible sigh.

Really inviting in a sense of ease and relaxation.

And not allowing anything that's tense or stressful to create a sense of tightness within us.

We're really welcoming that looseness of flow.

So last breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Settling into your posture for today,

Whatever you've chosen.

Sensing any places in the body of tension,

Especially noticing tension around the mouth,

The forehead,

The shoulders.

So getting comfortable,

Accepting wherever you are today,

Allowing whatever's in the space to be here.

It's part of bringing in that sense of ease and flow is to not enact resistance.

But instead to find that loose space where whatever is here is welcome and we're moving with it.

We are rooted but we flow.

So as you settle into your posture,

Really try to find a place of regal composure.

Imagining a string attached to the crown of your head gently tugging up.

The spine stacking neatly behind you.

A strong back,

An open front.

As I ring the bell,

Allow that sound to guide you into the practice.

Flow into this practice and just allow whatever happens to be welcome.

So you've arrived to your practice and we're going to begin with the breath.

Inhaling and exhaling through the nose.

This is gentle,

This isn't breath work.

So you're just following the breath.

Really thinking of the breath as flow.

As thoughts arise,

Just simply note them as thinking.

And don't go down the story rabbit hole.

So you can work with the concept of your thoughts being like leaves that are gently flowing past you in the river.

Imagining yourself as a lotus flower that is rooted in the soil of a river.

But with its blossoms above the surface.

Not resisting the current,

But also not being uprooted by whatever the current brings.

Holding space for itself.

The thoughts will keep coming and we're working with acknowledging them.

Just as thinking or thought.

And then we let them go and return to the breath.

There are three places to focus your breath.

You might notice the breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Perhaps being attentive to the quality of your breath.

Maybe the temperature of the air,

The sensation of the breath.

You might also find that your attention is at your heart center.

You might notice your breath falling into that space.

Notice it leave the space and arrive once again to that heart center.

Really following that trajectory.

Or you might notice your breath in the belly.

So before we begin in earnest today,

Notice where your breath seems to find its home with you.

Is it in the nostrils,

Thecell muscles,

The inner Feelings.

And we want to make sure that you are safe in the next three weeks.

Again to that heart center,

Really following that trajectory.

Or you might notice your breath in the belly.

So before we begin in earnest today,

Notice where your breath seems to find its home with you.

Is it in the nostrils,

The heart center,

Or the belly?

Having an awareness of where your breath finds its center will be helpful as we work with this concept of being rooted.

Your breath is home.

So throughout today's practice,

You're going to keep coming home to yourself,

To this moment.

And each time you notice that you're no longer focusing on the breath,

Which is our object of meditation today,

Then simply just return.

The breath here is meant to support you,

To ground you.

So you're following your breath,

And as physical discomfort or thoughts,

Emotion,

Perhaps images in your mind,

Outside elements,

Creep in,

Acknowledge them through labeling as thinking,

And then return to the breath.

If the label thinking isn't useful to you,

The moment that you are mindful and realize that you've left your object of meditation,

Which is the breath,

Which is us being rooted in this flow of thoughts and sensations and emotion,

The mind doing what it does,

You can simply say to yourself,

Breathe and go back to the breath.

So we'll take about two minutes here just for you to focus on your own in the silence,

Practicing being rooted in the breath amidst the flow of thoughts.

The way we stay rooted while flowing is that we don't resist,

We don't push back.

We don't shame ourselves or worry if we're doing it wrong.

We simply allow these thoughts to flow by us,

Like leaves in a river,

The same river that we're in,

But rather than attaching to these stories or these images or these ideas or these emotions,

We simply acknowledge them,

We hold space for them.

Hi,

Fear,

I see you.

Hi,

Inner critic,

I see you.

We label it thought,

Thinking,

Or perhaps you just wanna direct yourself with breathe and then go back to home,

Go back to the breath,

Go back to being grounded,

Rooted.

You are rooted,

But you flow.

Let's take a couple minutes now.

You are rooted in the breath,

In yourself.

This is your center.

This is being grounded.

You are flowing with the breath,

Allowing it to carry you despite whatever is going on inside you in your life,

In your writing.

You are rooted,

But you flow.

You're returning home to the breath.

And each moment you do this is a moment of mindfulness.

You can work with really pressing your feet into the earth,

Keeping your eyes closed,

Staying in this practice,

But if you find yourself floating down that river,

Uprooted by a thought,

By a fear,

By self-doubt,

Comparison,

The inner critic,

Perhaps an emotion,

Rather than allowing those things to pull you out of your center,

Get yourself rooted.

This isn't resisting.

This is simply occupying your space,

Feeling the soles of your feet pressing into the earth,

Feeling the palms of your hands on your thighs,

Feeling the sensation of the breath in your body.

This is you standing in your own power.

Take a moment to tell yourself,

I am rooted,

But I flow.

You're open to whatever is here,

Not resisting,

Not letting it carry you away.

You're rooted,

But you flow.

Try saying that to yourself for a moment in your mind.

I am rooted,

But I flow.

I am rooted,

But I flow.

This can act as a mantra,

As an affirmation.

Whenever you need it,

I am rooted,

But I flow.

Fears about publication,

Fears about,

Are you good enough to be good enough to be good enough to be good enough to be good enough.

Fears about,

Are you a good enough writer.

Fears about your work in progress,

About others who you feel are more successful than you.

Working with the uncertainty of the creative life,

The creative act,

The creative business.

All of these uncertainties,

They don't need to uproot you.

You can stay rooted and flow with whatever your inspiration is bringing you,

Flow with whatever is happening in the moment.

If you don't have enough time,

As much time as you'd like to write,

How can you stay rooted in your practice,

But flow with what's coming up,

Working with what's coming up skillfully.

Take a moment here to ground your feet once more into the earth,

Following that breath,

Not judging the thoughts,

Not judging the moments where we are off of our object of meditation,

Just delightfully,

Curiously,

Playfully noting,

Oh,

I'm off the breath,

Thought,

Thinking,

Breathe back to the breath,

Back to home.

I am rooted,

But I flow.

When you're ready,

Take a moment to set an intention for your writing practice.

What are you trying to control right now?

Permission to let go,

To be comfortable with uncertainty,

To stay rooted within the flow.

Set your intention to be rooted in your writing practice,

In your self-worth,

In the breath while flowing.

And by flowing here,

I mean flowing with what's happening for you that day,

For your mental health,

For your body,

For your family,

For your work,

For your book,

Your story,

Your poem,

For your inspiration,

For that sense of feeling stuckness.

How can you be rooted in your love of your writing,

In the knowledge that your words deserve a place in this world and flow with whatever is coming up for you?

How can you do that?

How can you be comfortable with that uncertainty to not be pulled out of your center by the rapids of the creative life and the rest of your life,

Rooted in your practice,

Rooted in your breath?

So be specific,

Set an intention,

Being kind to yourself,

Gentle with whatever's coming up.

I'm gonna give you a moment here.

And when you hear the bell,

Really allow that sound to carry you into this next part of your day.

Get that intention in your mind,

Speak it in your mind.

Now place your hand on your heart that feels good to you.

And as you hear the spell say to yourself,

I am rooted,

But I flow.

I am rooted,

But I flow,

And when you're ready,

You can open your eyes.

Arrive here.

Take a nice deep breath in.

Let it out.

Breathe.

Right.

Repeat.

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