Welcome to this Ubuntu tree ritual.
I'm Sarah Santacroce and I'll guide you through this practice today.
Go ahead and find a comfortable position,
Either seated or since we are talking about trees I also recommend standing.
Close your eyes if that feels right for you.
And then take a deep breath in and let it out slowly.
Allow your body to relax,
Your mind to settle and your heart to open.
Really feel the ground beneath you,
Solid and supportive.
Let it remind you that you are rooted just as a tree is rooted in the earth.
In each breath,
Feel yourself becoming more present,
More connected to the web of life that surrounds and sustains you.
Now,
Bring your attention to your heart center.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your heartbeat maybe,
A reminder of your aliveness,
Your humanity and your connection to all beings.
With each beat,
Let yourself feel the truth,
I am because we are.
As you breathe deeply,
Begin to imagine that you are a tree,
An Ubuntu tree,
A symbol of our interconnectedness,
Our shared humanity and our bond with mother nature.
Your roots are deep in the earth,
Your trunk is strong and steady and your branches reach high towards the sky.
Feel the energy of your tree,
Of yourself,
Vibrant,
Alive and wise.
This tree is not separate from you,
You are the tree,
It is part of you,
Just as you are part of it,
Together you are one.
Now,
Pay attention to the leaves of your branches,
Each leaf represents a connection,
A bond between you and another being,
Another part of the web of life.
Some leaves represent the people you love,
Others represent strangers and still others represent the creatures of the earth and the earth herself.
Each leaf is unique,
Yet all are part of the same tree.
Take a deep breath in and as you exhale,
Affirm,
I am because we are,
We are connected,
We are one.
And now,
Imagine your tree growing stronger and more vibrant with each breath you take.
Look down at your feet and see its roots deepening,
Your trunk expanding and your branches reaching higher.
With each leaf that grows,
Feel the bonds between all of us strengthening.
Feel the love,
The compassion,
The unity that flows through you,
The tree and through all of life.
As you breathe,
Feel gratitude for this connection,
Gratitude for the people in your life,
For the creatures of the earth,
For the air,
The moon,
The sun,
The stars,
The water,
The soil,
Everything that sustains us.
Gratitude for the Ubuntu tree,
A living reminder of our shared humanity and our bond with Mother Nature.
Now,
Gently bring your attention back to your heart center.
Feel the rhythm of your heartbeat once more,
Steady and strong.
And with each beat,
Repeat the truth,
I am because we are.
Together,
We are one.
As we prepare to close this ritual,
Make this gentle commitment to yourself.
I choose to honor the Ubuntu tree within me and around me.
I celebrate our interconnectedness,
Our shared humanity and our bond with Mother Nature.
With each breath,
I nurture these connections,
Knowing that together,
We are one.
Take three deep breaths.
And with each breath,
Feel your connection to the Ubuntu tree.
To all beings and to the earth herself,
Growing stronger and stronger.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes and carry this sense of unity and connection with you into your work and into your world.
Namaste.
