Trees can hear us. They know we’re here. Especially in the winter, it’s tough to remember that these magnificent beings are still very much alive. They seem dead, dark, still. But they are most definitely awake, alive, and sensing all we do.
I like to use trees for healing. I have favorite trees, medicine trees. They have different personalities. Some are young and vibrant, but still small and not yet established in the forest. Then there are at the grandmothers, the ancient wise ones whose bark smiles a little if you look close enough. These are my favorites, the grandmother trees. Their bark is so hard on the outside. They have seen so many winters. They have stood beneath tornados and powerful spring winds. But the harder their outsides, the softer their energy inside. By growing a heavy coat outside, they’re allowed to carry a profound gentleness within. These trees are the healers. They make you feel better about everything simply by being with them.
I have a favorite tree in the Theodore Wirth Park area of Minneapolis (see picture above). She is a grandmother. She has two giant branches that reach up towards the sky. She stretches herself against the sky in this fearless way that reminds me of little birds opening their wings for the first time against the strange sky. She is open, wild, free. I love her.
She has a huge crack down her back. It looks like maybe she was split open by lightening. If I’m grappling with something, I take her gifts and sit with her. I put little bundles of flowers, fruit, or anything else I can think of in her canyon. I tell her about what’s going on. I let myself really be with whatever is happening. I don’t try to fix it. I just lay it all out there, then make an offering. And something happens in those moments that I can’t quite explain. Everything becomes soft and open, and I feel my place in the order of things again. I suggest you get a medicine tree.
Pick a tree that seems to call to you. Don’t pick the prettiest one. It will become the most beautiful tree to you, no matter how green its leaves are. Spend time with it. The more you visit a place in nature, the more you become tied to it. It remembers you. Your energy imprints on that place and it becomes sacred. Bring it offerings. Bring whatever your heart is pulled to offer. This can be anything.
Do you already have a favorite tree? What would you like to offer up? What are you tired of carrying? I’d love to hear your stories 🙂 Email me.
If you’re interested in exploring more about how trees can heal, set up a private session with me. Connection to nature is one of the most profoundly healing tools there is. I can help you cultivate that so you can become your own healer.
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