DOGWOOD DAYS

My understanding is that when one practices the art of meditation while in the woods, stretched out on a bed of moss, one is Forest Bathing. Apparently, the sense of peace is quite profound. I am sure it is an amazing experience. However, as I am having more and more difficulty getting up from a prone position and am not a fan of bugs and such, I have created my own version of the practice. It is rather like a sponge bath form of Forest Bathing as there is no forest floor, and no moss involved. Instead, my patio, a comfortable chaise, and the beautiful dogwood tree that lives in my garden, all combine to create a modified form that I find perfectly suited to my needs.

Now I don’t know where your meditation practices take you, but I find that this modified form of Tree Therapy brings me a sense of calm. I become intensely caught up in viewing the structure and design of the tree itself. The growth patterns of the twigs and branches, the way they fold together with such grace, the shades of green, and the relation of the dogwood to other forms, all illustrate the amazing capacity of Mother Nature to create beauty in infinite variety. And when one adds the variables provided by Father Time, the mind boggles. At just some random perfect moment you might catch a glimpse that brings a sense of wonder,  and then … tree leaves move, light shifts, clouds scuttle, birds alight, winds blow, spiders spin their webs, and in a heartbeat that moment of time is gone … and with it that image is gone. Instead, a new image, a different fragment equally beautiful, replaces the one that was there. So you start again.

All this is by way of giving the proper credit for this photo of my dogwood tree. I took it last week during a session of Tree Therapy. So yes, my iPhone provided the technology, random chance dictated the moment, and I took the picture. However, Mother Nature and Father Time are responsible for the image. Enjoy!