Elemental Mindfulness: Earth

Experience the direct connection our bodies have with the Earth at all times, through the force of gravity, when we experience the weight of our bodies. The result is a deep sense of feeling grounded, connected, stable, rooted, and constant. (New enhanced audio - March 2021.)

Transcript

The element of earth,

Part of the six elements meditation,

Becoming aware of the body.

So the invitation is not to concentrate or focus on the body,

But to maintain as much as possible an open awareness,

Not making any effort to exclude anything that's happening in this moment.

So you'll still be aware of sounds,

Thoughts,

Feelings,

Your inner and outer environment.

Just with that added attention,

Added investigation of the body and sensations in the body.

So it's as if we're holding the body in the center or the foreground of our awareness,

But still allowing everything else that's happening around the body to be there.

Attention but without any tension,

An easy light,

Open awareness.

Exploring with interest to see what we can find within the body.

There's many different aspects of body awareness.

For this meditation and for this aspect of the earth,

Connection with the earth,

We're going to look at two particular aspects.

And the first is that sensation of connection by scanning through the body and becoming particularly aware of any part of the body that is in contact with something,

Something other than itself.

So spend a few moments for yourself,

Noticing all the parts of your body that are in contact with something and really explore that sensation of connection in each of those parts of the body.

You could start at the feet and work your way up the body,

Starting by feeling the contact with the floor,

With the ground.

Feeling the pressure,

The warmth,

The sensation of connection.

Or just go with whichever sensation comes to your mind first and then explore the rest.

And don't forget to include all those parts of the body that are connected or in contact with your clothing.

So feeling a real variety of sensations across the body,

All those different parts,

Pressures,

Warmth,

In contact with your clothes as well as the ground or the chair.

So by doing this,

This really helps us to be present by literally connecting with where we are,

The body is always here,

Always present.

And the body is always in contact with something.

The body is never in complete isolation.

So feeling that direct connection with the present moment through these contact points across the body.

Settling into the present by settling into the body and feeling those sensations of connection through the body.

So the second part of the earth element,

The second aspect of body awareness is to feel the weight of your body.

Feel that sensation of weight in your body right now,

Maybe heaviness or lightness.

You may feel it more in some parts of the body than others.

Notice if there's any tension in the muscles where you are holding on to the body.

See if you can just release that tension which will really allow you to feel the full weight of the body.

And this weight that you're feeling,

This sensation in your body right now arises from the earth.

It's the mass of the earth and the gravity gently pulling on the body,

Attracting the body towards the earth.

That creates this sensation,

This feeling of weight,

This heaviness.

So as you feel the weight of your body,

You are actually and directly and very tangibly feeling the earth,

The interaction between your body and the earth.

So no need for visualisation or imagination or creative meditation.

We're actually feeling the physical pull of the earth on the body right now.

And the more we allow the body to relax,

Allow the muscles to release,

The more fully and freely we can feel that gentle pull of gravity,

That gentle attraction towards the earth.

The tension in the body in a way separates us from that sensation,

Makes us feel a bit disconnected and separated.

So by simply practicing this presence and connection and feeling that weight and releasing the tension,

We allow ourselves to end that subtle feeling of separation and feel connected again,

Connected to our environment,

Connected to the earth.

And that allows us to relax at an even deeper level.

Bringing those two aspects together,

The feeling of weight and those points of contact,

Then you may feel any tension in the body be released through those points of contact.

So that sensation of connection can also become a sensation of release of tension.

Allowing any tension in the body to flow out into the ground,

Into the earth.

Allowing us to really let go of the body and only to hold on to those muscles.

And allow the body and the weight of the body to be completely supported and held by the earth.

This is a really useful way to start any meditation,

Just by making sure we feel connected and grounded.

Starting off with a real stability before we move on to any other aspects of meditation.

And a good way to end a meditation as well.

Always coming back down to earth,

Literally feeling the weight of the body,

Feeling those points of contact,

Feeling that connection.

Allowing the stillness of the body to be reflected in our mind.

Okay,

So bringing the earth element meditation to a close.

Reviews

Solid grounding meditation, love direct connection to gravity/heavyness.

Excellent tool to open awareness and relax into gravity. Namaste.

Body and Earth as ONE!💫 This is how I felt🙏🏻. Very comforting, deeply connected and beautiful practice. My body was completely affiliated with gravity and tension free.♥️. Just what I needed today and loved every second of this soothing meditation & exceptional commentary 🙏🏻💫❤️

Very relaxing. Thank you 🙏

Beautiful. Thank you 🙏🏻

Peaceful and grounding with the sounds of nature. I really enjoy this meditation - thanks Stephen!

Wonderful way to ground and connect with the embrace of Mother Earth. Thank you 🙏 🕉☮️

Lovely and calming meditation. Great for first thing in the morning!

Thought provoking. It's so interesting how one small shift in perspective can completely transform the experience of something that's usually taken for granted. Grateful thanks for this.

Absolutely fantastic. 🙏🏼 thank you.

Just used together with my 13 year old at bedtime and it was a lovely transition. A simple message that cleared my mind and his, reminding us that the earth supports us. Thanks so much!

An excellent quick centering and grounding meditation. Thank you!

Nice meditation on felling the presence of the Earth on each being on this planet! Thank you!

Great way to begin the day. I will use this often. Thank you!

Wonderful 😊 Thank you🙏🏻
Looking forward to the others. Loved the birds ... likely my totem.

I felt really grounded and connected to the earth!! AMAZING!!
Namaste 🧘🏽‍♀️

Wonderful! So grounding.

Very relaxing. Thank you!