The Seven Homecomings

This meditation is a contemplation practice and was adapted from a meditation created by Lama Rod Owens. It is meant to be used formally or informally when you are in need of support, guidance, and strength. Whether it be support from ancestors, guidance from teachers, or strength from the community, the Seven Homecomings is to be used to evoke a circle of homecoming and care for yourself. Allow yourself to drop in and call forth each Homecoming, allowing them to serve and support you in any way that you may need. Let the language of the process of the practice change to meet your needs.

What I provide is a template, but please feel empowered to make it your own. Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you, and I hope the practice serves you with goodness.

Transcript

Hi,

My name is Sean,

And thank you for joining me for this practice known as the Seven Homecomings Practice.

This was a practice that was introduced to me by Lama Rod Owens.

I believe it is actually his practice.

And this meditation is a contemplation practice.

While I'll be leading through the formal practice,

It can also be practiced informally.

As you run through the practice,

You can see what areas you can call into your life in an informal way and use in a moment-to-moment or day-to-day type of function.

The Seven Homecomings are safe spaces.

They are areas that you find support.

Sometimes you need to experience connection to family or ancestors or your guides.

Or maybe you need to feel the wisdom of the earth or remember wisdom texts that have guided you.

All of these things are part of the Seven Homecomings,

And these Seven Homecomings allow you to cultivate a sense of support and stability when you need it most.

So to start off,

I want to invite you to find a comfortable position for your practice.

This might be seated or lying down.

Taking some type of posture that allows you to stay alert but easeful through the body.

So if you're seated on a cushion or in a chair,

Just allowing yourself to feel the surface beneath you.

Just elongating the crown of your head towards the sky,

Almost as if there was a string pulling on the top of the head.

And just stacking the shoulders over the hips and the ears over the shoulders.

Maybe bring a slight tuck to the chin.

And resting your hands in a comfortable position.

And if you're lying down,

Just allowing yourself to take up as much space as you like.

So the most important thing here is that you're finding a position that is suitable and supportive for your practice.

And once you find that position,

You can close your eyes if that's comfortable for you,

Or you can keep them with a soft,

Steady gaze about six feet in front of you.

Just start off by taking a couple of breaths into the body.

A deep inhale to fill the body.

And exhale that out the mouth.

Again like that,

Deep inhale through the nose,

Filling the body.

And opening out the mouth and letting the breath just fall out.

And one more like that,

Deep inhale through the nose.

Holding at the top and opening the mouth and letting the breath fall out with your exhale.

And allowing the breath to take a natural flow.

If it's comfortable,

You can bring a close to your mouth and just allow the breath to flow in and out through your nostrils.

And here we're going to begin to contemplate the first homecoming.

The homecoming of your guides.

So reflecting on any being who has been a guide,

A teacher,

A mentor,

An advisor,

Or an elder for you.

And this could be someone that is alive now or from your past.

It can be a deity or a fictional character.

It can even be something such as an element or nature or a place in nature.

So reflect on the beings in your life whom you've gone to for guidance and support.

The beings or the things or the places that give you guidance and support.

And reflect on those beings who express love and compassion for you.

Imagine that you're inviting all of those beings into the space with you.

Into this space right now.

And invite them to gather around you in a circle.

See them.

Welcoming them.

Say hello.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

And on the exhale,

Come home to being held by your guides.

And the second homecoming is that of your wisdom texts.

So letting go of the first homecoming for now.

And beginning to reflect on any text that has helped you to deepen your wisdom.

These texts can include any writing,

Books,

Teachings,

Sacred scriptures,

Quotes,

Songs,

Poems.

Any form of artistic expression like music or dance or visual arts.

Bringing to mind any texts that have helped you to experience clarity,

Openness,

Love,

And compassion.

These texts have helped you experience such things are your sacred texts.

Invite the essence of these texts into your space.

Calling them in.

You can imagine that these texts are actually present.

Maybe you imagine the books,

Or the pages,

Or the dances,

The art,

Or the songs.

Or you can just have a general sense that their essence is encircling you with your guides.

Welcome them.

Say hello.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

Exhale.

And come home to being held by your wisdom texts.

Now letting go of the second homecoming and coming to the third homecoming.

Which is community.

Allowing yourself to begin reflecting about the communities,

Groups,

And spaces where you experience love or the feeling of being accepted and supported and being happy.

And even more so,

What are the communities and groups not only where you feel loved,

But also where you feel as if you can love and return love back to others.

Where do you feel most seen?

Where do you feel safe to love?

Where are you being loved?

Invite those communities and groups into the space around you with your guides and your wisdom texts.

And if you don't feel as if there is a space like that for you.

If a specific community or group does not come up.

Then you can invite the aspiration to be part of a loving space into the space as well.

And you can invite the community and group that is practicing with you right now.

Say hello and welcome your communities.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

And on the exhale,

Come home to being held by your communities.

Now letting go of the third homecoming.

And calling in the fourth homecoming.

Which is your ancestors.

Begin by reflecting on those ancestors who have wanted the best for you.

Including wanting you to be happy and safe.

You don't need to know who these ancestors are.

All you have to do is contemplate that there have been those in your familial line who want you to be happy.

Who lived for your well-being.

For your benefit.

For your happiness.

So invite those beings into the circle as well.

And reflect on the lineage you feel connected to.

Such as the lineage of your spiritual tradition.

Or tradition of art.

Or activism.

Tradition of culinary.

Tradition of family.

Invite your lineage into the circle as well.

And as you invite your ancestors,

Remember that you too are in the process of becoming an ancestor.

As you invite your lineage,

Remember that you are in this moment a lineage holder.

Say hello and welcome your ancestors and lineage to the circle around you.

Joining your guides,

Your wisdom texts,

And your community.

Relax the body.

Take an inhale.

And on the exhale,

Come home to being held by your ancestors and lineage.

Now letting go of the fourth homecoming.

And turning towards the fifth homecoming,

Which is the earth.

Begin by reflecting on the importance of the earth under you.

And how it sustains your life and the lives of countless beings.

Reflect on the energy of the earth.

Which is the energy of sustainability,

Stability,

And foundation.

The earth also represents the ground of your experience.

It is the very surface that each and every day holds you up and allows you to take each step.

So coming home to the earth means touching the earth.

Acknowledging the earth.

Surrendering to the earth.

And allowing it to hold you.

And as it holds you,

Understanding that it is loving you as well.

Invite the energy of the earth into the circle.

Say hello and welcome the earth.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

And with the exhale,

Come home to being held by the earth.

Now letting go of the fifth homecoming.

And opening up to the sixth homecoming of silence.

Begin by reflecting on the generosity of silence.

As something that helps you to have the space to be with yourself.

Reflect on how important it is to lean into silence.

Allowing it to hold you.

And reflect on how you can embrace silence as a friend and or lover.

Invested in your health and well-being.

Silence helps you to understand how to use your language to benefit yourself and others.

Silence is the space that you move through.

Silence is the space that all sound rises in.

Everything moves through and functions in silence.

Allow the silence to be present and accept it.

Invite silence into the circle.

Say hello and welcome the silence.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

And on the exhale,

Come home to being held by the silence.

And finally,

Turning towards the seventh homecoming.

Which is yourself.

So begin by reflecting on your experiences of your mind and body.

Consider how your experiences are valuable,

Important,

And crucial.

Invite all the parts of yourself into your awareness.

Including the parts of yourself that seem too ugly or overwhelming.

Embracing yourself as a homecoming means you make sure that you are showing up to being held by the other homecomings.

So allow yourself to be present.

Accept that you are present.

Accept that you are a homecoming.

See all of the homecomings encircling you and you as a part of them all.

Say hello and welcome yourself.

Relax your body.

Take an inhale.

And on the exhale,

Come home to yourself.

Sitting here,

You can see your guides.

Your wisdom texts.

Your communities.

Your ancestors and lineage.

You can draw inspiration from the wisdom texts.

You can feel the earth under your feet.

And the silence offering you the space to be with yourself.

And then finally,

There you are.

Being held within this circle of care.

Allow yourself to sit in this circle.

And imagine that your benefactors.

Your guides.

That your inspirations.

That your grounding and your support.

Are all sending care and kindness into the circle.

Just see if you can let yourself feel that care.

In any way that feels appropriate.

In any way that comes up.

There's no right way to feel the care.

Just allowing yourself to feel whatever your experience is.

And however it comes up.

And looking around you one last time.

Taking in the sight of your seven homecomings.

And the circle that surrounds you.

Slowly start to imagine.

That your circle of benefactors begins to dissolve.

Into a bright,

Soft,

White light.

And as they dissolve and the white light gathers.

It slowly comes to settle and reside in your heart center.

So see the light gather into your heart center.

And maybe even feeling a sensation at your heart space.

Allow your mind to rest and your body to relax.

Allowing yourself to lock in and take any messages.

That may have come up in the practice.

And giving yourself the opportunity and the offering.

To stay here in practice for as long as you would like.

As long as that feels good.

When you are ready to come out of the practice.

First start by slowly bringing awareness to the sounds around you.

First the sound furthest from you.

And then the sound closest to you.

Bring awareness and notice.

The sensations of the body touching.

The surface beneath you.

And the pressure points between the surface and your body.

Maybe notice temperature of air on the skin.

And if your eyes are closed.

You can slowly and gently blink them open.

And bring yourself back into the rest of your day.

Thank you so much for joining me.

And for allowing me to guide you in this practice of the seven homecomings.

And again this was a practice that was introduced to me by Lama Rod Owens.

I hope that you find this practice a benefit.

And that you can see the ways in which you can call in.

Any of the seven homecomings at any time during your day.

When you most need it.

Whatever it is that you do need.

Whichever homecoming would support you the best.

Just allowing yourself to call that homecoming in.

For the support it provides.

So I hope you all have a great day.

And I hope to practice with you again.

Take care.

Reviews

Really touched by this beautiful meditation thank you🙏