In the same way that the mountain can be used as a source of inspiration for our mindfulness practice,
Another really helpful image can be that of a tree.
Trees are grounded via their roots.
There's often more tree under the ground than above it.
They adapt to their environment,
So they bend with the wind.
Like us,
They face a range of weather conditions in their lives with the changing seasons and changing conditions of the world.
Scientists are still discovering more about trees.
They've discovered that trees communicate underground via fungal networks,
Sometimes referred to as the wood-wide web,
Allowing them to share nutrients and send warning signals to each other.
Trees can recognise and support their offspring,
So large mother trees often send nutrients to their own seedlings and help them survive,
Especially in difficult conditions.
Trees help create rainfall.
Through something called evapotranspiration,
Trees release water vapour that contributes to cloud formation and rainfall,
Meaning forests actively shape climate.
Perhaps something we've always known,
Being around trees can improve our mental health.
Time spent in forests can reduce our stress hormones,
Lower our blood pressure and improve our mood.
This is sometimes referred to as forest bathing.
So in this practice,
We're going to explore the imagery of the tree and see if it's possible to bring some of these ideas into our practice.
So just taking a few moments now to arrive here,
Adapting your posture to one that represents intention and being awake,
A posture that feels stable,
Upright and open.
And as much as you're able to,
Maybe just tuning into any sense of openness and dignity,
Allowing the eyes to close,
Or maybe just softening the gaze.
And just taking a few moments to arrive here and to notice that you've arrived here.
Maybe just establishing an anchor for this practice now.
So maybe tuning into the feet,
The seat or the hands,
Just exploring all the sensations you find here.
Just noticing somewhere steady and grounding for you to return to,
At any stage during this practice.
Now when you're ready,
Just inviting you to bring your attention to the breath.
Just noticing any sensations of breathing in the body,
Perhaps the tummy or the chest.
Just allowing this awareness of the breath to remain in the background.
Another place alongside the anchor that you can return to again and again at any time during this practice.
And as much as you're able to now,
Just inviting you to bring to mind the image of a tree.
A tree that feels strong,
Vital,
Flexible.
It may be a tree that you know,
Perhaps a tree that you've seen,
Or it could also be an imagined tree.
And gently bringing this image of the tree closer until,
In one way or another,
You become the tree.
Knowing that if the tree doesn't come to you as a mental image,
Maybe just seeing if it's possible to embody the essence,
The sense of a tree.
So moving your attention to the feet now,
Sensing into the feet as the roots,
The roots of your tree,
Rooted into the ground,
Supported,
Connected.
You might notice any sensations here,
So maybe pressure,
Warmth or tingling,
Or perhaps noticing very little at all.
Just tuning into this sense of being solid and supported.
As you move your awareness now into the legs and the pelvis,
Imagining these as being the base of the trunk of the tree.
Again stable and grounded,
With the torso becoming the trunk of the tree,
Strong,
Upright,
Rigid,
Steady,
But in no way rigid,
Flexible,
Able to adapt and respond.
You're moving your awareness into the arms and the hands now.
Imagine these as being like the branches of the tree,
Able to move,
To sway with the wind,
To bend without breaking,
As the head and the face become the crown of the tree,
Open,
Open,
Aware.
And as much as you're able to now,
Just sensing into the entirety of this body as a tree,
Rooted,
Fully alive,
And maybe just noticing the breath in the background.
Just like the tree,
This body is taking in breath,
Taking in what it needs,
And then letting go of what it doesn't need.
It does this effortlessly,
With minimal thought,
And as much as you're able to,
Just allowing the breath to support this sense of steadiness.
And now perhaps just beginning to notice that just like the tree,
Conditions in the mind are always changing.
The weather moving through,
Sunlight,
Wind,
Rain,
And storms.
And knowing in the same way thoughts may come and go,
Emotions may shift,
Perhaps sensations changing moment by moment.
Just seeing if it's possible to relate to all of this in the same way that a tree might.
So bending with the winds,
Yet staying rooted,
Responsive,
But not overwhelmed.
Just allowing your experience to come and go,
Without needing to hold on or push away.
The trees move through the seasons,
The freshness of spring,
The brightness of summer,
The letting go of the autumn,
And the rest and recuperation of winter.
And just like the tree,
We too move through seasons,
Times of ease,
Times of difficulty,
Moments of calm,
And moments of storm.
This is our human experience.
And perhaps if it's helpful just tuning in to the idea that trees do not exist alone.
They're part of a forest,
A living interconnected web,
Sharing,
Supporting,
And communicating.
And perhaps if it's helpful to you just sensing into this idea of connection,
To others,
And to the wider world.
And inviting you now to gently let go of the image of the tree,
And just return your attention to this body sitting here.
Maybe taking a couple of deep breaths.
Touching base with an anchor point in the body.
Just taking a few moments just to notice how things are now,
In this body,
In this mind.
And perhaps just sensing how this way of being,
Rooted,
Steady,
And flexible,
Might be able to support you in your moments of your day.
And inviting you to take a sense of being grounded,
You're able to respond as you move into whatever comes next.
Thank you for listening.
