The Roots of Your Practice

Connection, Communion and Awareness

The basis of a rewarding practice is the roots on which you establish it.

Like all roots, Connection, Communion and Awareness ground your efforts and sustain the growth of the tree branches, supporting you in the practice of your choice. There is an ease, a sense of communion, and a connection with purposeful practice.

In meditation, we aim to connect and commune with something greater than ourselves while cultivating an understanding of the process. Outside of the traditional methods, we can consider gardening, cooking, or a daily activity when accomplished with care and awareness. By cultivating awareness of our patterns and choices, we understand how our mind works and how we can establish healthy habits.

Consider what makes running every day a fitness exercise, with its obvious health benefits, different from running every day to connect body, soul and spirit. Both approaches require commitment and sustained actions, but one will aim for goals and results, while the other will be more fluid, freer, more curious about the process and less focused on the outcome. Here, intention and attention are essential.

Intention and purpose are a choice, a preference, a statement: “I intend to start a meditation practice.” Attention is the focal point method: “I bring my attention to the rhythm of my breath, breath in, breath out.” Awareness is the resulting sense of deep connection and communion.

6 steps to finding the roots of your practice

We begin by connecting with the earth. Place your hands on your belly, close your eyes, and allow your breath to expand your abdomen. Breathe for a few minutes connecting breath and earth.
Imagine your feet growing into lovely roots, deepening your desire to feel connected with life. Breathe.
With each breath, draw strength from the earth up into your body.
With each breath, fill your being with life force.
Repeat until you feel complete.
Release and give thanks.