Mama`s Truth Serum
Each Friday the kids at Edie’s school don’t step foot inside the one room classroom but instead head out on some sort of adventure.
Last week they visited an old growth forest just down the road from us. Apparently it’s super rare; an interior rain forest. I had no idea we were so blessed. I always knew this little valley we live in is super special and I’m constantly finding official ways to say how it is so.
I think that’s why it’s especially poignant and it breaks my heart when I discover new projects and industry fast approaching this sacred space and realizing that no place will be left unscathed at the hands of ‘progress’ by the time our kids have children of our own.
I was fearless until I had kids.
Becoming a mother is like watching as the dial knob of life crop up a new number. Life’s volume now cranks up to eleven; Spinal Tap style. The beauty and the injustice.
But I realize now I have the tools to help me cope when bouts of anxiety and fear pounce on me. And lucky enough, I witnessed some of these tools being taught during this school outing; planting the seeds for our children to cope with strength and integrity the unknown and challenges that the world, and life, will surely present to them.
Hug a tree
The herbalist leading the walk taught the kids that if they ever get lost in the forest to hug a tree and that will help increase their chances of survival. She even mentioned that those who hug trees are typically healthier than non-huggers.
When I`m in full on meltdown mode I find a solace and an immediate shift in perspective when being outside among these giants. Doesn`t necessarily have to come to going to first base with the tree or anything. Just simply sitting among them I feel comforted. Protected even.
Name your tree
The kids were to pick a tree in this old growth forest and observe it carefully, reflect on why that particular tree called to them and bestow a name to it.
Offering a name, word or a prayer helps propel me to this reality that there is a concrete relationship to the divine. A ritual I have created for myself to do each New Year is fill out Leonie Dawson’s Incredible Year workbook (or get in on becoming a member of the circle because you’ll get all her gorgeous ecourses for free if you are hooked up in her circle where you will find me at as an affiliate, yo, and then email me and I’ll give you a free Mama Bliss Coaching session) and each year there is a prompt to chose your word that will be your anchor for the months to follow.
This year my word is TRUTH. It has picked me up so many time and strengthened me like a soul vitamin. My tree’s name is Truth.
Draw your Tree
If you haven’t had a chance yet check out my free Ten Days to Get you from Crummy to Yummy Mummy ecourse. Presented there are exercises to invite more of what you want to feel into your life today. A few of these tasks incorporate drawing into self-discovery.
Inviting artistic expression into our daily experience, while letting go of judgement of perfectionist stance on outcome, can open up a lot of healing modalities and insight on how we can connect with what is hidden not too deep under the surface.
Never underestimate the healing powers of an afternoon date with a sewing machine.
I’m in a good space now. I wasn’t a couple of weeks ago truth (ha, ha) be told, but I’m more like tree now – stronger, taller and more at peace with the change around me.
What`s your anchor in times of crisis? If you would like to share I would love to hear your truth in the comments below.
Love the beautiful pictures in message in your post Kathy. Really lovely: )
xoxo
I love the pictures of the trees and the field trip.This time of year -the trees are a fall festival of colors.
Now to your question about what is my anchor in time of crisis- meditation
” It is so much easier to be holy on a mountaiintop than it is to be holy in the daily grind of life,in the little and not so little crises of life.” quote by Naomi Levy,from her book “Hope Will Find You.”
Thank you Ellen! Beautiful quote Lee Lee. So true!
This post really speaks to me. Having an anchor after uprooting ourselves from our home of 11 years and being newly transplanted has been more difficult at times for me to achieve. I am comforted right now in two things: one is the rootedness I feel when providing for my family, through warm, nourishing meals, stories read, and warm woolens knitted. The other is in seeking new perspectives and reminders of truths out in the world through online courses, such as Kathy’s Simplicity Parenting, and 10 days from Crummy to Yummy. It has been like having a support network in place while I work on laying down my roots in this new home of ours.
Very cool Jennifer you’ve mentioned ‘root’ a few times there. Not only a high five for deepening the tree analogy but the root chakra is the one that gets all stirred up with moving and finding home again. I quickly googled to investigate further and the site prescribes to balance this chakra to go hug a tree | neat!:
http://www.algonet.se/~anki-p/Rootchakra.html
I agree you don’t need to get to ‘first base’ with a tree !Hugging is not always appropriate!
There is a little apple tree in a pot otside a neighbours door that I observe every day and feel in tune with it’s seasons,at the moment it is covered in rosy apples which are hard not to pick.
I find observing the seasons and simple things like bringing seasonal veg/flowers/fruit into the home and mealtimes keeps me anchored(I too have moved.. from south England to North Scotland)
thanks for the beautiful photos
Love it Laura! I love our apple trees here. We`re enjoying the apple cider still we made from them and I find these trees are providing such nourishment on so many levels to us. They flank us on our walk to the mailbox everyday (whoa! I sound so fancy typing `flank`!) and you`re right; welcoming them into our home throughout the year is grounding xo
After thinking it over,my anchor is my husband and my sister. I have to talk it out! A long walk always helps. Being in nature is calming.The root of the problem that causes a crises, must be figured out, to avoid other crises Sometimes,if something bad happens-there is nothing to figure out except how to carry on with your life.Then a walking meditation under the trees or on the beach,or along a river-helps get you back into th “flow”of life.
That is such an inspiring and lovely school outing for the children–I wish more schools gave children those sort of opportunities to connect with nature!
Having just had a new little one born six weeks ago and now adjusting to home schooling older children with small baby, I’ve been really tuning in more and more to my anxiety level in my everyday life. I’m realizing that my automatic response to anything stressful is to immediately and frantically start cleaning my house for some reason–and I’m not sure how healthy that is! As though I could set anything to rights by organizing my surroundings?
I think what really makes me feel more grounded and opens truthfulness for me is to go outside, as you said, and especially to spend time with my animals–my goats and cows. Something about them is so laid back and calm. It makes my human cares and trials seem smaller somehow.