Grounding Meditation

Vincent van Gogh's The Mulberry Tree, October 1889

From a young age, Van Gogh found tranquility in nature. He painted The Mulberry Tree in October of 1889 while staying at an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The paint is applied thickly in swirls and lines and the colors are vibrant and expressive. He was so fond of this painting that he wrote about it three times in letters to his siblings: "...its dense foliage was of a magnificent yellow color against a very blue sky. On a white stony field with the sunshine from behind."⁣⁣

Van Gogh once wrote to his brother Theo, "Even though I'm often in a mess, inside me there's still a calm, pure harmony and music."⁣

Practice a grounding meditation inspired by the Mulberry Tree:

• Close your eyes and take on the posture of the Mulberry Tree, feet rooted to the ground
• The twisting, flaming foliage above energetically moves in all directions, but your trunk remains standing tall
• With each in breath, feel centered
• With each out breath, feel your roots grow