Day 2

Today’s practice: Choose one element to concentrate with today for 5-30 minutes. Set a timer. I personally engaged with each of these practices for hours a day on a silent vipassana retreat based around the elements. These practices were utilized by the tantric wandering yogis who utilized the earth itself to awaken and cultivate insight.

FIRE: Watch a candle flame, perferrably in a dark space. The constant flickering of the flame cultivates alertness and sharpness. The open eye gazing of the flame is also purifying to the sight and might cause some tearing which is purifying for the eyes and hydrating. If the eyes burn too much, softly close them and reopen. If you can hear any flickering of the flame, try to remain present with the sound also.

WATER: If you can listen to a moving body of water like a stream, river, or ocean - great! But you can also run a slow trickle from a faucet if you are feeling the water element. The constant sound of water moving created by large natural bodies of water brings freshness to the mind and washes away fatigue. Allow yourself to be submerged in the constant flow of sound.

SPACE / AIR: Position yourself somewhere where you can a nice clear big view of the sky. This could simply be looking out your window, laying down on the grass, or climbing a mountain. Meditating on the expanse of the sky brings special insight and wisdom, and removes stagnation in the mind.

EARTH: Sit on the earth (grass, sand, dirt, stone) or place your hands on a large stone and direct your energy/attention to listening and feeling either choice (the earth under your butt or the stone under your palms). This practice gets really intresting if done for more than 20 mins. It also cultivates stability, groundedness in the mind, and access to earth’s ancient wisdom.