The great wealth of trees and vegetation that covers the Earth allows us to live and breathe on this wondrous planet. The sheer abundance of vegetation that the Earth is capable of means there is more than enough to share. Life here yearns to express its abundance, and ability to reproduce itself. Developing our connection to our planet helps us be more grounded; if we can’t do this in reality then we can do this through meditation.
I’m really appreciating my morning walks in Bourne Woods with the trees, nature and all the sounds around me, it makes a difference to my day as I feel energised by the movement of walking but also breathing in the air of the pine tree woods. It’s a time where ideas come to mind and I carry on with the rest of my day with a plan in my mind. Sometimes I’ll have a nice little encounter with an animal or bird; my most significant so far is with a stag who was watching me, watching him, watching me, that beautiful creature did make me smile!
As I’ve experienced, when touched by nature, I’m lifted out of time, beyond my everyday life, to a place of inner stillness, wonder and oneness with life. We can all become part of the invisible unity that holds all life together. The most profound and yet the simplest experiences pass through our brains to touch our hearts. This is a simple truth. The more we allow this beauty and acts of natural goodness to touch our hearts, the more deeply we celebrate our natural spiritual connection to life.
Experiencing deep heartfelt connections to the Earth will bring us closer to understanding ourselves and trusting our intuition. It will help us to foster a sense of belonging and Love for the Earth and all peoples of the Earth. Each time we engage with nature we have the opportunity to experience our feelings of reverence for life. When we open our hearts to the world of wonder and beauty around us, we are opening ourselves to our receptivity and natural spirituality. Experiencing the gifts of the Earth will take us on a journey of self-discovery and bring us unforgettable moments of communion and spiritual nourishment.
In view of my feeling inspired by walks in Bourne Woods I thought I’d share some Earth meditation ideas with you:
- Make a commitment at least once every week to find some way to connect deeply to the Earth. Take a walk, go to the woods or a sacred site, climb a hill, sit with a tree, work in your garden, grow or gather some of your food and do so in a meditative way. Lose the clamour of your thoughts as you commune with the Earth. Slip out of time into a daydream state. It’s very good for you!
- Find a place to sit with a tree or a group of trees, a place where you feel comfortable and welcomed. Breathing deeply and rhythmically, gently place every thought to one side as it comes into your mind until you can feel your connection to the land and the trees. Practise sitting as still as possible and observe the sounds, smells and colours and the comings and goings of wildlife. A group of people can sit in stillness in the same area and share their impressions afterwards.
- Each day take a moment to feel yourself rooted to the Earth. This brings stability and stillness. It can be as simple as imagining your roots going down into the Earth. Feel your outbreath extending down into the Earth and feel your inbreath drawing up her vitality and goodness. This can be done anytime and anywhere without anyone noticing that you are doing it.
- This can be extended if you have a little more time and can sit for five or ten minutes. Follow your roots down into the Earth, as they weave through the soil, around rocks, encountering other forms of the living core of fiery energy at the centre of the Earth. Draw this living energy up into your body, feeling its vitality becoming part of your energy. Finally, visualise a place on the Earth where you feel completely comfortable and rest a while, feeling held and nurtured by the Earth. Look upon it all as a little journey, a kind of waking dream, and see where it takes you.
- Take a second or two before you eat to thank the Earth for your food. This is such a simple act and yet it will transform your whole relationship to food and to the Earth. Bless and give thanks for a glass of spring water and consciously take its pure life-giving goodness within. Gratitude and blessings are both acts of transformation that open our hearts and bring remarkable changes, healing, inner peace, good health and happiness.