Recently in yoga meditation I found myself standing barefoot in a meadow of ankle-high grass wearing a soft long gown.  The grass was the fresh light green that only new grass can be, and I could feel it tickle my ankles as a light breeze ruffled across the meadow.  The slightly mounded area I was standing on gave me a view in all directions, and I could see tall trees in the distance that seemed to surround the meadow with rows of sentries standing silent watch.

I stood and breathed in fresh air and sunshine, and I closed my eyes to better hear any birds or other inhabitants of this lovely place.  I stood and listened and reached out for anyone or anything who might happen to be nearby.  Before long I did feel many presences around me, so I opened my eyes and was suprised to see the first humans I had ever encountered in my meditations.

I found myself surrounded by men and women who were of various appearances and ages.  They all felt familiar to me even though I didn’t remember seeing them before, and the very air around me hummed with widsom and gentleness.  I stood unable to gather my wits enough to think of anything to say to express my admiration and gratitude to these peaceful souls for even letting me exist in their presence, but since I realized nothing I could say would be helpful in the moment, I simply stood silently in awe.  All my meditations andjourneys had been with the other creatures who share the planet with me, and I had learned much from them, but now it was time to learn from those who had lived as humans and were willing to share their wisdom.

A tall muscled Native American man who exuded  confidence and strength stepped forward and laid a firm warm hand on my shoulder, and soon several others came to stand around me with hands laid gently on my back, shoulders, and arms.  I had never felt so much positive energy course through me, and I sighed and closed my eyes with pleasure as warmth and peace flowed from where they touched down my legs and into the earth beneath my feet.  When I had totally relaxed almost to the point of sliding limply to the ground they stepped back and seemed to be listening to something I couldn’t hear.  It was as if they were communicating with each other silently, but I could feel a hum in the air that reminded me of meditation chants when the sum of all voices is greater than each separately and truly beautiful.

Then I heard a voice gently commanding me to be still and listen, so I opened myself to everything around me with my eyes closed again.   Instantly I was connected to all the gentle souls in the group as well as every other creature in the meadow, and this time another presence as well.  I listened and let the energy flow through me, and I felt so much knowledge and wisdom rush through all my cells that I wanted to beg them to slow down so I could absorb it all.  I still couldn’t place what the new presence was although it seemed familiar to me in some ways, so I gathered the courage to ask and opened myself to the new sensation.

I received an answer that came from everywhere at once, and as I shook my head to clear it enough to understand what I was hearing I felt them step back a step and grow silent.  My eyes flew open with the fear that they might withdraw in frustration from my lack of comprehension, but I smiled as I saw them standing patiently in a group around me.  The Native American who appeared to be the leader spoke in a clear voice that echoed as if it bounced from cliffs that didn’t surround us, and he spoke simply and gestured to the earth I stood on.

He said that the presence I felt was the earth below my feet, and that most humans don’t listen to the messages she gives them and aren’t truly connected to her until death.  He said that we begin our lives connected to our origins and our mother who nurtures us, but along the way we learn to mistreat and disrespect her and then are even taught that she is not living, but instead a vessel for us to use as we please.  We begin to believe over time that we own her and have the right to destroy her in the names of progress and wealth, and we become arrogant and selfish instead of loving her and treating her with the kindness she shows us.  When we die we join with her again, but by then it is too late to change our path and undo the damage we have done, and then when we start a new cycle with another birth we are taught to forget again.  Meanwhile our loving mother cries with pain from the damage we’ve done, but she continues to nourish us as mothers do because we are her children.

I noticed a movement from the group behind him and felt overwhelming sadness, and as I scanned the group I saw tears of misery and grief coursing down their cheeks.  I wanted to run to them and comfort away their pain, but I felt totally inadequate and ashamed for my own part in this cruel cycle of devastation and destruction as I got flashes of mined naked hillsides whose very flesh had been ripped away, barren deserts where lush vegetation had been gifted to us from our mother and burned with no regard for its role in keeping her alive and healthy, and stinking piles of waste that cover her beautiful face.

I sobbed with my own grief as I realized I couldn’t comfort them or change the past, and then I felt that warm strength of the leader’s touch on my shoulder again.  He told me that tears weren’t the answer and becoming lost in guilt for all man’s transgressions was useless, and he opened his arms and spread them in a gesture toward the earth that felt so fresh and cool between my toes.  He let me know that I should lie on the earth and spread my arms upon it, and that I should let myself feel the vibrations of life that emanate from our mother if we take the time and opportunity to listen and feel her loving energy.  He told me that I had the same choices all humans do, and that I could lie against her and feel her breath and love her in return, or I could do as most do and only feel her welcoming arms in death.

If I chose the latter I would miss so much and lose the opportunity to share her wonder with my children, and  I felt deep sadness at the thought of continuing this cycle of abuse.  I laid down in the grass and felt my cheek against the fresh dirt, and I spread my arms to hug this amazing creation beneath me.  I gently held fistfuls of dirt and brought them to my face to breathe in the scent of life, and after I had laid in silence for awhile listening to a voice I had never taken the time to really hear before and feeling awe at the love she shows us, I rolled onto my back and realized I was alone in the meadow.

I laid against the damp cool earth with grass tickling my sides and feet for a long time, and I watched clouds racing across the blue sky above me as I considered how this day would change my life.  I know that I won’t be a perfect daughter to the earth who brought me life, but I also know that I will never forget her voice and will recognize it in the breeze, and that I will feel her warm caress as I touch the dirt in my garden. 

I know one more thing that brings me peace as well, and that is the knowledge that I will share with my children  this deep feeling of respect and caring for our planet that I have taken away from this experience.  Perhaps they will be the ones to show her the love she has shown so many generations of humans, and hopefully they will teach their children to love her as well.  Perhaps this is the one gift we can all give back to her, and maybe even save ourselves in the process as gifts that come from our hearts often do.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 9:10 pm and is filed under Journeys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.