Part Two Practice: The Well of Deep Time

(calming music) Hello. My name is Kessonga. Welcome to this Long Time Academy practice, The Well of Deep Time, created by Stephan Harding and Robert Woodford. Find a place you can relax, either indoors or outside, somewhere you can ground yourself and connect with the living Earth that surrounds you. Before we embark on this inner journey into deep time, lightly close your eyes, if that feels comfortable, and take a few slow, deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Connect to your breath. Connect with the aliveness of this present moment. As you inhale, feel the molecules of oxygen absorbing into your lungs. As you exhale, feel the molecules of carbon dioxide flowing out of your lungs. With every breath, you are part of the cycle of life, part of a cycle that started long, long ago. As you settle, imagine you are under a vast starlit sky, standing at the edge of a well. This is the ancient well of deep time. Peering into the well, you see a universe of stars swirling in an inviting darkness, mirroring the sky above. Curious, you slowly step onto the edge of the well and lower yourself into its dark velvety medium. You float gently on the surface with a sense of complete safety and confidence. Sinking a little into the well of time, you reach 800 years ago, breathing easily and calmly in the inky fluidity that surrounds you. Looking through the darkening water, you see our planet, Earth, appear before you, floating in space just as she was hundreds of years before the Industrial Revolution. Peering closer, you see a swirling mantle of white clouds. Her blue oceans are full of an amazing diversity of life. Lush continents are covered with a huge variety of living ecological communities, including rainforests, grasslands, heaths, forests, and deserts. You sense the qualities of the living web of life, animals, microbes, fungi, plants, rocks, water, and atmosphere, all spread across the surface of Earth's spherical magnificence. A knowing comes to you that at this time she hosts more species than ever. You marvel at how sublimely sophisticated she is at handling this delicate balance of life. (tranquil music) Inhale and exhale in this living world, 800 years ago. Swimming down further into the well of time, you reach 50 million years ago. Again, Earth appears floating in space before your eyes. You can see that the Atlantic Ocean is nearly half the size, with the continents of Africa and South America closer together. Broadleaved trees are widespread and many forms of life are diversifying, especially birds and mammals. (birds chirping) On the South American continent, there are early forms of armadillos thriving in the tropical forests. (enthralling music) On the North American continent, small horse-like mammals are galloping in the grasslands. On the African continent, primitive elephants and antelope roam. (creatures chirping) In the sky, you see thousands of bird species such as songbirds and loons, which evolved from a single dinosaur...