How do you start a relationship with the trees?
First off,
I tend to overthink things.
How about you?
Ever suffer from that brain circling,
Spiraling loop?
The important thing to remember with the trees is don't overthink this.
Think about the last time you met someone new.
How did you start that relationship?
Say hi.
That's all.
When I was around 9 or 10 years old,
My dad was working out in the woods,
Cutting eroded entrance shrub and other trees to create a cleared area.
While slicing on one of the trunks,
He realized that there was a message for him in the wood.
The insects had bored a hole which had taken the shape of the word,
Hi.
Because my family lived by the values to respect nature and all forms of life around.
We didn't discount this insect boring as pure circumstance.
It was a message from the trees and the nature spirits.
I still have this wood slice.
The world is full of messages,
Signs and meanings.
But most people are accustomed to seeing the thousands of advertising messages a day,
As opposed to the signs and signals from nature.
You want to begin a relationship,
A connection with the tree.
That's great.
Don't let your overthinking,
Logical mind take over the interactions.
Lean into your open,
Curious,
Intuitive mind.
This is the awareness which leads you to friends,
Human or otherwise,
That are a good fit for you.
If talking to trees feels like a barrier,
Please recognize that,
Quote,
Talking,
Unquote,
Is simply a word used to represent communication and connection.
You don't have to use words at any point in your practice.
If you don't want to talk out loud,
Don't.
Write your hello or say hi in your head.
What happens after you approach any relationship with an open and curious attitude?
You wait for a response.
You do this in any good conversation.
Have you ever approached a new cat,
Dog or horse?
You calmly and gently put yourself in a state of receptivity.
Do that with the trees.
The trees might not talk to you in words.
One method of communication is not better or clearer than another.
You might get a feeling of pictures,
Songs,
Smells or a feeling.
Any of this is relevant.
Anything that you notice is valid.
Recall the last time that you met a new acquaintance.
Let the relationship take time,
Evolve over time.
Notice the commonalities that you have and build on those.
Experiment.
A relationship with another species might be similar or different than it is with your own species.
That's okay and perfectly normal.
Be curious and open to the relationship.
For thousands of years,
People were interacting and communicating with the natural world on a daily basis.
Remember that we have a thread of this history running through your veins even today.
While urban living and office jobs may be your daily circumstances,
Your body and your inner world have not forgotten how to interact with other living creatures.
When I'm walking into a room full of strangers for the first time,
I pause,
Center myself and see who I'm most drawn to.
Then I approach that person.
When you interact with the trees,
Notice which one or which type you're most drawn to.
An apple tree,
A sweet gum,
A dogwood,
A cedar or a longleaf pine.
Begin with the tree type or tree closest to you that feels the most natural to begin connecting to.
