Hello, and thanks for listening. This is Renee, and this is a
somatic meditation. Somatic meditation is a style of
meditation that is pretty creative and I use visualization
and guided awareness through the body.
And I'll ask questions and kind of invite you to feel into your
self through a lot of different layers through your physical
layer, your emotional layer, your mental layer and your kind
of Imaginative and maybe even psychic layer.
You can do this kind of meditation in any shape and also
in any activity meditation, as a gesture is focus and there is an
idea that you bring your awareness and your intention
towards the meditation. So it might not be the best
thing to do while you're distracted.
But it is something that you can do in small moments when you
find yourself with a couple of extra minutes here.
There and it's something you can do maybe when you're in transit
and you have an opportunity to kind of spaced out in a certain
way, from whatever it is, that's calling your attention in other
places. And then, of course, if you can
give yourself the time and the space to really just drop in and
and be with the meditation. That's great.
And these meditations are offered kind of as suggestions
and they are all All ideas and imaginings and states of being
that you can bring anywhere else.
So I love the idea that meditation can happen all the
time, and it doesn't need to look like any particular thing.
So today's meditation is called serving sacredness.
And the idea is that we can drop into a state of felt sense,
awareness around Essence and sacredness as an Essence is
something that is everywhere and I don't want to Define it for
you. I know what it feels like for me
and sacredness is something that I think a lot of us want and
particularly that we When it comes to how we apply ourselves
in our lives and what we feel like our work here to do on
Earth is or what our purpose is. And I think that if you found
your way to this meditation, this is probably you as well.
And I'm not going to make this assumption for everyone that
everyone wants to be in service to sacredness, but I think a lot
of people do. And so if you are finding this
and sitting with me for it or moving with me for it, then this
is for you. So let's begin in any shape and
find a way to make yourself comfortable.
So, for me, I'm sitting and I've got just kind of a traditional
meditation crossed like seat. But I'm aware that I can sit in
such a way that my spine is long and I feel comfortable and
supported. And so if you're sitting then
make any adjustments that you need so that you can feel
comfortable and supported. And if you're lying down, Are
standing up or moving around, do the same thing and just take a
few moments to check in with the physical state of your body.
And notice any kinds of distractions that might be
present, you could turn your phone off.
You can close your eyes, you can I don't know, tell your kids.
You'll be back with them in a little bit and then come into
your own experience in some way. And for me the quickest and
easiest way to come into my own experience is Is to tell my face
and head and brain to relax. And this is usually the
withdrawing of outward moving energy and especially in my eyes
and around my brow. Where if you are focusing this
part of your body, this part of your face, usually has an
intention outward or forward. So you can kind of feel that
your face and eyes and Forehead are kind of resting back and
away from anything that they might be paying attention to.
And even though you're listening to my voice speaking into your
ears also let your ears relax and just trust that whatever
words are floating into your ears at any given time or the
right words for you to hear. And so you don't need to try
with your ears to pick up on exactly the, you know, the
meaning or the words that I'm saying this kind of let your
ears also be open and relaxed. and then from here, coming into
the breath, is a really easy and direct way to get present.
And the nature of anything as its observed, is that it
notices? It's being observed.
And then gets a little shy and aware of itself or maybe starts
to perform, so you don't need to do anything with your breath.
But as you start to notice that your breath might naturally
change, and as you bring attention to your breath, you
might feel an instinct to take a deeper breath.
And if you do then go ahead. And whenever I bring attention
to my breath, usually I notice how long it's been since I've
paid attention to my breath and I'll feel the way that I have
been truly breathe, which is often a little shallower than
when I'm paying attention. And then, as you bring attention
to your breath, you can notice where in your body at moves and
of course you're inhaling. And that breath is coming in and
filling your lungs, up, and your lungs are quite massive organs
in comparison to some of the other organs in your body.
And they extend all the way down to your bottom, ribs, and all
the way up underneath your collar bones and forwards to the
front of your chest, and into your back body and their
voluminous. And, you know, really kind of
amazingly textured. Organs, they're full of porous
tissue and blood. And these branches just like
trees, tree roots. That spread out into smaller and
smaller. Aller pathways.
And so as you breathe, you can feel the circumference of your
breath and the volume of your breath.
And you can invite your breath to travel all the way down and
all the way up and forwards, and back and your lungs as organs
are pillows for your heart and they wrap around and embrace
your heart. You take a full breath in.
It's kind of like you're giving your heart a hug. and when you
exhale, The exhale is the natural pattern of the lungs.
It's the diaphragm releasing into its relaxed state.
And for some people, the exhale feels a lot easier.
And for some people, you exhale feels a lot harder.
And so whatever it is for you in the exhale, can you let
yourself, relax Camila yourself, kind of just rest.
So as you inhale, you are drawing in life force and any
life form on Earth, breathe, and we respirate.
And so respiration comes from the Latin root word, spear re.
I don't know if I said that right, it's SP IR a re, and this
is the, the root word of both inspiration.
Expiration. And in the romance languages,
these are the words for breathing for inhaling and
exhaling or some kind of variation of them.
And so this, this word spear, our spear re is related to
Spirit from also the Latin word, spiritus, meaning breath, so
respiration and perspiration the ways that our bodies kind of
intake and outtake. Are related in language to the
idea of spirit. And in English what we think of
as inspiration or aspiration are the ways that we receive
guidance and then both direct and kind of feel ourselves
navigating towards what we want to express.
So as you breathe in, consider just really what it is to
breathe on a very basic and also very profound level and that
you're taking in spirit into your body, whatever spirit is
and spirit. In this case, is the life force
that exists on this planet. And there's a spirit to
everything. There is a spirit to you as an
individual, there is a spirit Humanity as race as a species.
There is a spirit to any plant. There might be a spirit to a
moment. And spirit has its own essence.
And that Essence is probably in articulate a bowl on undefinable
it might be able to be felt but probably couldn't really be
spoken or expressed in any satisfying way.
And so as you breathe feel, the breath coming into your body.
And Ponder the question of, how do you know yourself?
And what really is your essence, as an individual as human being
here on Earth at this time. Your body is comprised of
billions and billions and trillions of cells and all of
those cells somehow know themselves, as part of you.
every one of those cells requires oxygen, every one of
those cells also respirate support takes in oxygen and
sugar, it metabolizes, it expresses it releases its energy
And is part of the cycle of life, that moves through all
living forms here on Earth. And what is it about?
The essence of you? That knows yourself.
And sustains yourself. And so as you draw in your
breath you can breathe into that Essence as mysterious as it
might be and let it be an open-ended question.
And as you exhale, you can imagine your essence, your
presence Rippling out and vibrating into the
everythingness. That is shared here on this
planet. The air that we breathe.
The atmosphere that contains us the humidity and your breath,
that is, of course, part of the water cycle on Earth, that moves
through all plant life and all animal life.
This is also part of you. And you contribute to it and you
are made of it and you are affected and you effect.
And as you breathe in, you can breathe into the essence of the
question. What are you, how do, you know
yourself and let that just be an open question.
A mystery that hopefully will always be a place to linger, a
place to abide and to explore. Because when there is answers,
when there are forms where we go, I am this.
All the time. We do that but those forms are
always incomplete. All of your identities.
If you think of all the ways that you say, I am, While they
all might be true in some way. None of them are complete.
None of them fully Express the essence of you.
However when you get kind of fixated, when one gets we get
fixated on the I am then we're getting into a state of ego and
from an I am place will want things and we'll have
aspirations to feed the ego. And so, of course, on the planet
right now, there's a lot of greed and a lot of aspiration
towards capital gain. And this aspiration has become a
really destructive force on our planet and another aspiration.
That seems to be leading. A lot of people on a lot of kind
of movements is some kind of Revenge or competition.
And so, again, it's kind of, it's an ego.
Like I am better than you. I'm going to win.
I'm going to topple you. And greed and competition aren't
really that different. and their instincts that arise in everyone
and you see these instincts coming up and really, really
young children and really, really old people and everybody
in between And so it's good to notice them when they come up
and not to feel necessarily like shamed or like, oh, that's a
horrible thing. I can't have that, but to notice
it, and to be in a place of choice with it.
And to have some discernment. So greed and aspiration, they
can be these kind of gross effects of basic needs.
And they're not the same thing. So any living being but
particularly in a human will have some basic needs and we'll
need shelter, will need comfort and a sense of support from
other humans Community. Love relationships, safety will
need sustenance nourishing food that sustains our body.
That gives us what we need to be healthy and vital.
Maybe that stuff isn't always like the most delicious or
immediately satisfying, but nourishing food, that feeds our
bodies, the nutrients that we need.
Of course, we need to breathe. That's kind of the first and
foremost. We need oxygen to survive at
all. And we need clean water, and we
need clean air. And Beyond those basic needs
things. Get pretty abstract.
And that's often times when our egos come in and we tell
ourselves. So I need that article of
clothing or I need this amount of money or I need this person
to really like me and validate me or I need to have that title
or I need to drive that car. So I want to invite you right
now to kind of check in with your present state of ego and to
find one thing that you're in a place of needing that you
actually don't need. And I definitely have plenty of
those things and I think anybody live probably does.
So this is not a shame-based exploration.
This is just being curious. Like okay, where is my ego?
Guiding me in places that are Probably beyond what I actually
need on a very fundamental level.
And when you find that thing, it's probably not that hard to
think of what it is, or one of the things I just want you to
attune to what it feels like to be in the place of needing or
wanting in that way. And how do you feel it in your
body? So for me, I feel a quickening
in my heart rate and kind of a tightness and a fluttering is or
like a it's like the residue of anxiety that comes up in my
diaphragm, on my chest and that feeling has a forward moving
momentum. So it's reaching out and it's
wanting something it's propelling me.
And attached to my feeling of neediness is also a bunch of
fear and the fears are all over the place, you know?
They they range from fears of scarcity that are really, you
know, these kind of basic fears like, oh no, if I don't have
that, then I'm going to die. We're all be somehow extremely
unhappy. And then they move into very
abstract fears. Like if I don't have that, then
I won't be as good as this other person and I like won't be able
to succeed in this particular way that I want to succeed or
something like that. So, pretty abstract coming into
layers of my conceptual mind but not really about basic needs.
So can you check in with yourself and and kind of notice
what the sensation is of this desire, and this feeling of
wanting or needing. And then notice, if there are
associated fears, and these two states have being, you know, the
desire is an attraction, it's propelling you and then the fear
places in a version and it's repelling you And so you can
kind of feel the way that magnetism works in your body and
in your brain and in your emotions.
And just be curious, just notice what it feels like.
And you don't need to try and make it go away.
All you need to do is notice it. So then when you've done your
research and feel free to pause the recording if you need to and
oftentimes like if I'm doing my own meditation, not recording
one. I like write things down and
I'll draw pictures and I do this kind of creative research as
well, where I just I want to know, like, what is that
feeling? What is it?
Hinge on what, what is, what are my hooks?
So I might Express them in some way and give myself language or
different kinds of images for it.
So, feel free to take the time to do that, as well.
But then when you're ready, just come back to your breath.
And come back to this space of kind of an open field of
awareness with drawing your eyes, and your ears, and your
face, and whatever parts of your being.
We're starting to reach out into different places.
Letting them soften and Retreat back into your own Center and
feeling the simple movement of your inhale on your exhale.
And then I'm just going to start to say a couple of things and as
I say them, I want you to imagine them and let the
sensations float through your body. so, imagine the way that
the ocean tide rolls in and rolls out And see the swelling
of the wave and how it comes in and rolls on the shore.
And the ocean water permeates around, all the grains of sand,
and then it pulls back in. And imagine how in the deciduous
forest and the leafy green forests.
There are the summer months in the winter months.
And all of this beautiful foliage will Sprout out of the
branches. And big leaves will grow and
they'll absorb sunlight, and they'll take in the sunlight and
they'll pull it through and turn it into energy.
They'll pull it in through their branches, and into the trunk.
And then in the Autumn months, in the colder months, the leaves
will fall. And in the coldest months, the
Of the tree will contract a little bit and energy will draw
in and conserve itself and in that drawing up and in what's
happening as fortification of the wood and then as light and
heat start to come again that strength that's been building
all winter expresses into growth.
And The Roots start to relax and expand and grow deeper into the
soil and the branches then Express and expand.
And there's this flooding of leaves that open up and allow
the sun to come and kiss them and see that movement of
expansion and contraction and feel it in your body all the way
to the tips of your toes and the ends of your hair.
And then imagine how on the forest floor.
There are all kinds of little creatures, little animals, big
animals, flying insects insects that live in the ground, in the
canopy of the trees, there's all manner of birds and all the
animals are eating the plants and some of them are eating each
other. And they eat and they take in
whatever nutrients and they absorb and then they have energy
and part of the byproduct of their energy production is their
poop and then they poop on the forest ground and that then
starts to seep into the Earth, and the fibers, and the
nutrients in their excrement. Then become part of the soil and
it's fertility and grow into the plants.
And then the plants are eaten by The Animals.
And of course, the plants also, when they release their leaves
or when they die, their bodies are decomposed in the earth and
become part of the fertility of the soil.
And you might feel in your own body.
There's this Rhythm the way that everything that you've ever
consumed any food that you've ever, eaten is somehow a
byproduct of animal or plant that has given its life.
Whether it's willingly or unwillingly and then it's become
your body. And in some way, whatever, your
body is producing the energy that turns into your life force,
the energy that is passed through your body and defecated
out this all goes somewhere. It's not like it just leaves you
and then ceases to exist, there's cycle.
It all goes somewhere and then becomes other things. so in this
cycle that we are living in in this expanding and condensing
state that simultaneous and all the time, the life eating life
and the life, birthing life and the life eating death.
And the death birthing life, that these Cycles are happening
all the time and they happen on Tiny levels and molecular levels
in our cells, are cells are constantly reproducing and also
dying. And they happen on big levels
with big bodies and they happen on massive levels with whole
ecosystems. And right now we're living on
Earth when during a time, when there is a lot of influence from
ego. And so things that are being
birthed and energy that is also part of a death force.
A lot of that is hooked to the ego of humans, being greedy and
wanting things that are beyond their basic needs and the greed
and competition, even if it's just a small Instinct that comes
out in a small way in a relationship There is
accumulation, and there's movement and there's compliance.
and there's complicit - and when certain elements of our beings
in Courage elements and other beings, Or ignore don't disrupt
don't protest, then energy can can grow and become its own kind
of life-form. So, the invitation right now is
to invite yourself to be a servant of sacredness.
And sacredness is something that is existent in nature and of
course you your body is nature. You are nature.
And can you breathe into the part of yourself that is?
Very much a link in the chain of nature.
The intelligence of the Earth where there is abundance, where
there's plenty, where there is growth and birth, and also death
and composition and recomposition.
And giving and receiving are part of the same thing.
And can you imagine that natural order wear anything that's given
becomes part of what is then given?
So anything that's given becomes part of what is given.
A life is given and then it is decomposed and recomposed into
more life. A breath is given and that
breath becomes the breath of another being And as you inhale,
can you feel that your recipient of this generosity, anything
you've eaten, and all the air, you breathe, and the water you
drink? And any resources are objects
that you have in your possession that they've come from
somewhere. And as you inhale, Can You Feel
the sincerity and desire for yourself?
And for all Beings to have their basic needs met.
To have breath clean air to breathe. have water, clean water
to drink and to bathe in to be cleansed by to have a
comfortable shelter. To have a safe and loving
connections. have enough to eat that's nourishing and wholesome,
to have any other things or experiences or activities that
could Inspire generosity and one's heart and a feeling of
true happiness and content to this.
Can you breathe that in as a sincere?
Desire for yourself, and for all beings, And then remember the
sensation of ego and you don't necessarily need to go back into
it right now. Maybe me saying it just calls it
up. It did for me. but you can feel
the difference between the sensation of ego and The
Sensation of the sincere desire for wellness for yourself and
for all beings, And as you notice that difference, then
let's just settle into a prayer, and you can take my words in and
see how they land for you. And take what works and reframe
them as you need. May all beings upon this Earth
and the Earth itself. Have love safety.
Have comfort. Of nourishment and the
sustenance we need. May we release ego-based
aspirations that cause suffering for ourselves for other beings.
And for the planet, may we become Discerning and ever more
aware and present with the ways that we separate.
Through our ego, attachments. With the ways that we isolate
their greed and competition. May we resolve these habits?
may we include the well-being and happiness, and contentedness
of others in our hearts and in our desires, for our own
well-being and happiness and contentedness And then you might
just ask for help, and guidance, and assistance.
From your own awareness, from any kind of guides or spiritual
mentors that you feel around you.
And the request for help would be to cease any ego-based
aspirations and to turn your aspiration and your inspiration
towards creating Wellness, well-being, happiness, and
contentedness for all beings on the earth, as well as the planet
itself. And to trust that, that greater
Wellness would also be something that you receive.
And that you are completely deserving of receiving.
So we're living in a Time on Earth went along when important
decisions need to be made for everyone.
If you live with privilege, it's a time to start to let go of
some privilege to let your money and your resources be shared
with those who have less. If you have the means to make
choices or around sustainability, and making
purchases that are less destructive on the planet, this
is the time to do it and if you live with influence and are able
to influence people with more power and privilege than this is
the time to use, all the influence that you have.
And as a recipient of generosity, and we're all
regardless of what the life statuses were all recipients of
generosity at its most basic from the Earth from the planet
itself, from the oxygen, and the air and the water.
If you're a recipient of generosity than this is a time
to practice trust in as many ways as you can, and in, as many
ways, as you can, to reduce the tendency for competition and for
greed and one-upmanship. To know that these instincts in
our cells contribute to larger currents and patterns.
And so the more that all of us divest we can reinvest in other
systems that are more generative to well-being.
Thank you so much for practicing this meditation.
Please continue with it in whatever way suits you and share
it. And this meditation was made in
respect and celebration of the Pisces full moon on August 26th,
2018. And so, if you'd like to learn
more about Pisces and the Pisces, Virgo axis, this is the
axis of spirit and service, then listen to the podcast for that
astrology and you can find audio horse.
Go Oops, for your sign, all 12 signs at embodied astrology.com
or linked from this recording. And yeah, if you received
benefit from my work, then please consider sharing it, and
thank you so much. Wishing you all the best and
happiness and safety, and nourishment, and always.
Thanks for listening. Bye for now.