The Land Breathes

I am so grateful for the opportunity to guide you through a mindful storytelling journey through what my community located in Treaty Nine territory, the Nishnanwbe Aski Nations, acknowledges as Turtle Island, or what you may be familiar with as Canada or North America. I invite you to join me as we journey to the water, the trees, and honor the vibrations and rhythms of the lands that I call home. So to begin, see if you can find a comfortable resting position. You might choose to soften your gaze or close your eyes for a moment here if it feels safe to do so. Allow your body to accept a moment of peace and stillness. With a deep inhale, see if you can quiet your mind and melt into a sense of calm. With a slow exhale, see if you can allow yourself to let go of something that is not serving you at this moment. Take a moment to check in with the quality of your thoughts at this time. Exhale judgment, inhale compassion. You're welcome to open your eyes, or you may choose to keep your eyes closed or gaze softened for the duration of this exercise. Sometimes the city's deep concrete jungle feels like my heart is being swallowed whole and my spirit cannot soar in the way that it knows. My partner and I built a home on wheels so that we could return home to the land, venturing deep into the natural world to visit with Shkaakaamikwe, Mother Earth, our first mother. I can feel that she misses us and that our connection has felt forgotten despite our best efforts to nurture our relationship with her. It is my intention to also attempt to connect you back to aki, the Earth, throughout our time together. With a deep inhale, can you welcome curiosity into your spirit as we begin our journey here, venturing through Southwestern Ontario to the rocky shores of the Georgian Bay to the untamed coast of the traditional territories surrounding Lake Superior. As I too began with curiosity, the city I live in grew smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror. I knew that our journey was beginning and I could feel the butterflies awake in the pit of my stomach. Sometimes the brain and nervous system are not certain if we require protection or if we are simply experiencing the anticipation of the unknown. With a deep inhale, I detected my nervous system's important message to my brain. Holding that breath still, I provided this feeling with space, and with a slow exhale, I allowed that unnerving feeling to release its grip from my thoughts. Let's visit and honor nibi, the water, Mother Earth's blood. Allow your mind and imagination to come with me to the shoreline of nibi, water, that is so grand and alive, you can see its belly rise and fall with each breath. These waters are sacred. After journeying through fields of precious crops, venturing through...