Library of Radical Returns for Meditation Ocean

2022

Find a seat or position where you can stay for ten minutes.

Become aware of your body. Shift your limbs and posture until you find a position that will allow you to be comfortable for the duration of this practice.

Breathe in

And exhale fully, empty out this cleansing breath, making space for fresh beginnings

Inhale, expanding the body with room for new possibilities

Exhale, grounding down to where the body meets a solid surface, hearing any sounds that come from within

Inhale, awareness expanding outward, listening to the furthest away sounds

Exhale…

Inhale…

Bring awareness to each of the elements around you.

Air: what are the qualities of the air you are breathing? Notice if it is still, if it comes in through a breeze, a vent, a tank. The temperature of the air on your nostrils, lips, skin, if that is available to you.

Earth: notice how you are connected to the earth, the strength of gravity where you are, and how it brings you into contact with a floor, with a cushion. A sea bed. A handful of sand or soil, a stone in your hand, or resting on your thigh. A pebble wedged into a tread.

Fire: notice what fire is available to you in this moment. Perhaps a candle that you’ve lit, a light that shines. A campfire. The sun. The reflection of the sun in the moon, the far-away fire of a star, the warmth emanating from a heart, or a hard drive.

Water: Become aware of the water available to you at this moment. Perhaps your hand can touch the condensation on the outside of a glass; your fingers can dip into a river; you are floating on or submerged in a large body of it. The water available to you might be that in your body, the moisture in your mouth. The sweat rolling down your back.

Find relationships with whatever is nearby.

Locate two, or more, elements that you can touch with some part of your body.

You may have one hand in a river, one hand cupping a candle. Perhaps you are sitting on a rock, or on a floor. Perhaps the air is very still, and you create a breeze across your knee with your breath or use your mouth to blow bubbles with your spit.

Begin to notice how the elements interact with each other. play together.

Air pushes through water; stirs a flame. Sun warms a stone.

Earth and water mix to make mud. Perhaps you exhale bubbles through water and they tickle your hand as they rise.

Breathe, unfold your body. Reach out to these elements. Allow them to interact even deeper through you.

Your body is a divining rod, dowsing elemental energies.

Feel the energy of these elements. How they affect and course through your skin. If they have a smell. A temperature. movement. stillness. The sliminess or roughness of their textures.

Your body is a conduit, the energy of everything flows around through you.

Your dowsing body feels for these energies and their qualities. The cool, restorative embrace of the earth; the transformative, bright revelation of fire. The expansive perspective of air. The nourishing flow of water.

Notice when one of the elements you reach out to seems to yearn towards the other, drawing it closer. Let that energy be drawn through you.

As you inhale, the energy flows from one element, into your dowsing body.

Hold it for a moment as it fills you.

Slowly exhale, and feel this energy flow through you, into the other element you are touching.

As a conduit, you become replenished with every inhale.

You're cleansed with every exhale.

Inhale, and feel yourself rejuvenated

Exhale, and feel the release and renewal

Inhale, you are filled with vitality

Exhale, your body is whole

Bring your focus back to the elements. Feel them supporting you as your breaths energize and restore you

Inhale, pause. As you exhale, feel the receiving element become full, brimming.

Now we take a moment to renew the relationship with these elements. Feel them flowing to full, and pause before shifting the flow to the other direction. The receiving element now becomes the transmitter, and we continue with several more breaths.

Fold your body back in. Inhale a squeeze into your limbs. pause. Expand it out. Renew your relationship with these elements.

Contract your body in, wrap your arms around yourself, for another inhale and squeeze.

Expand your body and reach out as you exhale.

Refresh your sense of touch with these elements…

Instead of your heels resting pressure on the ground, perhaps it shifts to your toes. Fingertips instead of palm. Uncross and recross your legs.

Stretch your conduit out.

As you inhale, the energy flows from one element, into your dowsing body.

Hold it for a moment as it fills you.

Slowly exhale, and feel this energy flow through you, into the other element you are touching.

Inhale, you are filled with vitality

Exhale, your body is whole

Inhale, you are filled with vitality

Exhale, your body is whole

This time, as you feel the energy in the elements, let your conduit body flow with energy in both directions. On an inhale, draw the energy from multiple elements into your body at once. Pause as it courses through you. As you exhale, feel it flow back out into the elements.

Your body is full of energies finding equilibrium.

As they flow through you, charging and cleansing, you find a new elemental balance.

Take this with you into the rest of your day: these energies, all around you, are always already available for you to notice and engage with your divining body.

Thank you for sharing attention, together in this experience with the Library of Radical Returns.

Our hearts are full of gratitude for holding space with us, our bodies as manifestations of earth, fire, water, air, conduits for their connections, and swimming with love for the elemental oceans we share.