Grounding Earth Element
The first of 4 short reflections on the elements, drawn from my own practice.
How does the Earth element support an embodied mindfulness practice?
Our bodies are always in contact with Earth – standing, sitting, lying. It gives me stability, this vast anchor that we all rest on. When I remember to notice that, my nervous system loves this grounding connection.
A moment of feet-on-the-floor awareness can be just enough to interrupt a juggernaut of catastrophic thinking. A brief connection with Earth can help bring me home to Radical Gratitude.
And so I practice staying in contact with Earth, everywhere I go.
When I’ve got stuck in my head, I find release in ‘walking on the Earth’. I let myself experience the flow of life from my soles upwards, not the top down. And I uncover a different perspective. One that is embodied, and creative. A way of being in the world that is infinitely wiser than the narrow view from inside my own head.
Sometimes, when I need stillness, I turn instead to ‘lying on the Earth’. I receive its support. I let myself rest, held in that solid connection. My recording ‘Supported By The Earth’ emerged from this practice – I’ve added it to the Body Awareness section of the Meditations page.
Developing a relationship with Earth was my first step in working with the elements, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It’s woken me up to an experience of being human that is more alive, less ‘separate’, and more at home – in myself and in the wider world.
Next time, I’ll post a reflection on the Water element. If you want to get new posts in your inbox, follow the blog using the button below.
Want to learn more? Check out the Steps To Embodiment programme.
