Into the Forest…
“I found far more answers in the woods than I ever did in the city.” ―Mary Davis
Early in The Book of Hope, co-author Douglas Abrams’ asks Jane Goodall, “What did you get from the forest?”, after hearing how it helped her heal after the loss of her husband. Goodall responded: “It gave me a sense of peace and timelessness, and reminded me of the cycle of life and death we all go through…”
Whether you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, or the world you once knew, walking in the woods can give you the breathing space to heal and feel a sense of peace. Or, perhaps you find yourself wrestling with a thorny problem. Let the forest gently support you.
“In the forest, there’s no need to try to relax. Just go outside and Nature will work her magic to relax and restore you. Studies show that people feel more relaxed after just fifteen minutes of being in nature.” ― Julia Plevin, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing
If health issues or life’s pace keep you away, don’t underestimate the power of your imagination (or a great video) to take you to the forest. However you visit, listen with your ears and heart. The wisdom and peace you desire may arrive quietly, settling upon you. Ahh…
May the forest bless you with the peace and quiet to receive the wisdom you seek or the Holy One desires to share with you .
“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” —Henry David Thoreau
Sometimes
Sometimes
if you move carefully
through the forest
breathing
like the ones
in the old stories
who could cross
a shimmering bed of leaves
without a sound,
you come
to a place
whose only task
is to trouble you
with tiny
but frightening requests
conceived out of nowhere
but in this place
beginning to lead everywhere.
Requests to stop what
you are doing right now,
and
to stop what you
are becoming
while you do it,
questions
that can make
or unmake
a life,
questions
that have patiently
waited for you,
questions
that have no right
to go away.
―David Whyte, from ‘Sometimes’ in DAVID WHYTE: ESSENTIALS
