Bear's Blog

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Summertime, and the livin’ is easy… gardens, yards and parks, the great outdoors beckons. Nature invites us to rally. Biking, hiking or swimming, it’s peak activity time! The Earth and Sun are at their most expansive. We can actually relax into this expansion too. That could mean going on vacation or just hanging out with family and friends. There are summer book reading lists, hammocks and just succumbing to the heat with a cold drink on the porch. Watching fireflies, listening to crickets.

There is always so much support being offered to us from the natural world. Nature and its forces are eternal, moving through seasons and cycles that provide us with continuity and define our activity.

Although I appreciate the grasses, flowers, and greening of the world, I always feel trees are my anchor. In every season, I never tire of looking at the shapes and contours of the many elms walking in my neighborhood. As they bud and bloom the shapes constantly change, and it’s wonderful to behold. And yet, there is more to experience about trees than just the visual aspect, the scent, or the shade.

Over the years in our School retreats we have done some deep dives in communion with trees. The first one was at Paul and Ellie’s WD Ranch in Montana, where a large area had been ravaged by fire. Hundreds of ancient willows and cottonwoods along the river were in the process of dying.

Our group dispersed and each person chose a tree to sit and communicate with. The results were profound, heart-wrenching and inspiring all at once. Some were happy to pass and make way for the little ones sprouting, who needed the sunlight they were blocking. Others were wounded but determined to survive. And some were reminiscing about their lives, the birds that rested in their branches and the winds that waved through their leaves.

One clear message was that we should come back and spread native seeds to jumpstart new growth in that devastated area. We did indeed return to do a ceremony around that in the spring. What an amazing experience it was for us all.

At another retreat a student did her Graduate project on trees, and we did an exercise in conjunction with her presentation that I want to share - Communion with Trees.

One reason I love spending time and teaching at the Mercy Center are the giant oaks there (lots of other trees on that 40 acres as well.) The ancient ones that have grown heavy horizontal trunks have actually been provided with U-shaped metal supports! When I was young I loved climbing trees, even into my teens; at Mercy I climb up onto these big limbs and rest into the energy of the tree.

Look to the abundance and beauty of Nature and be sustained – physically, energetically, and spiritually - in a way that nothing else can provide. We have forgotten how interconnected we are with all that exists. If it’s just become a concept or theory, it’s time to literally get back to your roots.

Take refuge in the ultimate healer, Nature!

Bear