This is a short practice to help you feel grounded,
Centered and connected,
For when you might be feeling a little scattered or when you need to feel some extra support.
It's good to do this as a standing practice,
However if you would prefer to sit down,
You're also welcome to do it seated.
I encourage you to have bare feet if possible.
Our feet are said to have over 7,
000 nerve endings that help balance,
Connect us to the ground and create a feedback system to the brain,
As well as every single organ and system within the body.
You can do this meditation anywhere and you might even like to try it outside sometime with the feet on the grass.
So standing with the feet about hip width distance apart,
Closing down the eyes if you feel comfortable to do so,
Arms down by the sides with the palms facing outwards in a gesture of receptivity.
And if you're seated,
Just imagining the feet planted firmly.
So in your own time taking three deeper breaths,
A deep inhalation followed by a long slow exhalation.
Arriving here in this moment,
Settling into presence,
As the breath gradually returns to its own natural rhythm,
I invite you firstly just to become aware of the body's energy,
Noticing how it feels in this moment.
Then begin to get a sense of the feet on the ground.
You might even like to move them a bit,
Feeling where the soles connect to the floor or to the earth below.
And just allowing the body to sway slightly from side to side,
Back and forth,
Letting yourself come to a natural state of stillness,
Balance and centeredness,
Finding its natural equilibrium.
With an awareness of the body breathing,
Begin to draw the breath all the way down to the very bottom of the feet,
Noticing the whole body breathing in this moment.
And with the focus on your feet,
I invite you to imagine as if you were a tree that had roots growing out of the soles,
Connecting you to the earth,
Traveling down into the ground and into the earth's core,
Supporting you,
Grounding you in this moment,
Connecting to the earth's naturally nurturing and nourishing energy.
As you breathe,
Really feeling into and establishing this connection to the ground.
And then inviting that nourishment and grounding energy from the earth to travel up through the roots,
Into the feet,
All the way through the body to the crown of the head.
Just like a tree who takes its nutrients from the earth,
Allowing it to enrich every cell,
Every muscle,
Every bone,
Nurturing and supporting you,
Building that inner strength,
Inner resilience,
That just like the tree trunk that stands firm when its leaves and branches are blown about in the wind,
You can have that strong core that supports you no matter what the circumstances that might be going on around you.
And breathing in that grounding and nourishing energy for just a few more breaths,
And noticing any differences within the body,
Taking a moment for a sense of gratefulness and appreciation to arise for all the body does to support you in every moment of the day.
Remember that no matter what is going on around you or how hard the wind might blow,
You always have that opportunity to come back to this connection,
This inner sense of groundedness,
Stability and balance.
And now just gradually allowing yourself to bring back in some movement and opening the eyes when you're ready.
