Accessing Tree Wisdom
Need deep, immediate healing? Then go outside and commune with a tree. Trees have a lot to offer. They have been around for a fair while, have seen a bit over their longish lives, they support life, clean our air and oh yes, have a fair bit of healing and or wisdom up their trunks!
Have you noticed how a walk in the woods can reduce your stress or how sitting under the gentle shade of dappled leaves can leave you feeling peaceful and calm? Tree wisdom and healing is free, reasonably accessible and transformative.
The lifetime of many trees surpasses our own – some great vintage trees have been around for centuries. They’ve experienced all sorts of weather conditions and challenges, as well as witnessing the changing face of the countryside. They’ve seen how the lives of people have changed too. There’s a lot of inherent wisdom in a tree and we can access it.
To connect, place your head against a tree trunk (or sit with your back against it) and have the will and intention to commune with the tree. Offer the tree your thanks and blessing and perhaps ask it to either share its energy with you, giving you a healing or indeed, ask for an insight which might be of help to you personally. Of course, you can also ask for healing or insights for the community or even for the planet. Messages might come through as images, sounds, thoughts, words, feelings, a song, or even just an inner knowing. Just be open to what you receive and take your time, don’t rush. If seeking a healing, pay attention to how you are feeling. Note any changes in your energy system. Do you feel calmer or more whole? Are you experiencing a sense of deep peace and oneness with nature?
And sometimes, just by showing respect, you might be rewarded. I’d gone into the woods with my son who was tapping some birch sap. He’d asked the tree for its permission beforehand. My gift back was to make up a song and dance a little jig to the birch trees. (Luckily we were deep in the woods, so nobody saw me). My singing voice is flat and not great but I sang with pure heart. Anyway, after a few verses of ‘may your leaves be blessed with sunlight…. etc’, I saw with my third eye the Spirit of The Birch Tree who came to see me. She was quite beautiful and awe inspiring. She communed with me and left. She had messages for my son and I. I felt so honoured. Once upon a time, we all had this deep sense of connection and now it is no longer commonplace. But be assured, accessing the wisdom of nature is still possible.
The Qero shamans believe in a concept called Ayni which translates to reciprocity. Never take without giving back. So afterwards, perhaps you’d like to leave a gift of thanks for the tree… a song, a poem, a blessing or prayer, a pretty flower placed beneath the tree, some bird food or whatever feels right to you.
Most importantly of all, do take time to walk amongst the trees. We all mean to do it and so rarely do.