The Embrace

I began softly walking the forest alone. With each visit I became more and more aware that the trees had something incredibly important to offer. An intensive study of the science behind the forest atmosphere revealed what
we are only beginning to understand. 

As I stand quietly in the midst of the trees, examining their texture, following the vein-like branches reaching upward and out;  I can image all the systems I was reading about, how the trees communicate with each other and with us on a molecular level, how they support not only their own kind but many other species as in a community. They/we are interconnected. The mycorrhizal  network in the ground underneath the canopy of trees functions very much like our neural network. The compounds running through that network are made of the same material as the
neurotransmitters in our brain. Elegant designs are at work that benefit us so much.

Forest bathing has had a profound effect on my psyche. I feel a sense of belonging and acceptance there. Can the benefits of being immersed in this community atmosphere teach me how to be fully present in my own wider community. Could the support I feel help me show compassion for others? In these years we have lost much in the way of human connectedness. Each decision to do so has been fraught with fear. As we imagine the days going forward, can this human-nature relationship help us? Do the trees have something to teach? This work is an exploration of interconnectedness.
It is a deep, intimate conversation, an embrace.