Earth Appreciation

Hi, it's Dora, and welcome to this loving kindness exercise, intended to help us connect to a greater sense of care, and compassion for the Earth. Now, we may be thinking something along the lines of how does practicing loving kindness help with protecting the planet? But by sitting and being with ourselves here, we can learn how to take action in the world in a skillful way. Truth be told, it can be really overwhelming when we think of the Earth, and everything that it goes through. Whether it's pollution, climate change, the list goes on. So cultivating a sense of compassion is just one of the ways that we can begin to honor and preserve Mother Earth. Let's give this a try. So wherever you are, take a moment to get comfortable. Closing the eyes if you'd like, and then taking a few deep grounding breaths, in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Now placing a hand over the heart, and one on the belly, or maybe resting both hands over the heart, and just feeling the chest and stomach rising and falling with each breath. Connecting to the space of deep genuine compassion and kindness. Now bringing to mind your favorite place in nature. It could be a place you visited, or a place you've been dreaming of visiting, and allowing yourself to be there. Noticing the details, the colors, noticing any feelings or sensations that arise. And then sending these warm wishes to this place, repeating after me, may you be nurtured and nourished, may you be safe and protected, and may you be loved and cared for. Breathing that in for ourselves, and breathing out, sending these wishes to your favorite place, and all who visit there. Now offering this sense of love and kindness to all of Mother Earth and her inhabitants. So all the critters and creatures, plants, flowers, beaches, and oceans. Bringing them to mind, and offering them these well wishes. May you be nurtured and nourished, may you be safe and protected, and may you be loved and cared for. Again, breathing that in, that sense of compassion for ourselves, and breathing it out, sending it outwards to the world. Lastly, offering compassion and care to Mother Earth 100 years from now. So maybe it's your favorite place 100 years from now, or envisioning the entire globe, and all the beings that live here in 100 years time, and repeating after me, may you be nurtured and nourished, may you be safe and protected, and may you be loved and cared for. Breathing that in, and sending it outwards. And let's just take a moment here to reflect, and offer these well wishes to any other aspects of the Earth we would like to include. May you be nurtured and nourished, may you be safe and protected, and may you be loved and cared for. Taking a deep breath, and when you're ready, slowly and gently opening the eyes,...