And so here in this moment of pause and stillness before the sun peaks its way over the horizon,
Before the world begins to stir,
Taking a moment here to humbly acknowledge place and people,
The Adnyamatna country and people,
And those who have cared for and loved this land for thousands of years,
Acknowledging the wise elders past,
Present and emerging,
The ancestors,
The collections of sacred Mura,
And of course the creation Mura of Ikara.
May the Adnyamatna knowledge and their wisdom,
May their care and their love and their respect and custodianship,
May all of this remain sacred.
May they remain the custodians of the land.
May we learn from them and may we know them for thousands of years to come.
And so resting here in this place of knowing and feeling and understanding,
Resting in this practice of contemplation and meditation,
This act of mindfulness and connection,
What is your association with country?
What is your connection to country,
Your home,
Your backyard,
Your local park or beach?
And even though you may not have been born here,
Or your ancestors may not be from this land,
Do you feel a sense of care and respect for this land?
Do you feel a sense of responsibility?
Can you acknowledge your own unique connections to this land?
Can you recognize that you too have responsibility and custodianship of this land?
And how can you show your deepest respect and reverence for this land that you are uniquely connected to?
And just taking a moment to take a breath,
A slow and mindful breath here on country.
And slowly in your own time,
Once again beginning to notice the weight of your body here against the land that you're on right now,
The land that you're on in this present moment and present space,
Allowing yourself to slowly come back into this space,
Noticing any sounds or smells or sensations.
Maybe your eyes open and you begin to take in the colors and the light and the country where you are right now,
The country that you are seated on,
No matter where you are,
Whether you're sitting up in a high rise building or sitting up in bed or sitting outside somewhere.
Just take a moment here,
Just you and the land,
You and country.
What do you notice?
