Beings, of the more
Than human world, fostering
Love in company
My story, as a being in kind with the trees, is a journey slow in growing. Seasons come and go, new green emerges, wound-wood seals over old failures, a bud bursts and a branch winds and weaves where never was there one before.
I am writing this from my original sit spot, perched among the branches of Old Hespero, an ancient wooden being that lives atop the headland of Bodega Bay in coastal California. This tree is a home to many, a place of pilgrimage on my nomadic wanderings.
If all the world is a trail, pulsing out from a restful return, this wooden one is the hearth of my interbeing, the nexus of a profound constellation in which I humbly orbit. Whenever I return here, a feeling of wonderment, of safe space held beyond knowledge resounds. Here shall I rest.
A slow gathering
Of gratitudes, joys, and ways
Of knowing kinship
Old Hespero, I
Sit and rest in your branches
Witness wonderment
In a slow moment of noticing nature, when we give ourselves a glimmer of time to let go of yesterday’s anxieties and forget about tomorrow’s many worries… in these windows of presence may our many senses truly come alive.
Have you ever noticed the motion of a thin, old cypress stem, when the wind passes through a stand of trees and each one gently orbits in place, swaying to and fro in time with the breeze?
Have you ever noticed the flickering dance of a strand of moss, dangling from a high branch to tremble and show its fine pale hues in such contrast to the deep evergreen foliage of its host?
Have you ever noticed the staccato rhythm of a woodpecker’s work, hammering offbeat through the bark of a wooden being with a seemingly ceaseless energy, joining in with the cacophonous orchestra of the forest?
Have you ever noticed the deep smell of life in a handful of soil, if you take the time to hold a bit of moist earth close to your nose and breathe in? Oh, what a richness, what a precious gift this is to behold!
The way of being in kinship with the forest, of interbeing in symphony with the infinite web of life on earth, is a practice of deep intention. In these times, the “tamed world” of technology has a firm grip on our lifestyles and habits, and may consume our daily practices if we do not intend for the opposite. To carve out time, to make moments of natural connection, is a radical change of pace for most people nowadays. In my own experience, I have found that cultivating these opportunities, of growing a slow, noticing practice in the woods, is perhaps the most balancing, nurturing piece for my wellness daily. I only wish for you to find this too.
Stars connect the night
A constellation beyond
Knowing past all words
Gently resting here
I feel a truth, wounded wood
Restores shared spirit
I wonder what company of humankind can comprehend this story of kinship I often write of? Is it lost to most cultures today? I certainly hope not, but I do suspect that many would scoff or chuckle at the ridiculousness of interbeing with trees.
These deep relationships with tall plants are so indelibly part of myself, it’s grown into a second nature; I live this, I know no other way to be. Meaning with trees has brought me back from the utmost precipice of despair, of nearly losing myself entirely; to then find and cultivate an existence sourced by a perpetual wonder, life-long learning, and a purpose of sincere passion. Is this a laughing matter?
Oh, but I want to witness just this for others! For society around the world to foster kinship with the forest, to live in stewardship of the places that in turn nurture us to wholeness. Call it “forest bathing”, call it “nature therapy”, call it anything. Just don’t laugh off the idea that a meaningful uplifting of your own soul can be born of a walk through wilderness.
I have but one journey, only my own vantage to speak from. If these words can call but one person closer to this infinite path of embodied being, that is good. If my story finds many ears, that is great. I care not for credit, not for vain recognition. My being is nurtured by affirmation, as is any; to find community on this walk graces each step I may take.
But connection with nature is infinite, is our vast belonging, is the origin of humankind. Somewhere along the way, so many among us have gotten lost, trying to trace a straight and narrow road. May there always be hope, yet, for anyone to find the courage to leave the paved path, to wander onto the safety of home soil. For the trees are our primary dwelling, and not all those who wander are lost…