I have two meditation exercises this month! The second one, done as written, takes a bit longer to do than most of the ones I highlight here. I included it because it offers a deeper connection with Nature, and that is my focus this month. Enjoy!
Ceremony of Re-bonding
A simple way to “go home” and renew the bond with our Earth Mother is through sensory immersion in the wind. This ceremony can be done anywhere outdoors and in virtually any setting – your back yard, in front of your office building, a park, in a convertible, or walking down the street.
- Pause from your thinking and business of everyday life.
- Bring your awareness to the feel of the Earth’s breath (the wind) moving around your skin and the body. The atmosphere is always moving, even if this motion is barely perceptible.
- Notice how our Mother’s breath is touching you. Depending upon the strength and consistency of the wind, its touch may feel gentle, firm, playful, or rough.
- If you feel comfortable doing so in your setting, turn your face to the direction of the wind, open your arms wide, and embrace it in return.
- Finally, breathe in the air deeply and then whisper (or shout) your thanks. It is our Mother’s breath that makes possible our own life-sustaining respirations.
Source: The Healing Earth, Philip Sutton Chard.
The Silent Walk
“The silent walk is a powerful exercise for attuning to Nature and the myriad of wonders within
it. It is potentially the most powerful exercise we can perform. It is an act of sacred sharing,
honor and openness.
The skill lies in walking in silence, abandoning all words, vocalizations, and any trappings of
civilization that are likely to make unnatural noises. The silence and harmony of this activity,
especially when performed at dawn or dusk, creates an acute awareness that we share the
world with all living things. And ultimately, it will gift us with Nature encounters that fill our
hearts with blessed wonder.
This exercise should be performed at dawn or dusk because these are sacred times, times in
which the spiritual and physical intersect. They are also times in which animals are often more
active and visible and the spirits of plants, flowers and trees are more discernible.
Prepare for this by giving yourself at least a half-hour of meditation time prior to the walk. The focus should be on quiet attunement to Nature. Choose a location that is somewhat secluded – where there will be no traffic. Old country roads that are seldom traveled and overgrown are good. Plan on walking a half-hour to forty-five minutes out and then turn around and come back.
Open to the spirit of Nature as you walk. Imagine stepping into Nature as stepping into a new dimension where sights, sounds, smells, etc. have a sacred meaning. Imagine this natural world as a sacred place, an open-air temple, inhabited by spirits. Imagine the spirits of plants and trees. Think of them as greeting you with their colors, textures and fragrances and sounds.
Nature (plants and animals) will sense the energy of a single person or a group, thus the preparatory and solitary meditation. It recognizes disharmony and even unconscious and unintentional disrespect. If animals feel a peace, a harmony that is soft and unthreatening, they do not run away. They do not hide. The animals experienced may move away at your approach, but they do so without the frantic fear that they demonstrate most often when humans approach. They will retreat a few steps at a time, stopping to look over their shoulders, just to satisfy their curiosity. The colors and fragrances of plants will be soft but very strong at these times, standing out more clearly.
If you walk under trees or by bushes, gently touch them. Sense their energy and response to
you. Enjoy the beauty and wonder. Try to experience with all of the senses, noting sounds,
colors, fragrances and more. Walk slowly and calmly. And remember that you are entering a
sacred realm—not as an outsider or possessor of the land but as a distant relative, a
cohabitant.
This exercise requires control, sensitivity and a subtle appreciation. It will enhance attunement to the presence of animals not readily encountered or readily visible. Through experiencing Nature in silence, we discover everything is an expression of the Divine Life – including ourselves.
One of Nature’s greatest gifts is her endless willingness to teach us about our possibilities and ourselves. Through sacred silence, we experience the wonders and beauty of the environment more intimately, and we begin to realize that every creature and element of Nature mirrors the magnificence of our own soul.
Source: This exercise excerpted from Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews.
If you found the above interesting, please consider taking my meditation “how to” classes. Visit my here for details.
