(My thanks to norwegiansage.com for posting the original excerpt )
In my January new moon post, I wrote about starting to work intentionally with the energies of nature to help the earth and all living beings on it. And when I asked my friend and role model Diana Stinocher to tune in to the natural world, she immediately heard many voices ~ the voices of the trees asking us to give them the energy of love and appreciation. The trees’ message was that they have endured much in the past few years with drought, wildfires, and high winds. So the first task on this journey (for me and anyone joining me) is to send positive energy, gratitude, and appreciation to the trees in your corner of the world and to any trees that you love.
I have not heard back from Mantak Chia or his publisher to get permission on including a long-ish excerpt with detailed instructions on communicating energetically with trees from Chia’s book: Chi Nei Tsang: Internal Organs Chi Massage, which contains a chapter on establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with trees. But I bought the book myself and so I’m posting a shorter excerpt and summarizing some of the practices. (I’m counting the image descriptions as text for fair use.) I still hope to connect with Mantak Chia or his publisher; I’d love to learn more from him and do plan to buy more of his books.
In this chapter on tree energy (which is only a small part of the book, actually) Chia states that trees are the largest and most spiritually advanced plants on Earth. And that as we become more familiar with tree energy (through mindfulness and spending time with trees ~ regular visits!), we can begin to develop a relationship with them. Chia believes that this “is a mutually beneficial relationship that needs cultivation.” One gift that trees and humans can offer each other is opening each other’s energy channels to remove blockages and increase vitality.
Chia reveals that the best trees for healing are trees big enough and robust enough to have sufficient energy. He states that pines are the best for healing and nurturing souls, which I found interesting, as I know that in some branches of magical thought there is a correspondence between pine trees and healing grief.
Interestingly, Chia says that, “Among the most powerful are trees growing near running water.” I’d really like to learn more about this. Is it because of the chi energy of the water, or the proximity to water itself (meaning that the tree gets sufficient water). Or both? Or something else entirely?
He also says that trees that are around people understand our energy and are actually more accessible and friendly than trees in the wilderness. He notes that each tree, like each of us, has a personality and inner life of its own. And that we can learn and grow from a relationship with all different types of trees.
The general process of communicating energetically with trees is (summarizing here):
1. Find a tree with whom you wish to work
2. Open yourself up energetically to the tree
3. Offer a welcome to the tree and wait for an energetic response from the tree
4. Take turns going back and forth, offering energy to and accepting energy from the tree
5. Observe this exchange of energy without trying to change it in any way
6. Deepen the energy exchange
7. When the time seems right, gradually and gracefully withdraw your energy
8. Formally close the communication with a clear gesture (word, clap, or nod)
I will say that, while I have made it a point to get outside nearly every day so far this year, it is cold enough that I had trouble connecting with my trees in this way because it is so cold and this process takes some time. So, for now, I’m connecting with my yard trees via my morning Reiki sessions. I am also quite fond of many trees in my old neighborhood, and include them in my Reiki prayers each day. In my next post, I’ll share two tree spirit stories.
