May 30, 2012

Rock Meditation

"Only after such an unimpeded childhood does a grown woman know in her bones that she inhabits a breathing cosmos, that her life is embedded in a wild community of dynamically intertwined and yet weirdly different lives." David Abram, Becoming Animal
Children instinctively know that nature is not as inert as they are later trained to believe in the Western worldview. Rocks alive? Ya, right.

It is important for kids and adults, to connect with nature. Our separation from the natural world is detrimental to our health, as well as the health of the earth.

Indigenous groups do not separate the people from nature, and rather see themselves as participants in a living, active world. Such a way of life is intimately in tune with the earth, and recognizes that all things possess energy and sentience.

Even the rocks.

A good way to reconnect to earth's revitalizing powers is by taking a moment for a nature meditation, in this case, a rock meditation.

Rock Meditation

You can feel the energy of the earth through ancient rock.
Find a big rock that's smooth enough to sit on, lie on, or lean against. Relax deeply and feel your body against the rock. Feel how strong and firm the rock is. Notice how cool or warm it is.

Think about how ancient it is and how long it has been in this spot. Pretend you are the rock and try to imagine what it would be like to sit so calmly and still for hundreds, thousands, or perhaps millions of years. Let yourself absorb the serene, powerful energy of this rock.  - Shakti Gawain

6 comments:

  1. I have seen a report (only a few weeks ago, but no idea where) that there is scientific evidence that rocks have a very slow heartbeat. I have always loved rocks they seem so beautiful to me

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    1. That is fascinating, and makes sense.

      I didn't find anything about rocks specifically in a brief search, but did find interesting references to the "heartbeat of the earth".

      "The heartbeat of the earth goes at about eight cycles per second. Scientists call this heartbeat The Schumann Resonance..."

      source - http://io9.com/5863588/the-earth-has-a-heartbeat-we-can-see-from-space

      Thanks for sharing the interesting rock factoid.

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  2. I love this. I recently completed a short class series on Buddhist meditation, and I think it would be lovely to meditate on a big rock. I'll have to explore some natural spots in my region and see what I can find.

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    1. What have you found?

      The bedrock shows in many places in my area. I like to bike to a few favourite places, then sit quietly. I am never alone in nature.

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  3. We just back from a spa with a heated granite meditation room where we spent 3 days in and out of that room and another salt infused room with base music vibrating the beds. The rock experience was not our first. Meditating in Machu Picchu was grand. And closer to home whenever we are home we go to a museum that has a 3.4 ton granite monolith one can walk under. We stop off to the side to meditate. Whether it is the iron in our blood being pulled by electro-magnetic forces or not, we feel levitated by granite. We hope this is a growing trend because it is peaceful and the world can use it right now.

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    1. What a spa moment - sounds great. Machu Picchu, being a megalithic structure, is a powerful place.

      I have had the pleasure of experiencing a Turkish bath, or hammam. In the steam room is a large, circular, heated marble platform known as the navel stone. Relaxing on the navel stone was an amazing part of the whole process.

      I also use to hike and climb in the Rocky Mountains, and contacting 10,000 foot heaps of rock felt wonderful.

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