To Hug a Tree: from Wood to Word

After many years, I’ve rediscovered the deep peace, joy & power of ‘tree-hugging”. It perfectly complements my study of Tibetan Buddhist somatic meditation (earth descent & whole body breathing), the treasure-trove of esoteric healing practices revealed by Djwhal Khul, and provides a context for intentional collaboration with the deva kingdom (nature spirits, angels, or creative beings of the natural world).

8 years ago, during a rare lapse in my long hugless drought, I cozied up to some arbutus trees on Salt Spring Island, BC (foto above).

In the park next door, I now embrace a variety of species – at least 3 during each daily walk. I’ve created a stance minimizing unwanted attention and simply appear as a tuckered-out senior leaning with one arm around a trunk for support.

Young-uns (planted 6-15 years old) have strong energy & the old ones – so wise & infinitely patient! Each genus & species contains it’s own healing properties – physical, emotional, mental & spiritual – just like plant & animal species and the vast array of human personality & soul types, each with their own ‘medicine’.

They drain me of worry & invite my grief down, down to their foundation where the whole ‘community’ of entwined roots from neighbouring trees, discuss my condition and proceed to provide delicious emptiness where before there was bloated congestion, tension & aggravation. The multi-level healing from this practice has ascended like sap from my own roots and found residence in this short blog celebrating a re-found pleasure – so easy, and like the best things in life – FREE!

It reminds me of a verse from a Hafez poem:

Squirrels and birds sense your sadness
And call an important conference in a tall tree.
They decide which secret code to chant
To help your mind and soul.

Since re-noticing this phenomenon and choosing to  collaborate with leaved & rooted mothers, fathers & siblings, my practice of the ancient art/science of tree-hugging is already evolving:

  1. After witnessing, in deep mindfulness, the effects from each embrace, I note the species and relative age or size.
  2. I’ve started giving back, either at the beginning, end (or both) of my “treemend-itation” a silent prayer of gratitude, compassion and whatever healing medicine I might muster up from within my being for the tree and our mutual Mother Earth home.

Hug a tree; maybe you’ll like it! 😀

This entry was posted in Blog, Healing, Mindfulness. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *