Chapter 1: Earth
Our body is the microcosm of the earth's body. We are fractals of the same source, regenerating ourselves constantly through the eternal dance of dying and rebirthing- The ouroboros- The alchemical symbol of a snake eating its tail, representing the infinite cycles of creation/destruction, the paradox of individuality and wholeness.
We are born of earth, she feeds us and holds us throughout our life until we lay the body down to feed her in return and become her soil, her body. The earth represents the great mother, the one who gives life, feeds it and nurtures it, she is called many names, Pachamama, Gaia, Tonantzin…etc. She is also the fierce, wild destructive force that takes life away.
When we connect to our bodies, we connect to the greater body. The earth is our bones, our foundation, it’s the dense energy that grounds us in reality.
How we relate to our bodies, mirrors how we relate to the earth and vice versa. The way society treats mothers and women in general mirrors how it treats the earth, the environment that sustains life.
The disconnection and separateness that plague the consciousness of modern humanity is a direct outcome of an overly materialistic mentality. Humanity reduced earth to mere matter and killed the spirit that lives in everything, we gave way to reductionist science and severed our connection to our true nature, to our soul life.
Remembering that we are children of the earth and sun, is to reclaim our sacredness and our rightful place on earth.
We gain access to our spirit through the vessels of our bodies. The task of daily tending to our body is sacred, every relationship mirrors the relationship we have with ourselves, therefore respect, love and appreciation for our bodies, result in reciprocal and more harmonious relationships. When we feel physically supported, we feel resourced enough to process and integrate emotional and psychic work. It is often through the mundane that spiritual truths are realized, Spirit lives in the details of everyday tasks and chores.
I recommend that you practice the earth movement for ten minutes or more daily or at least three times a week. Follow your movement practice with journaling, following the guidance of the journaling inquiries. I recommend focusing on 1-3 prompts daily or you can focus on a particular one and elaborate for as many days as you feel called. Write one letter to your body this week and listen to the meditation as much as needed. I recommend the dry brushing and anointing ritual twice this week and sitting with a plant or tree daily or at least once this week for 10-30 minutes. Make at least one meal this week with reverence and intention and focus on the nurturing of your physical body and its specific needs.
Reading material (optional):
Body of wisdom by Hilary Hart
Women who run with the wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Plant intelligence and the imaginal realm by Stephen Harrod Bhuner
Deep nutrition by Catherine ShanahanHagitude by Sharon Blackie
Upstream by Mary Oliver
Women’s bodies women’s wisdom by Christiane Northrup