In the Earth We Trust: Connecting to Gaia to Release and Recycle
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Kate Osborne, author of the new Goddess Resolution.
The element of earth is what gives us our footing on this mortal plane; it sustains us and it is the ultimate Mother of manifesting all our tangible needs. To connect to earth we must get knee deep in it, so to speak, and one of the best ways to do this is to connect to the grand Goddess of the planet itself, Gaia.
The following is just one exercise to help you do this, and must be undertaken outside where you will not be disturbed for an hour or two. You will need a sleeping bag, something to rest your head on, and enough blankets to cover yourself from top to toe, at least two layers. Once you have chosen and prepared your space, then lay down inside your sleeping bag, take the blankets, and cover yourself from feet to face, allowing a gap to breathe. Now close your eyes. Starting at your feet, feel the sensation of the earth beneath you. Then pay attention to the warmth and weight of the sleeping bag and blankets around you. Think of the weight like a “hug,” using your imagination to see yourself covered in earth, being hugged by the earth, held in the soil. Allow that sensation and visualisation to travel up along your body, your legs feeling encased, your pelvis, hips and torso, feeling the weight and warmth. Notice the feeling of your head on the cushion and imagine that too as warm sort soil. And finally, your face under the earth. It is warm and comforting and quiet.
Now, still, with eyes closed, take a full but natural-length breath in through your nose and exhale through your nose. Repeat this natural and shallow breath two more times. Then, on the fourth breath, inhale more fully, taking more air in through your nose for a longer time. On the exhale, release your breath fully and completely, letting your body completely relax during the exhaling process. Repeat this pattern of three natural, short breaths and one long, deep breath for the next 15 minutes. Return your breathing to your usual way while allowing yourself to sink under the weight of the blankets and your mind empty of your daily concerns and just relax into the sensations of the natural world around you. All worries and concerns are leaking out of every pore in your body being absorbed by the earth. They are carried away in the roots of the flowers, plants, trees, and grasses, taken up by the stems, transformed into pure neutral energy and feed the petals, leaves, and blades of grass. All that is asked of you is just to be yourself, breathing and relaxing and recovering, letting the earth work its magic. Gradually open your eyes and peel away the layers of blankets and rise up out of your sleeping bag. Give thanks to Gaia, tidy up the space and go about your day
Our thanks to Kate for her guest post! For more from Kate Osborn, read her article, “Children of a Lesser Goddess: 5 Ways to Embrace the Dark Mother.”
