"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."
Rumi
Studies show that being barefoot on the grass can trigger a fall in blood pressure and heart rate .. common signs of a reduction in stress. Also, when we remove our shoes there is a deep psychological sense of leaving the outside world outside which can also be very relaxing.
This week try to take a few moments in the early morning (before the busy-ness of the day starts to swell) to remove your shoes and walk barefoot on Mother Earth.
Being outside where we can see the sky, feel the wind and touch the ground, will ignite all of our senses .. touch, smell, sight and hearing .. and so for a moment we become much more aware of our part in the changing nature of the natural world.
A Grounding Meditation
* Step outside, somewhere with grass and nature. Remove your shoes and step onto the grass.
* Look up and open your eyes to the broad expanse of sky above you
* Be really still, like an ancient tree with your roots grounded deep into the earth
* Close your eyes and feel the breeze on your face and skin
* Listen to all the sounds that surround you in this moment
* Bring your attention firstly to your feet and the firm earth below you. Be aware of your toes, the heel of your left foot, the heel of your right foot .. the coolness or warmth of the earth and grass
* Notice how the grass feels .. ticklish, coarse, wet, soft, squishy .. coolness and warmth
* Be delighted in what you feel .. how fun to just step away from your routine and be outside with the world, connect to that feeling of sweet joy and ease
* Try not to think or judge your experience .. just keep connecting to the feeling of your feet on the grass, your body standing tall, the breath of the wind around you
* Can you sense the weight and shape of your body?
* Try wriggling and squishing your feet into the ground .. or maybe thump and grind
* Could you dance a little across the grass?
* Can you stretch and scratch and smooth your feet along the grass?
* Take a few deep and luscious breaths of fresh air
* How good is this life, this moment?
* Finish with a few moments just being still and quiet, aware of your posture as strong and flexible as a tree reaching towards the sun.
And when it is time to return to your day .. know that you have taken a magic walk with Mother Earth and reconnected with nature .. and that you can now take this grounded-ness into your day ahead.
How much fun can you have playing in the grass each day this week?
