Just spending a little bit of time noticing where the body's in touch with the ground.
And here there's an invitation to appreciate that the ground is always here and it's always witnessing us in an unbiased,
Non-judgmental way.
So by feeling into these points of contact,
We're also connecting with the quality of non-judgmental awareness that the earth so unconditionally grants us,
Blesses us with.
And we know that it's said that when the Buddha awoke,
There was a moment just before his awakening where many of his most strongest demons appeared in the form of Mara.
And I often associate this with doubt.
So maybe there was just one last vestige of doubt hanging on,
Maybe he wasn't sure he was worthy of the insight he was about to gain.
And how he met that moment was by reaching down and touching the earth and grounding in the confidence of the unconditional witnessing of the earth,
Witnessing all of his many,
Many lifetimes of practice and therefore his right to be sitting there on the threshold of awakening.
So we are also on a threshold of awakening.
Never know when you're going to wake up.
So I want to just invite us to,
If it's comfortable for you to do so,
Just to do the mudra,
Do the gesture of touching the earth,
You can reach down and just touch the,
It might just be whatever you're sitting on,
Because that's connected with the earth,
And maybe just putting a hand on the knee and feeling the connection through the leg,
So whatever's comfortable for you.
And we're just going to hang out here for a little while just through the fingertips connecting with the ground.
Gesture of confidence,
Worthiness,
Dignity.
I have every right to be here,
Doing what I'm doing.
And as we take this shape,
It may be that there's parts of you that aren't so sure.
Maybe they're a bit ambivalent,
Or confused,
Or not up for it.
So whatever it is that you might notice in the response,
Just taking a few breaths to invite those parts in as well,
So all the different parts of us showing up right now are welcome here,
And invited to show up fully for the earth's witnessing.
So as we reach down and touch the earth here,
We're also connecting in with the long lineage of practitioners that have gone before us,
And whose teachings and practice we benefit from.
So it's as if we're also taking our place in the lineage of practice and awakening.
And of course,
Our sitting here would not be possible without all of the beings that will come before us,
Particularly our ancestors.
So we can also remember that the earth holds all of the ancestral energies and wisdoms that we also carry in our bodies,
And that we can actively call upon to support us in our practice.
And when you're ready,
Just feel free to take a few deeper breaths here,
Inviting also a connection with air and space,
Maybe starting to move the body in any way that feels supportive just now.
Maybe there's a part that wants stretching or rubbing,
Caressing,
And then just taking a moment to take in the space around you,
Remembering that our connection with the earth also opens out into a connection with space.
So we are grounded,
We are here,
We are held here,
And there is space that stretches infinitely in all directions.
So there is form and there is emptiness.
There is what's here,
And there is infinite possibility of what could be,
And what's possible.
And we have all of that within us,
The form,
The emptiness,
And the inseparability of the two.
So welcome.
