by Berenice Andrews
I stopped dead in my tracks. There, attached to the wall in a most unlikely place, the Bank of America, was a profoundly spiritual message. It said: “Life’s Better When We’re Connected.” I chuckled. How utterly amazing and how wondrously true!
Life’s better when we’re connected…to the Spirit and to this Earth; connected by our “lifelines.”
Actually, these lifelines are essential for maintaining our “bodies” of consciousness on our inner journey home; home to the realization of all that we are as an incarnated energy being, a soul.
Two of those lifelines are our grounding and meditating practices so let’s look at examples of practices that you can use right now:
A Grounding Practice
Your human energy system that you can “picture” as an inner caduceus and myriads of channels, (sometimes referred to as “meridians”) is your instrument for connecting. By directing those meridians into the Earth—the living body that is vibrating at the frequency required by your soul structures—you are using your “grounding” lifeline:
Standing, sitting and even lying down, gently close your eyes and state your intent to connect with your “grounding” energies. Breathing deeply, focus your attention on the soles of your feet. On each arch, “see” a tiny portal that now opens. Out through that opening emerge thread-like “roots.” While breathing deeply, see those roots quickly moving down toward—then into—the Earth. As they move downward, they get thicker, longer and stronger. Down, down they go! They are eagerly searching for your grounding source. With each deep breath, it is getting closer and larger. There it is: a pool of light, or a ball of light or something else. And those roots connect! Feel that connection like hungry mouths taking in nourishment.
On the next deep breath, start to draw the grounding energies up your roots. Up, up they come. (It’s like priming a pump.) They flow, faster and faster. Now, they’re at the portals in the arches of your feet. Allow those grounding energies to flow unimpeded up your energy system’s main channels and meridians. Breathe deeply and steadily. See those nurturing, nourishing energies gently impacting on your chakras. Allow the flow to continue until you feel replete. Then close the portals.
By using your “grounding” lifeline, you bring healing first into your chakras, then into all of your soul structures. (Form follows consciousness). Thereby, you are maintaining your “bodies” of consciousness.
And you enhance that maintenance with your “meditating” lifeline.
A Meditation Practice
After thoroughly grounding, stop those energies at the arches of your feet and keep them as an “anchor” for your meditation. Then, state your intent to connect with spiritual guidance.
Breathe deeply and focus your attention on the back of your throat. See a shaft going downward. Breathe deeply and steadily. Gently sink down and down and down. You are surrounded by a silent darkness. Continue sinking until you stop. And wait…
You are in a large cave. The walls are covered with fantastic drawings of animals and other creatures. In the center is an altar on which crude candles are burning. There are people silently waiting in the shadows beyond the flickering lights. And you know that they are your spiritual ancestors gathered for worship. Sense their ancient energies. Hold that connection. And wait…
The altar and the people slowly disappear. The cave expands outward and upward. It fills with a brilliant light. The white walls are covered with sparkling gems. In the center is a low table. Now there enters a hugely pregnant woman being led by richly clad men and women. She lies down on the table. Her garments are gently removed. She moans softly in her birthing pangs. Then with one last heave, she pushes out the newborn. The umbilical cord is cut. The child is held high. The people shout: “Behold, the newborn king!” The cry echoes throughout the cave. And you know that this is an ancient birthing place of god/royalty. Hold that connection. And wait…
The cave grows dark. The walls shrink, smaller and smaller. You are in a dim cave/stable with farm animals, odors and straw. In the center, there is a crude manger and in the manger lies a newborn child. Now there enter poorly clad people who kneel beside the manger. They worship. Then they leave. There enter richly-clad others who present splendid gifts. They also worship. Then they leave. And you know that once again you are in the birthing place of god/royalty. Hold that connection. And wait…
The scene slowly fades. Now there’s only the infant, bathed in light. Suddenly, the cave/stable starts to change. Breathe deeply. Everything is shape shifting, moving, turning. Breathe deeply. There is something slowly filling your own chest. Feel it expanding…filling. You sense a rhythmic beating. Then you know:
“This is my own cave; my cave so ancient and so holy, my heart cave where I am birthing my own divinity.” Hold that connection. And wait…
You are back in the shaft. Breathe deeply. Very slowly rise up through the darkness. Rise and slowly return to the present, to your familiar surroundings. Now drink a tall glass of pure water. Then, ponder awhile on the spiritual guidance, the nurture and nourishment that you have received.
And There’s More
Your grounding and meditating practices, your lifelines, are love connections. While using them for maintaining your “bodies” of consciousness on your inner journey home, you will be developing yet another lifeline. You will learn how to connect truly with “others.” Then you, who are realizing yourself as an “image and likeness” of the Spirit, will finally discern what Jesus meant when he said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s a lifeline—a love connection—that’s desperately needed in this world.
Berenice Andrews, now in her 80th year, continues to follow her bliss as a shamanic teacher/healer. To learn more about her teaching and to become her student, consult her book Rebirthing Into Androgyny: Your Quest for Wholeness, And Afterward and her website: thestonecircleclassroom.com.
Author’s Note: For more grounding practices that help heal specific chakras, refer to the “Index” in Rebirthing Into Androgyny, under the heading “Breath work given herein.” For more healing meditations, refer to the “Index” under the heading “Meditations (guided) given herein.”