Mother Tree in the Woods Out Back
Calming allows us to rest, and resting is a precondition for healing. When animals in the forest get wounded, they find a place to lie down, and they rest completely for many days. They don't think about food or anything else. They just rest, and they get the healing they need. Thich Nhat Hanh
It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol. Brene Brown
Rest is not idle, not wasteful. Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do for your body and soul. Erica Layne
I’ve experienced a whirlwind week of activity since Muse and I last sat to reflect, write, and share. Some activity was planned while some came as unexpected (and delightful!) surprise.
A three-day landscape art workshop with nine others deepened my connection with nature and offered creative ideas for connecting with the trees and all the beings that dwell in these woods. And it necessitated much more interaction with others than this introvert has become accustomed to. At the same time, a dear friend who planned to visit for only a few days (and who cared for Zadie Byrd while I was ‘workshopping’) extended her stay. A delightful blessing along with more interaction and conversation late into the evenings.
Although don’t assess that I’m exhausted, I’m out of sync with my normal rhythms. Rest feels like the order of this day and perhaps the next few. Muse agrees, accurately gauging that my capacity for full presence to co-creating a message is far below a full tank. Additionally, I want to fill the tank so that I can be fully present to the woods and especially to two pinyon pine ‘mother trees’ that have agreed to participate with me in a ‘Feed the Mother Tree’ experience/experiment (another unplanned and delightful surprise!) organized by a local pinyon ‘alchemist’.
Rest and reconnection with self, soul, Nature, and Mother Earth is my tank-filling formula.
So, we’ll see you next week. Meanwhile, I’m going to reconnect and
Invest in rest! (Thank You Maureen on Twitter)
How about you?
Grandmother Tree Graced by a Heart