#BEFRIEND DIVERSITY - MAKING FRIENDS FOR LIFE
#BEFRIEND DIVERSITY - MAKING FRIENDS FOR LIFE
#BEFRIEND DIVERSITY - MAKING FRIENDS FOR LIFE
trees
renewing our sacred bonds with the trees
During 7 Days of Rest we invite participants to spend time re-connecting with nature, remembering and relearning how to commune with the trees and the plants that nourish all life. We ask the trees and the plants to remind us how to honor their infinite generosity, how to breathe with them and love them as they gift us the oxygen and the nutrients that enliven and vitalize our cells, the shade and color and beauty and scents and medicine and a home for the many species that are a part of the interdependent web of life. We pledge to learn how to honor them and nourish them in return - to thank them and protect them as we remember our deepest connection with them and humbly listen and learn from their ancient infinite wisdom.
Advice from a Tree
If in doubt, share.
All that you have
And all that you need
Are right there,
If you stand,
Sink your roots,
Open,
And allow.
Unravel.
You were not born,
To shun your light.
You receive, radiate and transmit.
You are embodied light.
Turn your face and your heart
To the sky and say 'YES
I am more'
Grow.
And in your growth
Let your living be safe harbour
For their lives and hearts of others
Do not define yourself by what you have,
But by what you give,
How you let go,
and how you love.
Dig deep.
For in the shadows you will find
The way back to self and source.
The true depth of your capacity to feel
Your unbroken promise to life,
And the grit
around which your pearl will form.
Say yes.
There is only being here fully.
Face all that comes your way
Whether reverent or dominant
Whether your life appears valued or not
Receive yourself.
Know that life crafted the perfection of you,
That life breathes you.
Be total.
Whether shedding your leaves,
Standing naked in the rain
Showing the bare bones of your soul
Or dropping into the long deep rest,
Give it all you have
And let each season,
Each experience,
Have its way with you.
Bare witness.
Take this stand called life
As the privilege it is,
Observe, hold space, be still,
Listen.
Allow the infinite to penetrate.
Be your own wise guide.
Know that the roots of you
Cross all time and space.
Above all
Wake up to who and what you are
So that this life can be lived as a prayer
As a dance
As a gift of gratitude
As a kiss on the wind
That sparks briefly and blesses the hearts of all
Before falling back
Into the intimate ocean
Of ultimate togetherness.
By Clare Dubois
We are delighted to honour TreeSisters for their extraordinary leadership and dedication to reforesting the planet, and reawakening Feminine wisdom in sacred stewardship of the Earth. We are deeply grateful for their generous and loving partnership with 7 Days of Rest Global Event since its inception.
As has become a precious tradition in this annual global event, this year, TreeSisters offers participants of 7 Days of Rest & Sacred Renewal daily guided meditations on the themes of the day. We are also grateful for the resources, inspiration and co-creation of this page as portals for deepening our connection with our extended Tree family.
You can find the TreeSisters guided meditations on each of the days of the week in the meditation section of the calendar.
We encourage all to join Tree Sisters in regreening the Planet that all may live.
Evolving Your Relationships with the Global Forest
excerpt from a blog by Suzi Martineau (Steer)
What You Can Do: Connecting with a Tree
Take the time to be with a chosen tree. We invite you to spend time using all your senses, an open mind and heart in getting to know trees.
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Look at everything you can learn from observing the tree, it’s canopy, health, soil, access to water and surrounding plants and wildlife.
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Listen to the wind through the leaves, the birdsong and let yourself receive the soundscape.
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Touch the bark, the textures and feel into your animal self.
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Smell any flowers, the air, and forest floor. Trees communicate a lot through aerosols both to surrounding trees, to attract insects and signal to animals and humans.
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Taste maybe a tiny bit of a leaf, or fruit, to give you a sense of the gifts, medicine and chemical compounds used by the tree. Some trees are poisonous so it’s good to check first.
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Once you have done this, take the time to sit and be with the tree. If you are looking to deepen connection to the tree’s consciousness, traditionally it is good practice to internally ask if you have permission to be with the tree and honour the answer you receive. Trees can’t walk away and be busy. If you feel a yes, then offer it a gift as a reciprocal sign of your honouring the trees’ wisdom. Gifts traditionally include tobacco in the US, barley in the UK and you may need to do some research into your landscape traditions. If in doubt, a song or spring water can be good. Then let yourself receive and trust what comes.
Read the full blog here: https://treesisters.org/evolving-your-relationship-with-the-global-forest
Resourcing Yourself in This Work
TreeSisters is very clear that it is hard to maintain yourself and your personal integrity without nourishing your personal development. We have created a number of resources to enable you to nourish yourself as you bring your voice forward for the Earth. We invite you to explore...
To learn more about our projects please visit our Tree page.
To make a donation to TreeSisters please visit our Give page.
Jim Graywolf Petruzzi shares some of his travels among amazing trees and their water sources around the world.
Chris Cavan shares an original art presentation "Rooted to the Sky" followed by an open group discussion.
DAILY GUIDED MEDITATIONS OFFERED BY TREESISTERS
day 1 ~ rebirthing meditation with lauriane cayet-boisrobert
TreeSisters Reforestation Program Manager
In this meditation Lauriane shares her deep and powerful connection to the forests and invites us to sit with the stillness and sourcing of the rebirthing of trees in the dormancy of winter preparing the way for spring.
day 2 ~ nourishing: with charlotte pulver, modern day alchemist and change maker, founder of pulver’s apothecary and co-founder of the fellowship of the spring
In this meditation we connect with the consciousness of the yew through sonic invocations and a guided meditation with Charlotte. Spend time connecting with the tree of the Eternal, the Yew to assist in a deep nourishment to Self and All. Wherever you may be in this time, rest in the arms of these beloved ancestor trees.
Listening time: 25 minutes
day 3 ~ cultivating: with suzi steer who oversees Education and Alliances for TreeSisters,
In today’s meditation Suzi tunes into what trees teach us about cultivating, what it is to let go and prune that which is no longer serving us individually and collectively. By becoming aware of our wider multidimensional selves and exploring our loving connection with Nature today we seek to nourish that unique spark of infinity you bring.
Listening time: 12 minutes 5 seconds
day 4 ~ communing: teresa gitonga is the kenya programme manager for the international tree foundation ~ a planting partner of TreeSisters.
Brief Description: Teresa shares with us a celebration of the work of communities who care for and grow trees and who donate to support communities and safeguard Nature. How these relationships support women to educate their children, provide so many benefits and build a culture of responsibility of care for the Earth.
Listening Time: 8 mins 17
Day 5 ~ sharing: dr. Hildur Palsdottir is a TreeSister, climate activist, community organizer, public speaker, and co-founder of ReWild Long Island. She is a founding steering committee member of Transition Town Port Washington, President of the Board of Trustees at The Science Museum of Long Island and founder of the Sol Center.
In today’s meditation Hildur invites us to relax and receive from the Earth into our bodies as part of the Earth, extending our roots of awareness. With a beautiful, wise focus on what nourishes the heart, sharing the breath with the trees, the forests, the oceans and the shining gold light of the Sun.
Listening Time: 16 mins 53 seconds
day 6 ~ valuing: Clare-Marie Chapman is TreeSisters’ Volunteer Coordinator, a grove-tender and the founding member of five community groups across Birmingham, in the UK. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a mother, planter of orchards and a school governor.
Clare-Marie takes us on a journey to tune into what is of value to us, our communities, insects and wildlife, family members. Anchored in directions of the Earth through four sacred trees, around a sacred fire, she holds a space to feel into the values at the heart of our communities, what is true to us and what it is to hold that fire for all beings.
Listening Time: 17 mins
day 7 ~ celebration: Yeye Luisah Teish is a teacher, dancer, storyteller, high priestess and an Iyanifa and Oshun chief in Yoruba tradition. TreeSisters is in deep gratitude for her collaboration through voice over for a TreeSisters animation and contributions through the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations.
Sit back and listen to the glorious voice of Yeye Luisah Teish as she guides you through the Forest of Forever. Feeling into our belonging to this eternal forest, see what is around you, collect the gifts. Hear the song, gather together with your village, dig deep and plant your sacred fruits, mushrooms, plants and trees and celebrate what you are growing for your community’s nourishment.
Listening Time: 16 mins 53 seconds
The Story of The Sacred Tree
by Judy Bopp
shared by Chief Phil Lane Jr.
Courtesy of The Four Worlds International Institute