For this grounding meditation,
Please find a comfortable seat either on the floor or in a chair with a stable back.
If you are in a chair,
Let your feet be flat on the floor.
Place a couple of yoga blocks or even books under your feet if necessary.
And let your hands rest palms down on your thighs or knees.
Now bring your spine to its natural alignment with all of its natural curves,
Especially the lumbar curve at the small of your back.
This will allow your belly to be open,
Creating more space for the natural breath.
Close your eyes and allow your full awareness to come to where you are now and awaken to the sensations in your body.
Notice how this awareness naturally relaxes you.
Feel what it is to be alive in your body at this moment and accept this experience just as you find it.
Feel the weight of your body as it settles into your sit bones,
The weight of your legs and feet settling into the floor,
And feel all the places where your body touches the floor or your chair,
And let that feeling of grounded awareness be your anchor for this practice.
Trust the earth to support you.
Even as you allow the pull of gravity to settle you,
To ease you toward a deep relaxation,
The crown of your head reaches gently upward,
Creating a little more space for each vertebra,
More space for the breath.
Just as the tree's roots extend downward into the earth,
Its branches reach upward toward the light.
Your full awareness now on the breath,
And with each inhale you open a little more,
And with each exhale you settle a little more.
With each inhale you feel your awareness expand inside,
And with each exhale any mental or emotional distractions get carried away with the breath.
Now fully present,
Completely in this moment.
Each breath a reminder of your connection to the cycle of life,
To the earth and to the whole of creation.
Each breath an active part of the continuing process of creation.
Sense that creative power all around you.
Above you.
Below you.
In front and in back of you.
And to your left and right.
Feel that same vibrancy that is your life force inside.
Anywhere in your body you put your mind you feel its relaxed power.
Feel it now in the soles and tops of your feet,
Your ankles,
And feel that vibrancy in your lower legs.
Now the knees,
The thighs,
And especially your hips.
Your whole lower body rich with sensation.
Now your belly.
Notice the organs and the work going on inside.
And feel that vibrancy in the muscles of your waist,
Your lower back,
The whole of your lower torso spacious and open to breath.
Now feel your chest and your heart inside.
Relax and open the space around your heart.
And the more you relax,
The more you can sense your pulse.
Follow these sensations into your shoulders,
Your arms,
And all the way down to your hands.
Notice the echo of your heart in the palms,
In the backs of your hands,
And all of your fingers.
The mind-body connection here is strong.
Linger in these sensations for a moment.
Again,
Experience your pulse at its source deep in your chest and follow it up under your collarbones,
To your throat,
And up under your jaw.
And experience the whole of your face,
The whole of your head inside and out.
And experience the abundance of sensation here.
Your body is designed to function perfectly in the field of gravity.
Allow gravity to naturally ground you as you experience the natural weight of your body.
No more,
No less.
As you sense the vibrant power of the earth under you,
Let a feeling of confidence and trust arise from the knowledge that you are supported.
And with this knowledge,
Bring your full awareness now to the breath.
In your mind's eye,
Picture your surroundings and imagine your breath expanding to fill that space.
Expand your awareness with the breath to include all the space around you.
Now imagine the breath expanding beyond your immediate space,
To the vastness of the universe beyond.
Your awareness expanding with the breath into infinity.
Imagine as you expand your awareness outward,
You remain grounded in the strength of your own center.
Now during these next moments of stillness,
Continue this expanded awareness of breath and I'll bring you back in a minute or two.
And continue with a sense of expanded awareness.
Namaste.
Namaste.
Um And now return to an awareness of your breath inside.
Again experiencing the breath in your own inner space.
And just allow your body to breathe itself.
Notice how you feel in this moment.
Know that true groundedness occurs when you are fully present,
Fully in the moment.
It resides inside of you.
It's a state of being and you carry it with you as you move through life.
Now picture yourself moving through life with relaxed intention,
Naturally grounded in your own body.
Moving with grace and joyfulness.
Confident in the knowledge of your true self.
Picture it now.
And seal that image with a deep breath.
Can you maintain this sense of equanimity as you prepare to end this practice?
Take a moment now to stretch your fingers and toes,
Your wrists and ankles,
Adding anything else your body might need to help the transition.
And please join me with your hands at the heart.
Namaste.
Namaste.
