Re-balancing with the Element Earth

From the Eden Project

Every element is connected to our beings.  Fire is our spirit, our passion.  Water is fluid like our emotional beings.  Air is our mental being, our breath which comes back into our life energy.  Earth is our physical body in the here and now, our foundation for the inner temple where the fire exists.  It is when we balance each element with one another that we discover true balance in living.

The element of Earth is our foundation.  It can calm the other elements, our minds, our emotions, and our spirits.  The root of all our sustenance in the physical reality.  It is here that we discover the magic of the ecosystem and its sacredness.  Especially during this time of year, the holidays combined with the winter season which tends to slow our activity level down, it is vital that we keep our Earth element in balance.
While it is important that diet and movement are incorporated into the day as sacred acts (yes even eating can be a sacred act), there are other ways to balance out the Earth element through meditation.  A simple meditation using the apple is a basis not only for tapping into meditation but also in treating food as a sacred gift and the act of eating a sacred act.  (See Apple Meditation )

(Side note:  I was asked when doing meditation what to do with your hands.  While there are literally hundreds of mudra's that can be utilized simply entwining the fingers with the thumbs touching and resting in your lap is a basic position that assists in connecting your energies.  When it is done outside I actually place the left hand on the Earth and let the right hand face upward to the skies.)

This meditation is one that I use outdoors sitting directly on Mother Earth leaning against a large piece of calcite, it can just as easily be done through visualizing yourself sitting outside in nature.

Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.  Begin to breath deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Feel the breath be drawn up through your root chakra where it meets the Earth.  Allow the root energy of the Earth to be pulled up through the base of your spine.  As you begin to experience the life energy of the Earth rise up and be exhaled through your mouth, allow the energy expelled to blow out anything that is clogging the meridians.  Feel the energy being drawn up through the Earth recharging your system.  Continue this breathing meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

Earth energy is gentle energy that will fill your being with a soft warmth, unlike fire or water which can be a bit more vibrant.

After practicing this simple meditation, begin during your waking day to truly experience the gifts of Mother Earth.  Notice the rocks you step on, the tree's that grow to the skies, and the magic of a simple blade of grass.  All elemental balancing begins with simple exercise.  As you sit to eat, begin with thanking the food for its gift to nourish you.  Savor the food and drink as it nourishes your body.  As All things are sacred and related, it is vital to begin to treat them as such.  The more you begin to connect with Earth, the more balanced the element will become within.