How to find connection in meditation
This month we are exploring the theme of inter-connected-ness. In this article I share how to find connection in meditation, with yourself, others and the world around you.
How do I know I am connected?
I think everyone has experienced one of those moments where you see an amazing sunrise, or sunset, when you are walking in nature or when you are with someone and feel completely in tune. There is a sense that you are part of something bigger than yourself, you feel in tune or in step with the world and the people around you. This is a wonderful feeling of connection to the present moment.
Meditation is an ideal tool, or practice, to be able to find this connection with the world around you at any moment.
Below I share a 15-minute meditation practice that you can use at any time to connect to the present moment and to the world around you. I suggest you read through it first. Allow a couple of minutes for each step – you can do longer if you have more time, for example take five minutes for step 5. If you mind is particularly busy or distracted, you might also want to take a few more minutes in step 1, which helps to calm and focus.
15-minute meditation for connection
Take a moment to create a space for yourself. This is a lovely meditation to do outside, if you wish to incorporate the sounds and feeling of nature all around you. Make sure it is safe and you will not be disturbed.
Switch your phone onto airplane mode – so you will not receive any data or calls, but you can still use your clock to set an alarm for fifteen minutes.
Find a comfortable seated position – cross legged is ideal, but you can also kneel, sit with your legs out in front of you (resting your back on a wall) or sit on a chair (with both feet resting flat on the ground).
Close your eyes. Close your mouth and allow your tongue to rest against the roof of your mouth.
- Bring your awareness to your breath. Allow yourself to breathe naturally, in and out through your nose. Feel the inhale and the exhale. Allow any thoughts that arise to float away on the exhale. Continue for a minute, focusing only on your breath.
- Now allow your awareness to move to the points where your body touches the ground. Become aware of the points where your body and the earth connect. Notice how firm this is, solid. Allow yourself to feel supported, held by the earth beneath you, as you become aware of how your body and the earth are connected.
- Now allow your awareness to move to your ears. Become aware of the sounds around you, the sounds that are close and the sounds that are further away. Simply listen to the sounds, without judgment and hear the sounds, the actual sounds, not what they are, simply the sound……… Now notice the sound of your breathing……. And how all the sounds come together…… Then perhaps you can notice, beneath the sound, a quietness, a stillness.
- Now move your awareness to your nose. Feel the air as it comes into your nose. Notice the smells around you. Notice how a smell arises, then goes away.
- Take the awareness to the top of your head. Imagine, sense, the space above you. Sense the connection between you and the space above you. Sense all the people and animals and nature in the world, all present, all around. Know that as you breathe, you are connected to everything and everyone around you…..
- Bring your awareness back to your breath….. Notice that each breath in brings air, life and connection to everything and everyone around you. Every breath out deepens this connection.
- Sit for a moment, with your eyes closed. Be present with yourself, in the moment, in the now. Aware that you are part of something larger than yourself, connected.
Meditation practices on the blog
I hope that you found this meditation useful. If you wish to explore more, there are lots of other articles on our health and wellbeing blog, including these:
- How to connect to yourself in meditation
- Explore your senses in these three five minute meditations for the whole you
- Learn the practice of loving kindness (also called metta)
You might also like to read one of the other articles published this month: how interconnectedness affects our everyday life.
Meditation and our relax and rejuvenate retreats
Here at the retreat we offer a meditation session most days of the week, a time of quiet to practice specific meditation techniques with others. You can enjoy these as part of our relax and rejuvenate retreats.
About the author
- Lisa is one of the founders of La Crisalida Retreats. She is an Epidemiologist, therapeutic hatha and yin yoga teacher and also teaches mindfulness meditation. Lisa has studied NLP and hypnosis, as well as nutrition (she designs the menus).
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