Begin, with your breath... breathe into your belly and hold for a moment...
Exhale slowly and hold for a moment...
Breathe in... and out... holding your breath for a couple seconds on each inhalation... and exhalation.
Find your center, let go of the day’s events. Just be in the here and now...
Imagine that from your feet, or the base of your spine, roots begin to grow downward... roots reaching and growing into the earth, down through soil and stone... deepening and spreading... reaching to touch the waters under the Earth...
Pull this cool water up into your body. Feel the water rise up into you. With each breath, feel the waters rising until they completely fill you.
Feel yourself stretching upward towards the stars, parts of you stretching out longer and further still like branches on a tree, ever upward.
Know with your roots in the earth and your branches in the sky that you stand between the Earth and Stars.
You are a tree, deep in the wilds. Feel your awareness of the damp earth below and the cool night air of spring in your branches. Think about what kind of tree you are, the shape of your leaves, the texture of your trunk, even the scent of your flowers if you have any. Animals might make you their home, a bird’s nest, a squirrel, maybe an owl. Any seeds you drop provide sustenance for the forest itself in addition to insuring another generation of trees will be born.
Slowly the air grows warmer, the sun stronger on your leaves. It’s Summer now. How has your world changed? As your roots grow through the soil, seeking outward for moisture you’ll probably encounter the roots of other trees. You’re part of a community of trees How does that feel? Do your roots merge or intertwine with those of your neighbor? The forest is a community of land spirits, each contributing their own individuality to the larger spirit of place.
The air cools and the days grow shorter. The song of the forest might change as birds follow the sun towards warmer lands. Your leaves begin to turn color and drop, even evergreens drop their needles as you draw the last bits of energy from them. Your leaves have served you well but now it’s time to let go. Holding onto things you don’t need can hurt you in the coming Winter.
Snow falls to the ground, your bare branches rattle in the icy wind. Maybe the noisy crows call to each other, but otherwise the forest is silent. Your sap moves so very slowly in your body that the days seem to fly by. The spirits of the land, normally hard to notice in the noise of the forest stand out more now. Take a moment and feel the silence, is there anything there waiting for you? A message,a feeling or image? (wait 10-15 seconds)
As Fall turns to Winter, so Winter must give way to Spring. The air grows warmer as your branches form tiny buds where new leaves and flowers will grow. The cycle begins again but this cycle is no longer yours. Slowly pull your small branches back into fingers and larger branches back into arms. Feel the earth below you before you pull your roots back into your body. When you’re ready, take a deep breath and open your eyes. Shake your arms if you want.
Welcome back.
Exhale slowly and hold for a moment...
Breathe in... and out... holding your breath for a couple seconds on each inhalation... and exhalation.
Find your center, let go of the day’s events. Just be in the here and now...
Imagine that from your feet, or the base of your spine, roots begin to grow downward... roots reaching and growing into the earth, down through soil and stone... deepening and spreading... reaching to touch the waters under the Earth...
Pull this cool water up into your body. Feel the water rise up into you. With each breath, feel the waters rising until they completely fill you.
Feel yourself stretching upward towards the stars, parts of you stretching out longer and further still like branches on a tree, ever upward.
Know with your roots in the earth and your branches in the sky that you stand between the Earth and Stars.
You are a tree, deep in the wilds. Feel your awareness of the damp earth below and the cool night air of spring in your branches. Think about what kind of tree you are, the shape of your leaves, the texture of your trunk, even the scent of your flowers if you have any. Animals might make you their home, a bird’s nest, a squirrel, maybe an owl. Any seeds you drop provide sustenance for the forest itself in addition to insuring another generation of trees will be born.
Slowly the air grows warmer, the sun stronger on your leaves. It’s Summer now. How has your world changed? As your roots grow through the soil, seeking outward for moisture you’ll probably encounter the roots of other trees. You’re part of a community of trees How does that feel? Do your roots merge or intertwine with those of your neighbor? The forest is a community of land spirits, each contributing their own individuality to the larger spirit of place.
The air cools and the days grow shorter. The song of the forest might change as birds follow the sun towards warmer lands. Your leaves begin to turn color and drop, even evergreens drop their needles as you draw the last bits of energy from them. Your leaves have served you well but now it’s time to let go. Holding onto things you don’t need can hurt you in the coming Winter.
Snow falls to the ground, your bare branches rattle in the icy wind. Maybe the noisy crows call to each other, but otherwise the forest is silent. Your sap moves so very slowly in your body that the days seem to fly by. The spirits of the land, normally hard to notice in the noise of the forest stand out more now. Take a moment and feel the silence, is there anything there waiting for you? A message,a feeling or image? (wait 10-15 seconds)
As Fall turns to Winter, so Winter must give way to Spring. The air grows warmer as your branches form tiny buds where new leaves and flowers will grow. The cycle begins again but this cycle is no longer yours. Slowly pull your small branches back into fingers and larger branches back into arms. Feel the earth below you before you pull your roots back into your body. When you’re ready, take a deep breath and open your eyes. Shake your arms if you want.
Welcome back.