Focusing the HeartMind
Begin with sitting with your feet planted firmly on the earth. Feel your toes…wiggle them.
Close your eyes and imagine you are in a forest, and that you are a tree. Imagine that roots are growing from your feet and extending deep into the earth. Put yourself fully into the space. Feel the warmth on your branches, your trunk, your leaves. See what kind of day is presenting itself. Are there birds seeking to alight onto your branches? Smell the air…
As you take an inbreath, let the energy from the center of the Earth rise up into your roots and then into your body through your feet. With each deepening breath, let the energy go higher on your top branches and further out on your limbs. Feel it nourish the inside of your “tree”. Feel all the life forms being nourished by you, even as you are nourished by the Earth, and enlivened by the Sun.
Let the energy of the Earth meet the power of the Sun deep inside the heart of the tree- at its/your CenterPoint.
Do you feel a certain feeling? Do you see particular colors? Are you feeling more connected to the Earth…the Sun…other trees?
When you have reached the fullness of this experience, give forth a joyous expression in the form of a Sound. Let it emerge from deep within your bark…let it harmonize with the Earth…the Sun and all of the Life Forms around you. Hear a chorus of support and affirmation. Feel it in your chest and heart center. Listen for any messages from your HeartMind.
Stay in the space as long as it is comfortable. When you feel complete, give thanks to the Earth…give thanks to the Sun…give thanks to all lifeforms…give thanks to the community you call your “forest?
Let the energy of the Earth return to the center of the Earth. Let the energy of the Sun return to the sky. Amen. Aum. Shanti. Peace.
Breathing With The All-Mother
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a forest. See the trees around you and hear the wind rustling through the branches. Smell the forest floor as you gently, quietly walk through the lush natural carpeting that Mother Nature has provided. Feel the green-ness support and soft cushioning for your footsteps as you allow yourself to be guided deeper into the glade.
Glimpses of the sun above the arboreal canopy shines warmth and light upon your head. Your pace slows as you come to a clearing set before you as a sanctuary from your daily life.
Find the place where you are drawn to sit, where a rock outcropping or tree stump provides a natural place for you to settle. In this idyllic scene, close your eyes and allow all of your senses to be heightened. Listen for the bird songs. Focus on the one that appears directed to you. It is the Voice of the All-Mother calling you to relax and be supported in Her embrace.
As you breathe, consciously slow the process. Breathe with the wind…breathe with the birds…breathe with the trees. Imagine that you are a tree, with roots reaching deep into the Earth, and branches spreading wide, and your crown reaching towards the sky. As you breathe, now as a tree, feel the energy rise from the center of the Earth and enter into the soles of your feet, as if they were roots. Let this powerful energy expression of the All-Mother rise up through your legs and into your torso, settling into your heart on the in-breath. As you gently hold this air in your lungs, give thanks for the Breath, and give thanks to the Earth energy as they mix in the core of your being. Feel the energy move through all parts of your body. As you slowly breathe out, again give thanks for all of the support and lifeforce the Great Mother bestows.
As you continue this breathing (as a tree), let your breath merge with the rhythm of all the trees in the Forest. Let it then merge with all that is alive in the forest. Finally, as you begin to connect with the sky and all that is below the surface, begin to allow yourself to align with the very breath of the All-Mother. Feel the Unity, the Power, the Love. Finally, as your breath slows to its natural rhythm, feel the All-Mother breathe you. Bask in the sunshine of Divine Harmony and Bliss. Take as long as you need to feel re-vitalized and re-connected. When you know that you have taken in as much as possible, give thanks and then slowly let the energy return to the center of the Earth. Say your prayer of Gratitude as you slowly come back fully from that trove of Green Splendor, and back into your body. A-U-M.