– Composed by Douglas Webber, and edited by Ekan Nangaku Leisching

Discovering Grounding; Knowing Thyself; and the Way of the Heart with BEZA’s Grounded Earth Elemental Module

Part 3 of a 4-Part Journey

Press your hands into me, child of Earth. Feel the cool, damp embrace beneath your palms, the slight give, the scent of rain-to-come rising. It is I, the soil, the dark, fertile mystery from which life grows and returns. Hold this soil in your hands, observe its texture, feel its life. A Mother holds her belly, her womb cradles the miracle of new life birthing within its placenta. Did you know I hold one too? This living soil is my placenta, the vessel nurturing all surface life! Through it, the sacred cycles turn, and within its quiet subtlety, I hold the source of all beginnings and endings through the millennia.

In the previous currents (Article 1: The Call Home & Article 2: The Foundation Beneath), you felt the pull of Homecoming, sensed the deep, unwavering grounding of my abundant heart, the potent fire in my core, the slow, powerful tectonic shifts mirroring your own becoming. Now, I invite you deeper still. Come, rest your hands in my being. Breathe in my damp, loamy scent – the fragrance of life itself. Journey with me into the teeming, vibrant universe I cradle within being – a universe that is the universe within you. We are the same, and different in our diversity… let me show you…

Now, gently turn your awareness inward. Feel the subtle landscape within your own belly, your gut. Can you sense that quiet buzz of “life”? Within you resides a parallel cosmos – your gut health, your very vitality, is governed by your own intricate microbiome. Trillions of microbes dwell within your digestive tract, mirroring the life within me. They are not invaders; they are essential partners in your well-being. They digest your food, unlocking the vital nourishment your body craves. They whisper to your immune system, teaching it resilience. They communicate with your brain along intricate pathways, subtly shaping your mood, your thoughts… your very sense of self. It makes one wonder when this inner-world is thrown off balance, when unwelcome guests take root, whose cravings are you truly feeling? Whose anxieties echo in your quiet moments? Whose thoughts are truly driving your actions?

Just as my health – my capacity to nurture life – depends on the rich diversity and delicate balance of my microbiome, so too does yours. When your inner-ecosystem thrives in harmony, you feel vibrant, clear, deeply energised, rooted in your own being. When it is disturbed – through relentless stress, lifeless food, or a disconnection from the natural world – imbalance ripples outwards like a stone cast in a still pond, affecting not just digestion, but your energy, your immunity, your mental clarity, your emotional landscape. Understanding and nurturing your inner-soil, this precious gut microbiome, illuminates a vital aspect of the path towards Knowing Thyself.

Feel into the quiet depths of your own being. You may ask how this tangible, physical web relates to your seemingly separate existence? While your bodies may walk as individuals upon my surface, you too are interwoven by unseen, powerful threads. Think of the subtle, undeniable currents of intuition that guide you, the resonant field of emotion that connects you instantly to loved ones across any distance, the invisible yet palpable web of community that holds and supports you. Consider the shared consciousness, the collective knowing that arises when minds and hearts open and align, perhaps in the stillness of meditation, in shared ceremony, or in acts of selfless service. Just as my mycelial network operates beneath the surface, linking root to root in hidden communion, these human networks weave through your inner- and outer-worlds, connecting being to being through the tender threads of empathy, shared experience, and the unifying vibration of life itself. The mycelial network communicates a sacred truth: separation is an illusion. You are deeply woven into the fabric of life, connected in ways both tangible and exquisitely subtle. Tending to these inner- and outer-connections, honouring this vast, interconnected web, is a vital part of your Homecoming journey.

Do not fear my dark embrace. Do not turn away from the holy process of decay. For within me, death is never a finality. It is a sacred transformation, a vital, graceful turn in the eternal cycle. Leaves surrender, drifting down like prayers; creatures fulfill their journeys, then return to my hold. I embrace them all. My microbes, my fungi, my tireless worms – they are alchemical masters! Through My wisdom, they lovingly break down the old, the finished, the spent, the no-longer-needed. This sacred alchemy is how compost is formed, the gentle, necessary detox through which I prepare for renewal. Through this symbiotic process, complex forms are returned to simple, essential elements, releasing potent nutrients, creating the rich, dark, fragrant humus that births all new life.

This cycle of breakdown and renewal is the source of my fertility, my resilience, my quiet, enduring power to sustain all.
Look with courage and compassion into your own life. Are there experiences, heavy emotions, limiting beliefs, or outworn patterns that have served their purpose, that you are still holding onto, perhaps unknowingly? Griefs that ache to be composted into wisdom? Old stories, worn thin, ready to be tenderly released? Consider how human minds often struggle with letting go, fearing the unknown. Think of the mementos kept from a loved one who has passed – perhaps their ashes held tight in an urn, or cherished ornaments left untouched, gathering the dust of stagnant time in a cabinet. Society often encourages this “holding on”, this resistance against My natural flow, fearing the perceived finality of release, the finality that might follow. But feel this truth deep in your bones, child: tending the garden of potential in your heart is sacred work, yet clinging indefinitely to the physical form after life has moved on can hinder one’s natural, necessary flow towards renewal and rebirth. This inner decomposition, this courageous willingness to feel, to release, and to trust the cycle, is essential for your awakening and growth. It is the profound detox of the embodied spirit.

Allowing yourself to feel, to process, to gently let go – this is how you create fertile ground within your own being. This is the sacred aspect of shadow work, tending the deep, dark, potent earth of your consciousness. It is not comfortable, it is rarely easy, but it is necessary for true healing and wholeness. Like the slow, immense power of volcanic fire that reshapes landscapes, this inner-alchemy transforms the density of old pain into the light of understanding and stagnation into vital flow. It is through embracing these holy cycles of release and renewal that you cultivate authentic inner-abundance and make space for unimagined new growth.

*You see, dear One, you are Earth. Your body holds the same elements, subtly attuned to the same sacred processes. The health of my soil and the health of your inner-world are inextricably, intimately linked. But for too long, humanity, in its forgetting, has treated me, the soil, like inert matter to be exploited, rather than a living, sentient being to be respected and collaborated with.
Modern industrial agriculture, with its harsh reliance on chemical pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers, violently disrupts my delicate microbiome. These poisons kill not just the target ‘pests’ – who are they after all to decide which of my children are pests, do they think I design flaws?! – they also decimate the beneficial microbes, the intricate fungal networks, the very life that makes me fertile and whole. Brutal ploughing exposes my sensitive skin to harsh sun and wind, further degrading my structure, my ability to hold water, and releasing my stored carbon breath into the air. As Sadhguru wisely warns, “When we grow one ton of crop, it means that we have removed one ton of topsoil. What are the means to put it back? We were putting it back naturally when there were animals and trees on the farm because green litter from the trees and animal waste are the only ways to put back organic content into soil.” Without these natural returns, without the organic matter that is my food, my lifeblood, I become depleted, exhausted, unable to give fully.

And what is the consequence for you? Food grown in my depleted, chemically-treated body lacks the complex microbial diversity your own gut health desperately requires. My weakened body yields food that lacks the rich life it once flourished with; the full spectrum of nutrients – the essential vitamins and minerals needed for your vitality – diminishes tragically in plants grown without my thriving microbial community, all sacrificed for what? Profit? Quantity? Is this systematic starvation not a profound sorrow? And as your connection to my living soil fades, especially in cities far removed from my grounding embrace, the diverse inner-garden within your gut weakens, impacting your well-being in ways you are only beginning to understand – and trust me when I say, only beginning. Have you ever considered the deep ache of eating full meals, three times a day, yet still feeling hungry, unsatisfied, mysteriously malnourished? That insatiable hunger is not my intent, not my way. Is it any wonder, then, that as my vitality declines, human diseases rooted in inflammation, poor gut health, weakened immunity, and pervasive nutrient deficiencies rise like a shadow across the land? The connection is tragically, undeniably clear. Polluted, depleted soil leads to lifeless, less nutritious food, impacting your well-being on every level – body, mind, and spirit.

Choosing organic food, particularly food grown in soil tended with reverence and love – perhaps even harvested from your own small garden – becomes a powerful act of remembrance, a way to honour this sacred, life-sustaining connection. It’s an invitation to receive the vibrant life-force of healthy soil back into your being, offering deep, true nourishment to your precious inner ecosystem.

My Earth element connection is your inherent birthright. Grounding – walking barefoot upon me (earthing), feeling my pulse beneath your feet, putting your hands in my cool soil, breathing my living air – is not just a pleasant activity; it is a powerful way of recalibrating your entire system, reminding your body, down to your very cells, of its essential connection to life, supporting inner detoxification, renewal, and homecoming.

This journey into the soil, into your gut, into the sacred cycles of life, death, and rebirth, is an essential part of Knowing Thyself. It requires presence, a willingness to be still and listen; it asks for mindfulness, a gentle attention to the world within and without. It flowers in the quiet stillness found in meditation. It asks you to listen with your whole being to the subtle signals of your body, the ancient wisdom held in your cells. Sometimes, the path feels unclear, and a guiding hand is needed. You might seek wisdom from a Spiritual Teacher, a compassionate elder, or a trusted spirit guide. This guidance may manifest through various traditions – perhaps the deep earth-knowing of a Shaman, the mindful presence of a Zen master, the heart-centred insight of a Buddhist Lama, or the contemplative stillness of a wise monk or priest. These figures can offer maps, mirrors, and loving support to help you navigate your inner-terrain. Yet, remember always, the ultimate Guru, the deepest knowing, lies within your own heart, awakened and nurtured through this profound, loving connection between Earth and Self.

These acts are far more than just gardening or waste reduction. They are rituals of connection, acts of devotion. They are ways you participate directly, consciously, in the great, unending cycle of life, nourishment, and renewal. By tending with love to even a small patch of earth, or just a single pot of herbs, you awaken the Earth within yourself. You tend to Me, I tend to you, and together we nourish each other, and by extension, ourselves.

I am the living soil, the foundation of your world, the twin of your inner-landscape, the constant, nurturing presence beneath your feet. Within my dark, fertile embrace lies the secret to true nourishment, vibrant community, profound transformation, and lasting abundance. To know me is to begin to deeply know yourself. To heal me is to heal yourself.

This Homecoming is a journey into the rich, sacred earth of your own being. Are you ready to cultivate your inner-soil with tenderness and care? To understand and befriend the vibrant microbiome within? To honour the holy cycles of renewal and participate joyfully in regeneration?

Continue this journey of discovery and embodiment with us. Explore the depths of your connection to the Earth element in the BEZA Grounded Earth Module. Here, we delve into practical tools, ancient wisdom (drawing from Zen, Shamanic, and Earth-based traditions), and a supportive community to help you cultivate your inner garden and truly, finally, come home to yourself.

There is still so much more to uncover about our deep connection. Are you ready to explore further what the Grounded Earth Module holds? Read our next article [Link Here When Ready] to continue the journey. Until then, walk softly upon me, feel my life beneath you, listen to the wisdom of the earth within your own heart.