The first session of this online seminar about tree wisdom and forest bathing was this evening. Say hello to my two tree pals, residents of my front yard. I\u2019m grateful for their shade in the summer (they block to south-facing heat hitting the house, which is pretty intense in these parts). In winter, with leaves gone, they allow just enough sunlight to get in the house for warmth and nourishing winter light. I was going to have a chat with these pals this afternoon, but the overly friendly mosquitoes were a bit much. We\u2019ll need a hard frost before those wee beasties are rid of, and then I can commune more freely with my trees.<\/p>\n
We talked about what it means to be cracked open, like the acorn shell that must break in order to reach its full potential as an oak tree. I\u2019ve been cracked open countless times over my lifetime and for me this means breaking that shell of who I think I am, which isn\u2019t at all the Truth about myself. As a spirit-centered person, I try to connect with that Truth about myself\u2014when I\u2019m not busy letting my ego direct my life (and others, because it thinks it\u2019s in charge of everything). Cracking open has made me more and more comfortable with being vulnerable. Publishing my memoir (which is largely a journey of my being cracked open) also ripped any shred of an idea I ever had about protecting myself to bits. My soul was bared for the world to see. Yes, there\u2019s still a lot hidden. N\u2019dank<\/em>, n\u2019dank<\/em>, as the Wolof saying goes, little by little<\/em>. It\u2019s one of the few phrases I retained from my brief stint in the Peace Corps in Senegal. It\u2019s no wonder it\u2019s stuck with me all these years. It\u2019s my mantra for survival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"