The Wisdom In Our Bones

 

Spending time in a forest acts like a bridge between worlds.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started to appreciate forests and the density of old trees living together in such a mysterious way.

They seem to have a ‘larger than life’ presence and give off a sense of peace. There is a protected wisdom that resonates from a group of trees and the inherent power they possess. To think that they not only have the power to stand hundreds of feet high, but to create fire, build homes and provide shelter. Trees provide us with many basic needs but they offer us much more with their mystical connection to spirituality, health and wellness.

Much healing energy and wisdom are believed to flow through trees. In Japan, forests are believed to be “therapeutic landscapes”. They may decrease the risk of stress-related diseases.

A study done on 500 Japanese adults on the psychological effects of the practice of simply being in nature, connecting with it through our six senses of sight, hearing, taste smell, touch, and energy intuition, found the participants reported significantly less depression and hostility and felt significantly more lively.

Spending time in the forest acts like a bridge between worlds. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world and generates balance between healing and wholeness.

What is really fascinating is that a cross-section of a human bone cell and a cross-section of a tree look amazingly similar. Bones grow in rings like the circles of a tree!

Our bones are our roots. They ground us to the soil of our life and allow us to grow. Bones are our foundation. They are our home and anchor in the physical world.

When I combine the thought of trees and human bones, it helps me understand the relationship between the energy shifts that happen from year to year, as we end one stage in our lives and begin another.

Trees retain wisdom year to year as they evolve. Each year, a tree forms new cells from the middle out in annual growth rings. The oldest rings closest to the center of the tree. Elements such as drought, excessive rain, fire, insect plagues, air pollution, all leave their marks on a tree’s annual growth rings.

Like a tree, we hold our ancient wisdom closest to our center. Emotions, thoughts, and environmental elements each year as we build the framework of our lives. Our ancient memories and wisdom lie within the feelings in our bones. Our wisdom will tell us if we are living in a thriving and healing environment or where negative emotions still stick to us like sap.

By the time you get to be my age and the outer layer of your “bark”, the inner layers of “wood” have already been laid down. It takes discipline and a great deal of patience and compassion to allow your inner wisdom to come out.

We can begin by taking a look at how we support our physical body and what we are doing to increase that support.

The next time you are in a forest, place your hands on the trunk of a tree and feel how solid it is. Spend some time there and take in the flavor of the forest to release your sense of inner joy and calm.

Our bodies are connected in and to nature. We can now cross the bridge to the wisdom, healing and the happiness we have within our very own bones.