Go outdoors with a friend. Find a tree. Stand for a moment and gaze at it. Take a deep breath. Consider that you breathe in what the tree releases into the air. And that the tree takes in what you breathe out. What is it like to breathe with the tree? Now step under the canopy. Looking up at the branches stretching overhead, consider how the roots are extending deep and wide underneath your feet. What is it like to stand in the living sphere of the tree? Walk up to the trunk. Press your nose against it and sniff. Smell anything? Reach down, pick up some soil, and rub it between your hands. Put your hands over your nose and inhale. Any smell here? How many smells might there be around this tree? Let your fingers explore the bark. What do you discover? Scratch it. Tap on it. How many sounds could you make with the tree using your fingers? Place your palms on the tree. Is it warmer or cooler than your hands? What might your hands feel like to the tree?
Sit on the ground and lean against the tree. Look up. Trace a branch from the trunk to the tip with your finger. Could you make that gesture with your arm? Close your eyes. Gently push your spine, vertebra by vertebra, against the trunk. Then, extend your legs on the ground beneath you. How does it feel to be held and supported? What might you feel like to the tree and the ground?
Sit still and listen. What is the furthest sound you hear? What is the nearest? Might the tree be listening too? Be silent now. Listen with your heart. Sit for as long as you want in the company of the tree. Maybe your heart has something to say to it. Finally, when you are ready, turn to your friend and ask, “What are you noticing?”
Photo Laura Liska
