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I love to sit under a tree and feel its warmth and comfort inside me. I love to walk through trees and bushes and feel their energy blend with mine. It’s one of the many different ways to get to know earth that is easy to accomplish.
Have you ever listened to a tree and felt how friendly it can be? Give it a try. Find a tree that you like and sit under or lean against it’s trunk. Close your eyes and breath in slowly and deeply. Give yourself permission to let your mind relax and let go of everything for just a few minutes. Put the phone on mute, the ear plugs out of your ears and turn all electronic devices off.
PERMISSION GRANTED – TIME FOR YOU
Now listen and feel. I mean really feel the earth and tree. Run your hand over the earth below you and feel the weight of your body sitting on the ground. Which part of your body feels heavier? You butt? Your feet? Compare that difference in weight. These little details are how you begin to pay attention to the earth, your awareness and the world around you.
Let your mind stretch and sense the tree above you. Do you hear it’s leaves rustling? Do you smell the earth or the tree itself? Are there any birds in the tree singing? What do you hear, feel and sense? Use your mind and senses as if you were blindfolded and they were the only way you could understand what was around you. If it helps, lie down on the ground and see how much more information you can assess than just sitting.
TREE SENSE
If you’re leaning against the tree, reach back and feel it’s bark. Feel the complexity of the texture of bark as compared to that of the ground beneath you. How different do they feel from one another? Could you recognize them if you were asked to identify what you felt in a closed box?
How do these discoveries make you feel? Do you have any more questions you need to explore on your own?
YOU DECIDE
After this little exploration of your environment relax again and just sit and rest. Continue breathing slowly and deeply with your eyes either open or closed, your choice. Listen and relax your mind and muscles slowing your pace for the moment. Can you feel a peace or calm slowly seeping into your being by just being in this environment? How does it make you feel?
If your to-do list is nagging your brain, assure it that you will be with it in just a few more minutes. You are the boss of taking care of you, not it.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS ALWAYS
After your experience with trees make a few mental notes. Do you feel differently than you did before you sat under the tree? What are those differences? Is your to-do list just as important as it was before the exercise? If not, what is the difference.
When you have a chance jot down some of your realizations so that you can compare them to the next time you look for a place to sit outside.
CONCLUSION
I have more tips and experiences that I will be posting over the next weeks. Feel free to check out any past posts as well click to follow me at Cre8self.com.
