Take a deep breathe, in through the nose and a long exhale out through the mouth. Inhale. Exhale. Notice how your body accepts these first few deep breaths. Do you notice a change?

As you continue your cycle of breathing, at your own pace, bring your awareness to your physical form. Envision the warm light of the sun, glowing on the crown of your head. Absorb the warmth of it, allow it to drop into your skull, behind your face, shining out through your eyes and through your smile. Let it drop down to your jaw, your neck, your throat. Let it warm your voice and your breath as you exhale. The ball of light continues down to your shoulders, your arms, your wrists, your finger tips, until you are holding it within the palm of your hands. The glow is in your grasp. Soon it returns back Into your chest, into your rib cage, warming you heart. It makes its way down to your waist, your stomach, your hips and your bottom. Down through your thighs, your knees, your calves, your toes, and down through the soles of your feet.

Down through the floor you stand or sit on, down to the ground, the foundation of the building, down past the sidewalk and grass, down past the soil and dirt, down among the worms and bugs, past the roots of the trees, the minerals of the earth, the bones of animals, past the bones of our collective ancestors. Down past the groundwater and towards the mantle of the earth, the liquid metal of the outer core and into the warm glow of the inner core of the earth. Ground yourself in the warmth, feel the power of our planet and it’s gravitational pull. Envision the glow, within our planet. Bask in the miracle that it is. We are a part of that miracle, we are connected to that central glow, we are the glow. We glow. The power of the planet is always with us, grounding us, feeding us, and humbling us. Whenever you feel lost, return to the center of the Earth.

Focus your attention on the breath. Inhale and exhale, feeling the air rushing in and out. In and out. After some time, shift your awareness to your surroundings. Listen for sounds and name them. Smells, sensations, patterns of light. What do you observe?

Consider the air around you, focusing on the space above you. What is there? The roof of your home, the tall trees, the clouds in the sky, the sunlight shining, or rain that falls down on us. The stars, the other planets, the galaxies of our universe. The heavens, the gods, the highest powers. I am not afraid of flying.

Consider the air around you, focusing on the space below you. The floor beneath your feet, the ground, the street outside, the sidewalks, the pavement, cement and gravel. The grass, the soil, the dirt. How blessed I am with the mighty earth below me, grounding me as stand tall. The space below me holds me, keeps me rooted. I am not afraid of falling.

Consider the air around you, focusing on the space ahead of you. The great unknown, the leaps and bounds of time and space ahead of you. Your direction, the people you greet and hold close, the most beautiful views and illusions. I am not afraid to journey on.

Consider the air around you, focusing on the space behind you. Your shadow in the light, footprints and breadcrumbs trailing behind. Your past, your memories, your regrets, your earthly experience. The wars fought, the tears shed, the hard work and dedication as well as the mistakes of our ancestors. I am not afraid to remember what came before.

Above, below, ahead and behind, I am conscious. I observe in all directions, I live and exist in all directions at once. I am present.

Inspired by the Navajo Closing Prayer “Blessing Way” shared in the book The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing by Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord and Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt.

“With beauty before me, there may I walk.

With beauty behind me, there may I walk.

With beauty above me, there may I walk.

With beauty below me, there may I walk.

Wit beauty all around me, there may I walk.

In beauty it is finished.”

In a comfortable position (sitting, standing, laying down, walking, etc.), start by greeting your physical form. Bring awareness to your breath. Inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale. Continue this cycle of breath at your own rate, noticing the rush of air in and out, the relief, and the still pause between each inhale and exhale. Have the understanding that your breath is being breathed by a vast and loving presence- your creative life force. Let yourself be breathed. This is the power of creativity, the life force of the universe, that breathes through every living thing.

One thing to be acknowledged and appreciated is how the natural world reflects our inner state - the rain resembling tears and the need to be cleansed; the leaves falling and decaying just like the petals of ego rotting away; the wind resembling the current of drive and urgency within, clearing the way forward; the ocean waves resembling the need for refreshing and the washing away of ephemeral memories. These natural elements are both within and with-out us.

Consider the flesh and bones of your physical form. Your skin is made of vibrating energy particles that are the creative life force, vibrating as the skin of your body. Think of leaves, of tree bark, of the outer coverings of seeds, of the protective top soil of the earth. All of these are forms of skin and they are all made of creative life force energy.

Consider your bones. The solidity of your bones mirrors the solidity of rock, of earth, of mountains and glaciers. Consider the other fleshy elements of your body, the organs and fat, and recognize that they too are filled with creative life force energy.

Consider your blood and the other fluids in your body. Three-fourths of your body is fluid. The rivers and oceans of the world reflect the veins and arteries of your body. Realize that the fluids in your body and the waters of the world are too made of creative life force energy.

Consider the air you breathe, the air inside your lungs. Become aware of the space inside your body, inside your cells, the empty space of atoms, the space around you, the space within every object in your environment. Realize that the air is filled with particles of energy, particles of the creative life force.

Your body is made of creative life force energy. Look into your mind, sense the thoughts and emotions rising and subsiding in your inner space. Realize that they are energy too, fluid, everchanging aspects of creative life force.

Meditate with this. All the movements, rests, and shifts in the universe are movements of creative life force. Allow yourself to be breathed by this energy. Rest in this recognition.

~ Inspired by a meditation called “The Goddess as Your Own Body” shared in the book Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton.

Begin by bringing your focus onto our cycle of breath. Deep inhale. Long extended exhale. Once, twice, three times. At your own rate. Allow yourself to melt into your consciousness, using the breath as your guide.

When we leave our home each day, we are facing chaos and pain, beauty and glimmers of joy. Each time we walk out the door, we must prepare ourselves for battle and all the energy that we will encounter. Take some time to consider how you can protect your energy. You have the power to design your protection, customize your shield, and move through the world with a bubble of protection. It may morph and change over the day, adjusting to your needs and goals.

How does your protective shield look like today? Does it look unbecoming with the intent of increasing your anonymity? Does it have a shiny, flashy pattern that attracts the eye? Is it porous, or rigid, or see-through?

How does the texture of your shield feel? Does it have pointy spikes or thorns that keep intruding energy away? Does it have a slippery, reflective film?