Dear Contemplatives,
Today is Earth Day. A time to celebrate, remember, and honor the planet on which we call home. It is an important day to pause and reflect on our impact on the world of nature. This day of honoring the earth is a call to contemplate-how does our practice impact the earth? How can we make conscious decisions and choices that will leave this planet in a healthy and resilient place?
Sometimes it feels hopeless and we feel powerless to make changes-especially when we hear of climate change, nuclear meltdowns, and various species dying due to the impact that us humans are having on this earth. It becomes vital that we intend to feel into our footprints on mother earth. In this imagining, we can dream a world that is sufficient. We can move from believing that there is not enough-to living and being from a place of enough.
In the book “The Soul of Money”, Lynne Twist urges us to change our patterning from that of a "you or me" world to that of a "me and you" world. Part of this change is in realizing the power we have in choosing which ways to give our resources and use resources that will lead to abundance for all. We must do this by first learning the ways we personally believe this is impossible and then taking action to learn a new story. We can trust that with our tender care and without blockages of scarcity, we can survive on a planet that provides enough for all that is alive.
Happy Earth Day!
With love,
Emily
PS: A new Meditative Inquiry Life Retreat is staring on May 3rd. We have two spots available and would love for you to join the team.
Meditation for Earth Day
Take your seat with a posture of dignity.
You are living here,
alive in this moment on planet earth.
Taking a few moments to breathe deeply,
in and out fully,
feeling your body move and change with each breath.
As breath and body become one,
there is a natural peace of heart.
Allow your sitting bones to fall towards the earth and your spine to straighten towards the sky.
Gather your attention to the space your body takes up.
Letting the mind gently settle into the warm embrace that awareness provides.
Now imagine your footprints in the earth. Imagine that it has just rained and your prints are visible in the soil. The size varies with each person. The shapes are similar.
Let's ask a couple of inquiry questions.
In what ways have I lived my life with love for the earth?
allowing the question to fall into awareness
the mind to respond
emotions to come and go
allowing the content to inform you
When you’re ready ask:
In what ways have I not lived my life with love for the earth?
allowing the question to fall into awareness
the mind to respond
emotions to come and go
allowing the content to inform you
Now ask
What changes am I called to make in my life for this earth and the lives of others?
allowing the question to fall into awareness
the mind to respond
emotions to come and go
allowing the content to inform you
Now bringing to mind various aspects of your life that you feel grateful for.
Allowing the feelings of sufficiency to fill your experience.
Breathing into the body sensations, the memories, and the feelings.
We are alive. Here. Thank you for this earth. For this life. For the dance of being and becoming.