PRACTICE

This exercise was first introduced to me at The Centre for Transpersonal Psychology by Barbara Somers and Ian Gordon Brown in 1974. I have given this exercised on many occasions and I also practise it myself. It helps us to connect with the natural energies around us when we find ourselves stressed, preoccupied and out of touch with the ground. It takes only a few minutes and can be done any-time, anywhere!

• Remove your shoes.
• Stand with your bare feet firmly on the ground, legs slightly apart, and allow your feet to really feel the support of the earth underneath you.
• Take a few moments to find a relaxed posture – you may find that gently swaying around your hips helps you to settle into a relaxed upright posture.
• Make sure that your head is resting in a relaxed way upon your shoulders; just move the head around the shoulders slowly to find a relaxed position. Allow your back to relax. Allow your in-breath and out-breath to fill your chest and abdominal area.
• Rest your gaze at about 45 degrees or just ahead.
• Now place your attention firstly on your feet, and then on the earth beneath your feet. Just feel the earth.
• Imagine that your feet have invisible roots pushing down into the earth. Push these roots as far as you can go.
• Imagine now that your roots are contacting the fresh green energy of the earth. Allow this fresh energy to rise up through the roots into your feet.
• Now allow the earth energy up through your feet into your legs, up into your pelvis, belly and abdomen.
• And then allow the earth energy to course through your chest, heart and neck and shoulder area.
• Cup your hands together at the area of your heart and allow it to be refreshed.
• You may wish to leave this exercise there. If you wish to continue, one option is to remain standing with your hands cupping your heart area and to focus your attention at the top of your head. Now imagine the energy from above entering through the top of your head into your face, neck and shoulders, then flowing down into your chest and meet-ing up with the earth energy at the place of the heart.
• Just spend a few minutes being aware of the connection between the energies of above and below.

MORE:

Use and adapt the practice above at the beginning of your mindfulness yoga practice. Ideal to ground, empty and prepare the class for the practice.