There have been some very cathartic and healing experiences involving a recurring theme of trees for me recently. Majestic, powerful, living, life giving trees. Yes, there are even lessons to be learnt from trees!
Legacy
The most profound was the placing of my mother’s ashes around her tree in the glorious Legacy Forest Wellington Dam, near Collie in the south west of Western Australia. The experience was truly quite beautiful. Just the nearest and dearest who could make the 2 hour journey down from Perth got to participate in the gentle and loving mixing of ashes with earth, placing around the young Marri tree and covering the soil with leaves. For my dear friends’ children, that my mother treated as her own grandchildren, it was a wonderful experience to be surrounded by the wonder of nature and Life and knowing that we can visit anytime and soak up the energy of the forest all around. For these two boys aged 10 and 12, it was a much gentler, loving experience than having to deal with an open casket in an unfamiliar environment. Mum would have loved to see the tender care the boys took and the wonder in their eyes of the forest around them, and still feeling joy on a solemn occasion. There is a lesson right there. Being present, curious, courteous and finding solace in nature.
There will also be another 200 trees planted around the world in her name. How life giving is that! Truly the circle of life in action.
Forest Bathing
I continued on straight from Wellington Dam to a yoga retreat, also in the south west of Western Australia. We were fortunate to have no rain on the Sunday morning as we made a short trip to a spot in the karri forest for morning meditation amongst these magnificent giants. 6.30am. No traffic, just the sounds of the forest and its creatures breathing life force into us.
I was reminded of a thankfulness meditation that involves sitting at the base of a tree and breathing through my own body, visualising roots from my body combining with the tree and offering a prayer of gratitude for the life force sustained by the tree, and all the connecting trees, and indeed mother earth herself. Pretty powerful and awe inspiring experience, and just felt so perfect and synchronous with the healing being created on this particular journey.
From Ulrich E Dupree’s Ho’oponopono and Family Constellations:
“An old Hawaiian song tells the story of how humans once made an agreement with Mother Earth. At that time, the planet was still not as we know it today but was covered with water, the primordial ocean; in order to be granted land, the first humans agreed to look after the Earth, caring for it and safeguarding its living creatures, their brothers and sisters in the animal and plant kingdoms. In return, they received from Mother Earth everything they needed for their lives. This is how the first humans, the ancient Hawaiians and all the other indigenous peoples lived for millenia – in harmony and consensus of giving and taking. In other words, they left no ecological footprint behind them…”
Mother Tree
I only just recently heard of this concept. It came up in a mastermind that I co-host every week. It certainly coloured the previous experiences mentioned, deepening the impact and understanding of connection from a whole other perspective.
Suzanne Simard, an ecologist at the University of British Columbia, “used radioactive isotopes of carbon to trace how trees share resources and information with one another through an intricately interconnected network of mycorrhizal fungi that colonizes tree roots.” (Scientific America article “Mother Trees are intelligent: They learn and remember”).
Mother trees recognise their own and use this network to support the seeds and saplings to grow. Keeping the mother tree when logging will allow the forest to grow back faster. Even trees are in community and intricately connected!
Suzanne’s work actually inspired John Cameron’s Tree of Souls for the movie Avatar.
Let’s see if this research can assist industries involved with forests develop more sustainable practices for the sake of our sacred earth.
“No living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being.” - Bhagavad Gita
The Noble Goldman Methodology
If you are not already acquainted with the Noble Goldman community, then this symbol based on the Tree of Life may assist you to understand what it’s all about.
The roots of Vision/Desire, goals, habits, health and wellness, personal development, spiritual growth and productivity provide a solid foundation of a Supportive Community Environment.
Ways to improve all these requirements for a strong foundation in your life are provided through the Abundance Game, Masterminds from around the globe, free training tools within the platform and the powerful trainings within the Vault.
From this strong foundation the branches for a fulfilled and successful life spring. And all the tools mentioned above are available to keep you Expanding Your Conscious Awareness in a supportive community.
The tree of life also symbolises the connections being created right across the globe with like minded people who may never have crossed paths any other way! Powerful stuff ha! You should see what we are all creating together!
We have our Mother Trees all around the globe…come and plug in.
Ode to Mother Tree
Hug me, hold me, embrace me.
My roots sink in and join with yours and we share love and life beyond the human years.
We are connected and freely bound beyond the earth and through the earth.
