Centering Meditation - Please do listen to their nature attunement audio. Here is the audio and will be used today with permission. This beautiful nature meditation comes from Mary and Richard Maddux at Meditation Oasis with beautiful instructions as to how to meditate in nature. Take time today to sit with it, and then open your visual journal and write about your experience, or draw what you saw in your minds eye. If you want to share, please do so here.
Medicine Wise men say that rushing is violence
and so is your silence
when its rooted in compliance
To stand firm in loving defiance,
make art your alliance
give voice to the fire
Move people to the beat of the wind
Gather yourself and begin
to dance the song until it ends
We are winners, champions of the light
forming in numbers and might
keep the truth close in sight…
Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace, I know your face, and I trust your hands
Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace, I know your face, and I trust your hands
Find your teachers in the voice of the forests
unplug you cant ignore this
wisdom of the voiceless
Remedies are bountiful and surround us
from the garden to the farthest
prayers made of star dust
Find your healing in the music that calls you
the voice that enthralls you
what do you belong to
Eyes out there's the setting of the sun
give thanks to each and everyone
the lesson is the…Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace I know your face, and I trust your hand
Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace, I know your face, and I trust your hand
Poem: I believe in bending backwards and extending
in my tracks
trip back
until the lesson is in action and
your yard is feeding
stop stark the disbelieving
cause the garden holds the shards
the medicine is in the seeds when
We hold tight to our right to protect and
we know our might is 10-fold in connection
our elders hold them bright lights
we protect them
the medicine is evident
the wolf, the hawk, the bear clan
We hold tight to our right to protect and
we know our might is 10-fold in connection
our elders hold them bright lights
we protect them
the medicine is evident
the wolf, the hawk, the bear clan…
Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace, I know your face, and I trust your hands
Medicine Woman, Medicine Man
walking with grace, I know your face, and I trust your hands
Thank you Dr. Ortega for allowing your centering ritual first published in Open Plaza to be the inspiration for grounding, centering and creative self expression.
Close reading – Lyrics - To do a close reading you take the text or lyrics, and your read it first silently, and then out loud to connect with the language, the words, the story. Let the words seep into your body, let thoughts, images, emotions and memory surface and highlight what in the text or song is stirring memories. This is just one way.
Centering Reflection & Writing: As you read what you wrote reflect on the following: What do you notice? What are you aware of? What do you feel? What are you curious about? To reflect on the reflection is a practice of bibliotherapy. What comes up for you? What words, sentences, thoughts stir something new within you?
Centering Ritual: This week, take time to close your eyes and visualize a moment you spent in nature that brought you joy. Relieve the memory and focus on noticing the details you re-member. Let that memory calm your spirit and then write about it. If a poem or story surfaces, please feel free to share it with us here.
Closing: As you know, I love to incorporate music in some of our centering days. Dr. Ortega recommended one of my favorite songs that encompasses the spiritual and healing traditions of my culture. The Earth medicine. The lyrics are above, and remember, read the lyrics, highlight what moves you, and write about it.
To learn more about these centering rituals check our page, Centering Ritual
Thank you Dr. Ortega for allowing me to use your centering rituals first published in Open Plaza. They have been the inspiration for grounding, centering, and creative self-expression. Today, I have used Dr. Ortega’s “opening thought”, recommended poem, and “centering ritual”. Other parts of todays centering were added by me.
Loved your centering ritual Gratitude for Nature. Thank you.