Day Three: Listen
We can learn so much from the wild if we listen to what it is trying to tell us. We are constantly being bombarded by unnatural sounds all day- traffic, the neighbors barking dog, the trash truck, it’s no wonder we have forgotten how to listen to what nature is trying to tell us. The rustling of leaves, the call of a woodpecker, and the swoosh of a stream flowing over rocks all are components of a beautiful orchestra that can soothe our souls and teach us deep wisdom if we choose to listen.
In fact, recent scientific studies have proven that mature oak trees really do communicate with each other when threatened by the Gypsy Moth larvae. If a larva is on one of the oak’s leaves, the oak will release a pheromone alerting the other oaks around it. All the oaks in the vicinity will increase a bitter tannin in their leaves that the Gypsy Moth larva doesn’t like. It is truly fascinating. This article sums up how and why trees do communicate.
Listen to the following meditation: Nature Calls by Elizabeth Young
Activity: For this activity, you’ll need to find a quiet space with a tree that calls to you. Take your time with this activity as it might take awhile for you to hear anything. Trees have a slow, calm energy and it may take them a bit of time to communicate with you. When you find your tree, sit or stand very close to the tree, facing it. If you feel called, you can even place your ear close to its bark or leaves. What do you hear? Really listen. What is it saying to you? What wisdom can you learn from it?
Write the following in your journal:
Sometimes what the tree is telling you will show up as images in your mind instead of actually hearing it with your ears. If this happens, write down what images you see in your mind and what those images mean to you.
Share: Take a photo of your tree and share it in the Facebook group along with what you feel the tree had to say to you.
Recite the following affirmation out loud: ”I am able to communicate with the wild. I can hear what it is telling me and the wisdom it wants to share.”
Further reading: The Hidden Life of Trees: What they feel, How They Communicate, German forester Peter Wohlleben
Go back to:
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
In fact, recent scientific studies have proven that mature oak trees really do communicate with each other when threatened by the Gypsy Moth larvae. If a larva is on one of the oak’s leaves, the oak will release a pheromone alerting the other oaks around it. All the oaks in the vicinity will increase a bitter tannin in their leaves that the Gypsy Moth larva doesn’t like. It is truly fascinating. This article sums up how and why trees do communicate.
Listen to the following meditation: Nature Calls by Elizabeth Young
Activity: For this activity, you’ll need to find a quiet space with a tree that calls to you. Take your time with this activity as it might take awhile for you to hear anything. Trees have a slow, calm energy and it may take them a bit of time to communicate with you. When you find your tree, sit or stand very close to the tree, facing it. If you feel called, you can even place your ear close to its bark or leaves. What do you hear? Really listen. What is it saying to you? What wisdom can you learn from it?
Write the following in your journal:
- What did the tree tell you?
- How does it make you feel? What do you notice about your energy? What part(s) of your body have sensations or numbness?
- Can you feel any energy releasing?
Sometimes what the tree is telling you will show up as images in your mind instead of actually hearing it with your ears. If this happens, write down what images you see in your mind and what those images mean to you.
Share: Take a photo of your tree and share it in the Facebook group along with what you feel the tree had to say to you.
Recite the following affirmation out loud: ”I am able to communicate with the wild. I can hear what it is telling me and the wisdom it wants to share.”
Further reading: The Hidden Life of Trees: What they feel, How They Communicate, German forester Peter Wohlleben
Go back to:
Introduction
Day One
Day Two