Air Tradition
We find ourselves at the threshold of our first elemental deep dive. Air.
Begin this journey by closing the eyes and taking three deep mindful breaths in through the nose and out through the nose. Did you get that sensation of calm melting over the body? That was the direct effect of air. Every breath you take is dependent upon the element of air. It is how we live in each passing moment with a connection to the elements.
Begin to think about the quality of air.
When I do this it brings me back to the time that I was in L.A. I was supposed to be there for a week but on the third day I took a train and a bus to Yosemite National Park and hiked into the back country to camp. All because I felt like the very air in the city was stifling me with its pollution and I needed to drink in the fresh mountain air.
A good deep breath of fresh air feels like it cleanses the insides and nourishes the soul, and when air is polluted and out of alignment it can be suffocating. Your journey here is to bring purity and alignment to your own connection with this element.
Given where I live in the world this is the perfect time to be considering the effects of air. Here in Western NY it is fall, and an autumnal breeze is a real thing. It brings a distinct shift in the seasons. And with it, it carries away the changing leaves so that you can almost see the wind, if not its direct effects.
When I really sit and meditate on the air, and the wind that is its byproduct, there is a distinct wisdom that seems to be calling me in. Yes, the wind is their to gently tantalize the aspen leaves and make them shimmy and shake. Or tousle my sun kissed hair on a summer day. But it is also a disrupter. It can come in howling, and flip things over, and when the storm has settled you can see that something has been removed. Take for example a tree. When the wind blows through and removes a dead branch, a new space is created in that tree. It will not be open for long as new growth will quickly spread into this area, now that it has the room to flourish. Beyond that, the dead wood is now ready to decompose on the ground, becoming a host for various bugs or animals, and will eventually become nutrients in the soil so that new things can grow.
When I apply this to my own life I reflect on the areas where I am holding onto dead weight, knowing that new parts of my being will thrive if I can let go. And that if everything is energy and energy cannot disappear but rather is transformed or picked up and carried on, than by freeing the thing that no longer serves me, I am allowing it to be transformed into something more positive. This is what we would call in the biz, a win, win.
So the exercise for this week is a meditation on air and inviting it in to illuminate what is no longer needed in your own journey. If this is an area that you would like support in, either reestablishing your connection to the elements to bring alignment to your life, or letting go of things that are no longer serving you, set up your free connection call today with Mindful Tradition.
Air Meditation
1) Find a comfortable seated position, lift tall through the crown of the head, melt the shoulders down the back body, and let the hands come to rest comfortably on the thighs.
2) Begin to take deep mindful breaths both in and out of the nose. Elongating the exhale until it is twice as long as the inhale.
3) Begin to imagine that you are sitting under a tree, with your back resting comfortably on its trunk. This tree embodies all that you are.
4) Witness the wind begin to play gently in its leaves, let the wind become stronger here knowing that you are safe and trusting the process.
5) Begin to explore something in your life that you are ready to let go of. A thought, a thing, a person, an experience, or a task. Anything or anyone that is holding you back from being honest with yourself or living your best life. Give the wind permission to remove this from your life and watch the wind take away that branch of the tree that embodies what is no longer serving you.
6) Thank the thing that has been removed for serving its purpose in your life, and thank the wind for taking it away.
7) Sit with this experience until you feel complete and then begin to wiggle the fingers and toes and bring your awareness back to the space around you. Continue on with your day witnessing what will come to fruition in the space you have intentionally created.
