What do you do when you've lost your way, when you're halfway up the mountain and the path ahead is shrouded behind a thick mist? How do you discover your true path when the noise of the world keeps shouting, “This way, not that way.” You invoke Bear medicine. You hibernate.
Bear lies in the west of the great medicine wheel, the place of your dreams and destiny. It's the power of 'inner listening,' the power of 'inner knowing.' To ground yourself and receive Bear wisdom, attune to the energies of the Earth Mother. When you hear the earth and feel the earth, you are given knowledge that guides you. That knowledge is sacred and holds you in its arms.
In Leela and the Forest of Light, the young heroine encounters a great Bear who challenges her. “If you’re willing to be taught, I’ll teach you. Follow me to my cave, so you can learn about the stillness."
“What do you mean, learn about the stillness?" she asked, as she trudged alongside the mammoth creature. Bear turned and grunted. “You’ll see.”
When they got to Bear's cave, Leela looked back worried that Fox wouldn't be able to find her. She walked around outside the cave while curiosity battled with worry. Curiosity won.
Inside the cave, the darkness quickly closed around her. She tripped and fell. “Ouch!” To make matters worse, she landed on Bear's paw. “I'm sorry. It’s so dark in here I can’t see very well,” she mumbled, trying to stand up.
“If you can’t see, let your other senses take over. Smell the damp earth and hear the trickle of water seeping through the rock."
Leela tried to concentrate. It grew very still. She felt as if she had slipped inside of herself.
“Good. You touched your inner place. Unless you know how to go into the stillness, you can’t discover your true self or your destiny."
“How can that help me know my destiny?”
“My teachings show you how to hibernate in a quiet place and listen to your wise voice. When you touch that quiet place, you'll be able to know many things.”
We are living in a transformational time on our planet and it is calling us to discover our true selves and our true relationship to Mother Earth. The trees, the winged ones, the four-footed and sacred beings of river, pond, and sea are waiting for us. We are embarking on a new mission for a healed earth. And it's going to ask a lot of our hearts.
When doubt rises up, go into the woods, sit by a stream. Feel the slender threads that weave light and love around you. Listen to your intuition, to your instinctual knowing. The answers you seek are not 'out there.' They lie deep within your own heart.
In the Cave of Bear, we learn to listen and discover how to become earth-wise, heart-centered human beings.
Cave of the Bear Meditation
Breathing is the bridge that connects you to your center. Whenever your mind becomes scattered or fearful, let it be your anchor. The breath is sacred. It is your connection to the Source of All Life. When you develop a relationship to your breath, it helps you listen to the wisdom of your heart.
Sit in a quiet place. Place your hands on your heart. Take slow, deep breaths. Feel your breath go in and out. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest as you breathe. Feel the world fade away as you slip inside yourself. Let the universal energy that flows from your hands bring you into your sacred space. Practice this for even ten minutes a day and it will bring you gently into the stillness.
As the breath I breathe
moves through me, giving me life,
I can tap into that constancy,
that peace.
When I allow my breath
to soften the edges of my day
I enter my sacred space
of new-found joy and beauty.
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