I’m housesitting for the next few weeks way out in the country and down a long dirt road. The planes still zoom overhead but it’s minor compared to the deep stillness in the land. This is how I want to live; with stillness within my aliveness. It seems a contradiction yet it is so obvious out here. There’s a constant racket from the birds, hens, frogs and ducks, yet the tree life is immense and deep roots run under it all. The racket is really song and story and somehow adds vs. subtracts from my awareness of my center. They call me into my heartspace. Feel, feel says the world. Be attracted to who you really are. Sit in your animal being, let your mind take a back seat, give up control by the mind to the heart.
Yes, I have some ‘work’ to do. What value is work when it comes from a space ruled by the mind? How does it feel if my hearts not in it? In my heart lie realms of creativity, depth and shadow, austuteness all sure to be missed by a mind that is looking for safety and security. In my heart, I am allowed to be with all I’ve ever been and all I am now, bringing all these aspects of myself into a new resolution of healing. There is space and depth of being that the flatness and linearity of the mind can’t embrace. Like the crooks and curves of the tree’s roots and branches, it’s time to open to a new awareness of being. By living all of who we are and opening to the wholeness and creativity, we can heal our lives and our world.
Take a breath, feels how it nourishes your heart. You are divine, stop giving control of this precious life to the mind. It’s yours, take it back to your heart. Here your life begins anew each day, here true living has magic and mystery and meaning.
Blessings,
Laurel
Showing posts with label Trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trees. Show all posts
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Veil- Saturday February 2, 2008
One of the concepts that I’ve looked at in spiritual and religious teachings over the years has been the idea of a veil of separation between us and “God” that is supposedly an illusion. This illusion then has to be my illusion as I now claim everything to be my creation in order to see more clearly what I believe in. If I believe the veil to be an illusion then it can be my choice to see through that veil or not.
This is what I have done in my relationship with nature. A few years back in a stroll with a friend around a lake, in desperation to get out of the over focus on mental ramblings and be present with myself and nature, I decided to drop the veil. Of course, I didn’t know it would work. Immediately everything seemed to come alive. The birds came out of the background and the trees felt as present with me as the other people walking by. After a while the effect faded, but now I’m understanding that it was my focus and presence that left.
A few days ago, a simlar thing happened. I was working/playing outside around my house, emptying rain barrels, hauling water from the back barrel to the front trees, refilling bird feeders, etc. I had heard a few birds around the back early on but as I was taking my last trip to the back patio, I asked the birds if they were OK with the food I’d been putting out. There began a symphony of sound, loud and a bit overwhelming really. I drank in the love nature has for me and then said “OK, Ok, I will keep putting out the bird seed!” The cacophony died down.
I know that all of nature is alive and yet, like most of us, I walk around thinking I am separate from it, that it isn’t really real but as a backdrop for my real life, which is what anyway? My arrogance is huge when it comes to nature. I assume that what I do, what I eat, etc is a small matter, yet I can look at what’s happening ecologically and understand that it really is each and every thing I do that matters. If I believe in that veil of separation then I can drive a gas guzzler, import my food from South America and ignore all those pesky recyling fanantics. I can separate cause from effect because I don’t live in the present where everything is sacred and everything does matter. Matter is what we have been given to play with and energy is our tool. If we are not present, we can’t see it, we can’t feel it so we are dissociated from our lives. We can’t feel the answer because we are not accessing a creative solution from the depths of our inner knowing, which is connected to all things. We don’t care. We have left HOME and are living in an illusion.
Time to come back to a real life. Time to breathe and love again. Drop the veil. All of nature is waiting for you, ready to love you. Ready to see how you define love and accepting everything you give her with a full embrace.
Blessings from The Council of Trees,
Laurel
Comments:
Asia Guyer
I love that you shared this experience.We all need to be reminded of how lifes interconnections are subtle but very present in every moment, and can be felt and yes- sometimes heard, if we just slow down and pay attention. Nature is constantly communicating and we need to listen.
This is what I have done in my relationship with nature. A few years back in a stroll with a friend around a lake, in desperation to get out of the over focus on mental ramblings and be present with myself and nature, I decided to drop the veil. Of course, I didn’t know it would work. Immediately everything seemed to come alive. The birds came out of the background and the trees felt as present with me as the other people walking by. After a while the effect faded, but now I’m understanding that it was my focus and presence that left.
A few days ago, a simlar thing happened. I was working/playing outside around my house, emptying rain barrels, hauling water from the back barrel to the front trees, refilling bird feeders, etc. I had heard a few birds around the back early on but as I was taking my last trip to the back patio, I asked the birds if they were OK with the food I’d been putting out. There began a symphony of sound, loud and a bit overwhelming really. I drank in the love nature has for me and then said “OK, Ok, I will keep putting out the bird seed!” The cacophony died down.
I know that all of nature is alive and yet, like most of us, I walk around thinking I am separate from it, that it isn’t really real but as a backdrop for my real life, which is what anyway? My arrogance is huge when it comes to nature. I assume that what I do, what I eat, etc is a small matter, yet I can look at what’s happening ecologically and understand that it really is each and every thing I do that matters. If I believe in that veil of separation then I can drive a gas guzzler, import my food from South America and ignore all those pesky recyling fanantics. I can separate cause from effect because I don’t live in the present where everything is sacred and everything does matter. Matter is what we have been given to play with and energy is our tool. If we are not present, we can’t see it, we can’t feel it so we are dissociated from our lives. We can’t feel the answer because we are not accessing a creative solution from the depths of our inner knowing, which is connected to all things. We don’t care. We have left HOME and are living in an illusion.
Time to come back to a real life. Time to breathe and love again. Drop the veil. All of nature is waiting for you, ready to love you. Ready to see how you define love and accepting everything you give her with a full embrace.
Blessings from The Council of Trees,
Laurel
Comments:
Asia Guyer
I love that you shared this experience.We all need to be reminded of how lifes interconnections are subtle but very present in every moment, and can be felt and yes- sometimes heard, if we just slow down and pay attention. Nature is constantly communicating and we need to listen.
No Time- Monday, December 3, 2007
It really doesn’t exist, this time, so we’re told. Yet we live in it, in the past or the future, occasionally in the present. When we are totally in the Present we feel out of time, which we are.
Whisperings from The Council last night were about the fallacy of time. The Trees don’t live in time, they are always present. The animals don’t live in time, they too are present. They are always breathing, supposedly they don’t hold their breath like humans do. Maybe this is a clue!
Often when we get upset, we hold our breath, trying to suppress our feelings. I often encourage my clients to breathe in their feelings and tears and anger. Breathe it in, it’s yours. We are mature enough now, we can claim what we feel, hold ourselves in kindness and compassion. We can move from reactive to responsive behavior, treating ourselves as we would have others treat us. The ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ thing again. No love for self, no love for others. We all want to love others and especially to be loved by others so much. Somehow it’s backwards. We think it’s selfish, but it is self-FULL and necessary to clear the traumas of the past and come back into the present. So many tears are based on the beliefs formed by what happened in the past. We wish someone could make it right for us. Someone can- it’s US. Now we can learn to go forward, into the present. We stop manifesting outer dramas when we give ourselves the attention and acceptance that we need.
There is a magic that happens when we get out of time and come into our present. We can stay there when we feel safe and safety comes from being willing to be with ourselves as stuff comes up. No it’s not easy! But it works.
The Trees say get out of time, it’s an illusion. Come into YOUR LIFE, breathe in the presence of who you are.
Blessings,
Laurel
Whisperings from The Council last night were about the fallacy of time. The Trees don’t live in time, they are always present. The animals don’t live in time, they too are present. They are always breathing, supposedly they don’t hold their breath like humans do. Maybe this is a clue!
Often when we get upset, we hold our breath, trying to suppress our feelings. I often encourage my clients to breathe in their feelings and tears and anger. Breathe it in, it’s yours. We are mature enough now, we can claim what we feel, hold ourselves in kindness and compassion. We can move from reactive to responsive behavior, treating ourselves as we would have others treat us. The ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ thing again. No love for self, no love for others. We all want to love others and especially to be loved by others so much. Somehow it’s backwards. We think it’s selfish, but it is self-FULL and necessary to clear the traumas of the past and come back into the present. So many tears are based on the beliefs formed by what happened in the past. We wish someone could make it right for us. Someone can- it’s US. Now we can learn to go forward, into the present. We stop manifesting outer dramas when we give ourselves the attention and acceptance that we need.
There is a magic that happens when we get out of time and come into our present. We can stay there when we feel safe and safety comes from being willing to be with ourselves as stuff comes up. No it’s not easy! But it works.
The Trees say get out of time, it’s an illusion. Come into YOUR LIFE, breathe in the presence of who you are.
Blessings,
Laurel
Hugging a Tree- Sunday, November 25, 2007
One of the best things about a tree is when you hug it, it pulls you into itself, which by the way is part of yourself. Your body is so very special and like the earth itself, it needs to be respected and taken care of. This is a deep ecology that has always been here. The earth takes care of us and we take care of our home.
The trees are speaking out now because we may be ignoring our home, the place where our bodies live. The Judeo-Christian theology says the mind and spirit are good and the body and emotions are bad, thus continuing a split that happened so long ago. Your body is great and so is the earth that nourishes it every day, through water, food, and shelter. Take back your body and your earth. Breathe in and connect to the crystalline core of this amazing planet. Feel at home. You are at home.
If you wander around only in your head, it’s easy to forget why you are here. Having a glorious body allows you to be a creator, to manifest your soul dreams here. No body, no manifesting. The mind traps you in fear and doubt about who you are and why you are here. You spend your time and energy outside of your self, away in your mind or paying attention to everyone else’s wants and loose your SELF. Breathe. Breathe in the truth of you, whatever that may be. Only you know your truth; how you feel and what your experience is. Be there, relearn to trust yourself; to listen to you. So much trust has been lost or forgotten between your body and your emotions and your self. Time to get it back!
When you have a chance, hug a tree and allow it to remind you who you are. And always breathe and listen to you:)
Blessings,
Laurel
The trees are speaking out now because we may be ignoring our home, the place where our bodies live. The Judeo-Christian theology says the mind and spirit are good and the body and emotions are bad, thus continuing a split that happened so long ago. Your body is great and so is the earth that nourishes it every day, through water, food, and shelter. Take back your body and your earth. Breathe in and connect to the crystalline core of this amazing planet. Feel at home. You are at home.
If you wander around only in your head, it’s easy to forget why you are here. Having a glorious body allows you to be a creator, to manifest your soul dreams here. No body, no manifesting. The mind traps you in fear and doubt about who you are and why you are here. You spend your time and energy outside of your self, away in your mind or paying attention to everyone else’s wants and loose your SELF. Breathe. Breathe in the truth of you, whatever that may be. Only you know your truth; how you feel and what your experience is. Be there, relearn to trust yourself; to listen to you. So much trust has been lost or forgotten between your body and your emotions and your self. Time to get it back!
When you have a chance, hug a tree and allow it to remind you who you are. And always breathe and listen to you:)
Blessings,
Laurel
It's All in You- Saturday,November, 10, 2007
What’s missing in a tree? Nothing. What’s missing in you? Nothing.
This is one of the most important things we can learn from the trees. You are whole within yourself, period. It seems we are so trained from an early age to focus on the external world and often raised to value what’s outside of ourselves more than what’s inside. It’s great to pay attention but let’s do it from deep within our own being, from our center. Let’s find that first so you know where you’re coming from!
As you breathe in your world today, breathe in you, listen to you, feel you. This may seem self centered at first. Let’s just say it’s self-full. It is from a full self that you know what’s real and true for you.
Listen to your body, listen to your mind, listen to your inner wisdom. It’s all there in you. What you feel and know inform how you see the world today, so start there. Is there something bugging you? Can you hold a space for it to be instead of running away? Breathe into whatever is coming up and allow it a safe space to exist. It does exist, might as well welcome it as your teacher and friend. Whatever you can allow won’t go hide and bite you later! As you are truthful with yourself, more truth can come in, so you will find yourself more aware. Give yourself the truth of you today. Allow a safe space for all of you. All feelings, all thoughts, all wisdom happen within you. Begin to make friends with yourself today. Show your human self a little kindness and compassion, you’d easily do that for others. We are all human, it’s okay:)
Blessings,
Laurel
This is one of the most important things we can learn from the trees. You are whole within yourself, period. It seems we are so trained from an early age to focus on the external world and often raised to value what’s outside of ourselves more than what’s inside. It’s great to pay attention but let’s do it from deep within our own being, from our center. Let’s find that first so you know where you’re coming from!
As you breathe in your world today, breathe in you, listen to you, feel you. This may seem self centered at first. Let’s just say it’s self-full. It is from a full self that you know what’s real and true for you.
Listen to your body, listen to your mind, listen to your inner wisdom. It’s all there in you. What you feel and know inform how you see the world today, so start there. Is there something bugging you? Can you hold a space for it to be instead of running away? Breathe into whatever is coming up and allow it a safe space to exist. It does exist, might as well welcome it as your teacher and friend. Whatever you can allow won’t go hide and bite you later! As you are truthful with yourself, more truth can come in, so you will find yourself more aware. Give yourself the truth of you today. Allow a safe space for all of you. All feelings, all thoughts, all wisdom happen within you. Begin to make friends with yourself today. Show your human self a little kindness and compassion, you’d easily do that for others. We are all human, it’s okay:)
Blessings,
Laurel
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