Rituals for Honoring Mother Earth

Rituals help infuse intention and purpose into our day. They can teach us how to create mini-ceremonies out of everyday tasks and gradually build a sense of gratitude for everything and everyone in our lives. A ritual could be as simple as taking a moment each day to look up at the sky in appreciation for this vast universe we’re a part of or slowly sipping your water with the intent to nourish your body.

For the purpose of honoring and celebrating Gaia, Mother Earth, here are few rituals to help you form a greater connection with her:

Meditate

Find your sense of stability and balance with the Earth by practicing a grounding meditation or Root Chakra meditation. Light your Mother Gaia Intention Candle to bring in the vibrations.

1. 1. Find 10 minutes in your day for meditation.
   2. Find a quiet spot outdoors where you can comfortably sit on the earth.
   3. Connect your breath.
   4. Focus on the location of the root chakra and visualize the color of the chakra.
      Enhance your meditation experience with: Essential oils- Myrrh, Patchouli, or Frankincense. Use a Mudra-Muladhara mudra.
   5. Finish your meditation by bringing your hands to your heart in prayer and returning to your breath. You can also try closing out your practice by chanting OM.

Movement

The Earth element is the principle of stability. It supports commitment and confidence. Just like a tree, we grow both upward and downward with roots and branches. We can mimic this energetic experience through yoga postures such as tree pose or mountain pose to stand firm and grow tall, and child’s pose or pigeon pose to root ourselves to the ground.

Earthing

Ever notice how you feel so energized and vibrant while walking on the beach? You might have noticed how the stress rolls off and you feel completely relaxed. What’s the magical ingredient? Electrons.

Our feet contain a rich, intricate network of nerves and acupuncture points and are especially adept at picking up free electrons from the earth’s surface. It’s called barefoot or caveman medicine, and walking barefoot – aka earthing or grounding – may be the easiest, simplest and cheapest way of shifting your body back to an optimal state of homeostasis and health.

The most straightforward way to participate in grounding is to simply make contact with the ground on either the dirt or concrete, which is also conductive. Here are ways you can ritualize your experience:

1. Take your shoes off in your backyard each day after work
2. Say a mantra: I am grounded. My spirit is grounded deep in the earth. I am calm, strong, centered and peaceful. I am able to let go of fear and trust that I am eternally safe. I am worthy of all things beautiful. -Carly Marie
3. Meditate. Find a comfortable seat on the earth. Close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel the supporting soil underneath. Imagine roots stemming out from the base of your spine and into the core of the earth. Feel the reciprocal current of energy moving through you and the roots.

Mindful Living

We live our lives under the assumption that there is little action we can take, aside from recycling or protesting, that would actually make a difference in saving our planet. But when it comes to the Earth, history has shown that she can heal herself, she just needs us to stop making her sick. Beyond composting, there are actionable and practical steps you can take to stop supporting systems that are hurting the earth, and instead make a commitment to keeping her clean and healthy.