Dear Friends,
Today we continue our exploration of the earth element through a guided meditation that emphasizes steadiness and non-reactivity.
In an early teaching, the Buddha encourages developing the mind “in tune with the earth” – learning from the earth’s capacity to receive what comes without being pushed or pulled by it. Today’s practice takes up that invitation, using the felt sense of the body as a way of orienting toward stability and ease.
I invite you to listen to a guided meditation by Jill Shepherd, recorded during a time of transition and change. Rather than emphasizing effort or attainment, the practice encourages an attitude of exploration, allowing steadiness to emerge naturally.
https://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/70426/
Note: The recording is 46 minutes long, with a long stretch of silence after 20 minutes – so listen as long as works for you.
The meditation begins by settling into the body and sensing contact and support – the weight of the body resting on the ground, the firmness of bones and teeth, the steadiness of the spine. Attention is gently guided to points of contact with the earth or with whatever is supporting you, allowing the body to fully rest.
From there, the practice widens to include images from the natural world -trees with deep roots, rocks and minerals – reminding us of the shared materiality of body and earth. This sense of belonging can offer a quiet reassurance: the body already knows how to be supported.
Breath is included as a natural rhythm, received rather than controlled, allowing softness to coexist with stability. Thoughts and mental movements are noticed as they arise and pass, without needing to follow or suppress them. The emphasis throughout is on letting awareness rest – steady, present, and grounded.
You are welcome to listen to the meditation in whatever posture feels supportive, adapting as needed to support ease.
As you practice, you might notice:
- How the body responds when it’s allowed to fully rest into support
- What it’s like to receive experience without needing to react to it
- Where steadiness feels most accessible right now
You are invited to share a brief reflection after practicing – by replying to the email or commenting below. Reflections often help others recognize something similar in their own experience and support our shared exploration.
With good wishes,
Andrea
Andrea, these earth element teachings have been a real help in beginning to see this body’s close kinship to earth; its patience and steadiness; and its quiet, constant skill in sustaining itself.. (maybe on loan to me for a while, but so evidently “not my / not mine”)
And then, just when I start to grasp one element, it morphs into another! Walking along the shoreline, the sandy earth slips and rolls under my feet – moving like water.. A gale wind buffets me off balance with a solid push – solid like earth element.. These elements sometimes seem to share & play with one another’s qualities!
Hi Barb, You describe so beautifully how the elements mingle and borrow from one another – the lived experience is rarely tidy or separate. Of course, for the sake of this series we are looking at each element in turn, but I love how your reflections point to their constant interplay, and how the body reveals this fluid shifting so naturally.