Good morning COM|PASSionate REVOLUTIONARIES!
We hope that you had some time for self-care the past couple of weeks and that you feel rejuvenated and/or recovered from the winter holiday season.
We've been meditating on slowing down.
There's been a lot of movement over the past year. We set our intentions high and seeing some of those intentions actualize into fruition is pretty amazing. Some of them have manifested in ways that are recognizable to the seeds of intention that were planted in our mind's eye. Some of them have taken on a life of their own. Plans have been made, re-made and scrapped. Around mid October we realized that we had fallen into a productive but frenetically energized wind tunnel. It took us until mid November to realize that it might serve us to set our sights on getting a bit more grounded. We didn't feel like we had started to find our footing again until a couple of weeks ago.
So we've been meditating on slowing down.
We're still saying yes to movement. Especially, movement towards this amazing healing community we're starting to see actualize. However, we're doing so with a grounding breath of gratitude so we don't miss everything there is to be grateful for already in existence all around us.
If you're also coming back and sinking into the schedule and present-ness of the new year we'd like to offer this meditation to settle in and slow down.
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Meditation on Slowing Down
Find a comfortable grounded seat. If you're fortunate enough to be able to find some warm outdoor space like us in Southern California or can find a quiet place to bundle up and enjoy the winter chill we highly encourage you to take your practice outside.
We've been loving a winter warming hibernation oil mix that we made for this meditation. It contains Orange to cheer and lift any seasonal lowness, Pine Needle to clear and open ourselves up and Cloves to warm and comfort.
Get grounded. If accessible actually on the ground but any comfortable seated or standing position will do. If utilizing oils place some underneath nose, on temples and heart space.
Palms up on the knees or open forward (if standing) is always a little bit more receiving. Palms down or near sides is always a little bit more grounding.
Start to take deep full breaths stretching your capacity for prana or life force. Find the edges of your breath- the biggest inhalations and fullest exhalations you can take. Feel your breath come up against the edges of your body container. Then return to a grounding count (i.e. an inhalation/exhalation count you can hold for the same amount of time.) Start to concentrate on your edges against your clothes and then transition focus to where your clothes or feet meet the earth.
Feel it solid beneath you. Draw breath up from abundant earth into body. Sit up taller with each breath or if standing let soles of the feet root downwards, arms become engaged by sides and crown of the head pulls up towards the sky. Radiate.
Enjoy this grounded radiation good for settling in, practicing being present and being open to the coming moment for as long as you'd like. When you feel sunken in and refreshed. Invite your breath to gently return to it's natural meter and softly open your eyes. It's completely normal to find that your breath's natural meter may be a bit more expanded than when you started your practice. Stay seated or still for at least five breaths after you have opened your eyes before returning to normal activities. Take time to process after if your mind wishes. This can be done via conversation, art, journaling or within community sending us a comment here!
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In present COM|PASSion and Gratitude,
The REVOLT
