It is quite normal for human beings to assume that their bodies are separate from the Earth. How often do we pay attention to the Earth itself? I do not mean speak to it, pray to it or even be grateful to it, I mean just actually notice it? Just notice it now, beneath you, silently providing a home. Without it, human beings could not live. This sounds obvious, but we tend to overlook it once the personal self arises in the mind. We don’t notice that the Earth is constantly here providing the very environment that we so easily take for granted. When you are walking, how often are you just aware of the vastness of the Earth beneath your feet, supporting the body? When you sit, can you feel you are sitting on the entire planet?
A Simple Exercise
A great little trick is to not only be aware of the body, but the entire Earth beneath it. The body is just a tiny extension of the Earth, like a piece of the Earth that had the power to get up, walk around and experience itself. Just being aware of the body as an extension of the Earth puts you back in tune with Nature, with intelligence, and can quickly weaken the limited idea of self that we call "ego".
The more we feel as if we are independent from the Earth - believing we are separate entities that live in the head - the more we feel afraid, alone, separate, anxious, worried for our own welfare, feeling that Life or Nature is unworthy of trust, ready to destroy.
Just being aware of the Earth helps to see the oneness of Life. It means the mind is not dishing out labels and knowledge so ferociously, and so Life can be viewed as it is, unconditioned.
This completely fits in with any approach of mindfulness or presence. We could call it "Earth Mindfulness". Simply be aware of the Earth, the foundation, the very presence of the planet. This diverts attention from the personal mind, and will reveal that there is no real separation between the Earth and the body. Then you will not even need to bother about ego - the artificial self becomes obsolete.