The Healing Power Of Trees.
Did you ever go through a phase where you just can’t settle on any one thing, where your mind is in overthinking mode and everyone seems to get on your nerves?I’m a bit like that lately, a bit all over the shop as they say. Lots to do, but I can’t seem to motivate or settle at any one thing. My blogging is gone a bit slow as a result and we won’t even mention housework!!
I’m feeling a bit better today, a bit more grounded and settled and it's all down to a tree!!. You see I like to be among trees, especially If I’m a bit restless or stressed .Sometimes I just sit and watch, sometimes I stroll and watch and think. When I surround myself with trees, my breathing becomes slower; my senses are heightened in a good way. I feel peaceful and grounded. The Japanese have a word for this feeling — shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.
Trees stand tall and strong above the ground with seemingly little effort, but if we look a bit deeper we can sometimes see their roots as they travel down into the earth .These hidden roots are where the real strength lies. The unseen roots are continuously working to help them stand tall and elegant in the world. Just focussing on that helps me to make my own connection with the earth and helps me to become more grounded.
Each season brings its own learning for me .On a windy day it’s lovely to watch them standing tall with no resistance. Instead of becoming rigid against the storm they go with the flow of nature, bending with the wind and stretching up high to reach the sunlight, while providing shelter for me from the rain or sun. Some of them produce fruit of different types, always drawing on the earth for nourishment, always grounded. When the time is right they let go of their fruit. The lesson of least resistance and letting go is a good one which the humble tree reminds me of.
Like us they have good and bad days, but ultimately they seem to endure once their roots remain strong and connected to the earth below. As they age gracefully each line and mark etched on their trunk proudly tells a story of years of endurance. Even when they finally succumb to old age and die, their beauty can live on through the hands of a craftsman. He or she can create a piece of lasting beauty so their life story lives on forever creating a never ending circle of life.
Modern medicine often seperates the physical from the emotional, yet trees show us that if our roots are firmly on the ground and our branches reach up to the skies the two can work together in harmony. I like to think I combine the two. Many drugs are derived from trees and back in 2000 I took part in a clinical trial for a chemo drug called Taxol which is derived from the yew tree. So they helped me to physically heal and thankfully I have learned to embrace their emotional healing as well. I truly believe our disconnection with nature is contributing to alot of our emotional problems.
As I said earlier being in the woods help helps me to clear my mind simply by breathing in the fresh oxygen from the leaves. The sounds, smells, sights, textures and even taste of the air awaken all my senses. Our pagan ancestors worshipped trees, but for many of us nature has been pushed out of our lives. So, if you are reading this why not give it a try, sure you've nothing to loose.
If you do decide to go down to the woods today maybe you could use the trees to answer your own questions that need may need some clarity. Heres a few words to ponder on.
Roots , nurturing, grounding, , letting go, resistance,providing , ageing, legacy.
And while you are there dont forget to breathe!!
