Sacred Ground

There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled,
which leads to an unknown, secret place.
The old people came literally to love the soil,
and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of
being close to a mothering power.
Their tee-pees were built upon the earth
and their altars were made of earth.
The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.
That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of
propping himself up and away from its life giving forces.
For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply
and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of
life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.

-Chief Luther Standing Bear

When I was a child, I preferred to be barefoot.  I loved feeling the earth beneath my feet and the grass between my toes; I would spend hours sitting on the ground, exploring the little world that exists down there.  The blades of grass formed forests for the ants and tiny insects. I watched them work to gather food or find their way back home; or maybe they were little explorers.  I wondered what their perspective of life was. Probably not much different from my world that was barely opening up to the vastness and complexity of the universe around me. I remember feeling so connected to nature and the earth. Mother Nature was my playground. I loved climbing trees, discovering plants and animals and I spent a lot of time laying in the cool grass, looking up at the sky. It was a comforting feeling to know I was cradled safely.  There is something to be said about the ground and it's sacred energy.  

I found myself lying on the cool lawn of a nearby park last Saturday night. I could hear myself think, and feel. For the first time in a very long time, I remembered how much I loved laying on the ground and feeling the depth and strength of the earth beneath me, to feel the cool blades of grass against my back like a soft blanket, to connect physically and on a soul-level with the world we belong to.  It's amazing to me how much we forget that she's there.  Always there, holding us up, providing for us, nurturing.  We get so tangled up in a world of wires and disconnect that we forget the magnificence that exists right beneath our feet.  If you are ever so inclined, take your shoes off, lay on the soft grass and you will feel the loving energy that exists there.