In times past, native folk on our island noted the start of a particular season by what was happening in nature. And that, in turn, linked the people to the appropriate activities of that season. With frogs back in song and the Indian plum almost-but-not-quite in flower, I note the emerging Dandelion flowers and Nettles, too few to harvest yet … but soon!
Lemon Balm returns: soothing to the spirit – Photo by Jane Valencia
Our Gregorian calendar marks time for us in a certain regimented way, but how does your body, your nature respond to our lengthening days, the buds on the trees and shrubs, the changing wheel of the stars? What round of activity is awakening in you too and how might that activity be an expression of the season?
Ask the kids in your life what they notice in nature at this time, and what they feel would be fun to do in this emerging season? What are they looking forward to? We are all tuned into the season — it’s written in our biology. And kids may not need us to tell them that “soon it will be time for …” (making Dandelion fritters, dyeing Easter eggs, etc.).
If you celebrate the season in any way — whether through sacred festivals or by way of excitement (to see birds returning from migration, to harvest and cook with delicious nettles in your soups and lasagne, delighting in the first blossoms in the shrubs or grasses) — kids will likely mention these things. And they too may have their own way of reckoning time, born from within, attuned to what speaks directly to their souls. Listen to what speaks to their heart and take note of what it is they uniquely celebrate.
Note too what you celebrate, that to which you are looking forward, the activities (despite your to-do lists) around which you find yourself coalescing. The way you reckon time has everything to do with the seasons of your soul and its unique ecology.
What’s “Now Showing” in your life: In the landscape around you? In your soul ecology? What’s alive for the kids in your life? Please share below!
Now Shoring In Forest Halls: Snow Drop Magic – Photo by Jane Valencia
Shell Wakefield, heroine of the children’s magical fiction novel, Because Of The Red Fox, is stunned. Leaves the Red Fox offers comfort of a kind.
FoxTales 1 – Draft by Jane Valencia
Shell: I don’t believe it.
Leaves: What don’t you believe, Shell?
Shell:FoxTales ... the blog comic. Jane even sketched out a bunch of episodes. To the right is the first one. It was supposed to be about us.
Leaves: Just because a novel was all about us doesn’t mean everything has to be about us.
Shell: Oh, I know that! The world isn’t all about me. But even you got into the first comic!
Leaves: Lucky me. You know why your cousins got into the first one, though.
Shell: Because Annie stood like a tree?
Leaves: She was relevant.
Shell: … because what she was doing tied into last week’s blog post. Fine! So the secret of relevance is to stand like a tree.
Leaves: In the short term. But, indeed, fame and a fortune cookie could well be yours by standing like a tree. Certainly one of the secrets of a happy life is yours for the taking by doing so. Look how much fun this Red Alder sapling is having.
A young Red Alder power poses victory – photo by Jane Valencia
Shell: But that’s what Red Alders do by their very nature ….
Leaves: And take note of the Sword Ferns in the photo below. Don’t they look like they’re having a fantastic fiesta?
Shell: Well, yes — actually, they do! Don’t tell me they’re imitating trees too.
Leaves: No! Of course, not. Look at those fox tails — try them out yourself, Shell.
Shell: What? Oh … I get it. So all I have to do to get into my own comic is to imitate you, Leaves? That seems ridiculous ….
Leaves: Do that! Have a little mischievous fun. There, Shell. Very good. You even got my whiskers. Now look at the comic again. Is that me in it, or you?
Shell: Hm! Okay, Readers – what about you? What happens to you if you stand like a tree or imitate Leaves? (or ferns or other fantastic creatures inside, outside, or in your imaginations). Please share your adventures below!
END!
Sword Ferns imitating Leaves the Red Fox – photo by Jane Valencia
Note: The second half of this article, entitled The Secret Of Standing Like A Tree: For Your Kids will appear in next Tuesday’s blog post.
Recently I heard about a Ted Talk in which a social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, spoke about how your body stance physically affects how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself. Furthermore, by taking on a power pose for two minutes before stressful situations and “faking it until you make it,” your body will reconfigure your mind and you will engage with more presence and self-confidence (whether you feel that it’s false or not), and folks will perceive that presence and respond to it positively.
Even if you think you’re faking your behavior, what’s happening is that your true self shines (you’re inventing the behavior after all), and folks will respond to that. Furthermore, by persevering in this way over time, you stop “faking it” and actually become “it”–which is nothing less than being your true self with others. If you suffer from a lack of confidence at times, this is a big “Wow!”
So, one day recently I was feeling pretty discouraged and overwhelmed, and none of my usual grounding and centering methods were helping–at least, not for very long. I finally tuned into what my inner compass had been quietly repeating for the last hour: “Go outside, go outside, go outside,” and I surrendered to that.
My Council of (young) Elders – a circle of Douglas-fir. Photo by Jane Valencia
I headed out to a circle of Douglas-fir trees in my field that serve as a council of Elders for me. I just stood in their circle, listening to the chickadees in their branches, and found my eyes drawn to those branches. I considered how those branches are like joyful, uplifted arms. In fact, in a song we sing with kids at the Vashon Wilderness Program we hold up our arms for Doug-fir just like in one of the power poses (the Y pose that expresses pride, and which folks will do instinctively in exhilaration when they achieve a huge victory).
And actually, as I look at Doug-fir, I notice that his arms are slightly relaxed in his up-raise. As I imitate Doug-fir, I sense not the thrusting up in victory “Yes!” posture (though I do think some trees–perhaps young Alder–do this. I’ll have to check!). No, it’s a strong, openhearted feel, like opening one’s arms with absolute love and joy to receive a child into a welcoming embrace. And such strength! Just the amount you’d need when a child who, overjoyed to see you, may plow like a locomotive against you in their enthusiasm!
So, what might it be like to stand like Doug-fir, filled with Doug-fir’s strength and generosity, my branches–er, arms–open in uplifted welcome? How might that change my presence with myself when I feel overwhelmed, wanting to create and accomplish, but finding myself held back by … too many demands (often from myself), not enough time (often related to the first problem), and … [fill in the blank]. According to Amy Cuddy, just two minutes in a stance can change your presence. Imagine what might happen if you stood like your favorite tree of a strong stance before tackling a project or engaging in a situation around which you felt a lack of clarity and confidence?
Even more, imagine what might happen if you spent time with that tree, practiced its presence while being in its presence. Heck, let’s not just imagine, let’s find out.
How about standing like this tree? Douglas-fir – photo by Jane Valencia
How to experience the Deeper Secrets of Standing Like Your Tree.
Beginning:
Inventory of You. Notice how you feel right now. No judgment. Don’t feel like you need to change anything. Just be with how you are. How do you feel physically? Where are the discomforts? How do you feel emotionally? Where do you feel your emotions? Just be with how you are.
Choose your favorite tree of a strong stance. If you get bogged down with “choice” (“How can I choose a favorite?!”), just go outside and pick the nearest sturdy upright tree to you. … Or let a tree choose you! … Or choose the tree in the photo above!
Appreciate your tree. What do you notice about it? Like about it?
Be with your tree. Go to it, and stand or sit beside it. Or, if you can’t physically be with the tree, call it to mind, spirit, body as if it was really there before you. Imagine it fully. Take as long or as short as you like with any of the above steps.
Open Your Senses:
Notice what you hear. If you’re imagining your experience of the tree, don’t worry if you’re making everything up, or “getting things wrong”. The qualities that come forth for you however they emerge will have their own wisdom for you.
Use your other senses. What does it feel like? Smell like? Its bark, its needles or leaves, its roots, its branches? What are the smells? Any drops of resin on that tree? Smell and touch that. If you know for absolute certain that a leaf, needle, flower, or nut of your tree is edible, and know that its safe to eat (no chemicals sprayed on it, more than 50 feet from traffic, no or minimal heavy metals or other pollution in the soil, etc.) you can taste it too (if you’re not sure, then don’t!).
Take time with your tree. Take 3 minutes if you can, experiencing that tree and feeling how your body feels just being near that tree. Notice any thoughts or memories that come up. Observe them as if they are clouds in the sky. Don’t have 3 minutes to spare for this? Then just do it for 1!
Now, stand like your tree for 2 full minutes. If you feel too exposed (gack, what will the neighbors think?!), then thank the tree (see #2 in the next section), and go somewhere private to stand.
After:
What was that like? How do you feel now in body-mind-spirit? Anything surprise you during your experience? Take a little time with this if you can.
Thank the tree. It’s an ancient practice (and modern too with some folks!) to thank a tree (or other nature-being) after taking time with it, taking from it, or receiving in other ways from it. Ancient ways have a lot to teach us about well-being and knowing ourselves to be at home in our world, so just try this practice and see how it feels to you.
Go off and do your next task. Be like your tree as you do it! Any differences in how you feel or do it? No wrong answers here!
These are just suggestions. Don’t get hung about whether you’re approaching this exercise the “right” way. Don’t worry if you do only #3 “Take time with your tree” of the Opening Your Senses section, or if you take just half a minute to stand like your tree. That’s fine too. As my Cherokee medicine ways/plant energy medicine teacher Nunutsi Otterson likes to say: “You can only do this right.”
Please share your experiences in the comment box below!
Next time: The Secret Of Standing Like A Tree: For Your Kids
