The Woods of Remembrance

Deep within forests, and across all lands, mother nature calls as she echoes the remnants of a long-forgotten rhythm and song.

Her old growth forests weave a tapestry of wisdom through their roots, connected with each other and drawing from the Earth its treasures, holding within themselves a sacredness etched within the fabric of time, as the ancients and ancestors sing healing into the lei lines of the land as their custodianship and connection demands.

If you listen quietly, out of the woods and through the land and the trees, comes an ancient calling, the silent one we never heard, the one that has lived within our own heart and soul for eternity and the one the ancients knew in time we would come to hear.

The rhythm and hum of nature, beats within our heart and soul, gently awakening us to the world around. The breath within is our connection to life and the cosmos beyond. The purity of the water we consume, runs like rivers in our blood, hydrating our very being, yet we remain in silent slumber, separate and not conscious of the song, rhythm and connection of our own heart's yearning.

Our feet touch the body and soul of the Earth; but do we tread lightly? Her heart is our heart, as she nourishes our soul. With every step we take, she is with us, for she is our teacher as she quietly holds us with unconditional love along the pathway of our soul’s journey.

Sit silently at her feet, and she will show us beyond the veil of illusion and maya. She will open our heart and fill it with more love than we ever thought possible when we surrender into her embrace and fill us with the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of brining ourselves into peace, which, in itself, is the pure gold of abundance and grace.

Her beauty, breathtaking in its balance and harmony with all things, as the outer planets hold for us, the wisdom and timing of our homecoming within their formulation, structure and positioning.

Restless spirits are we, as we send our prayers skywards towards the stars, hoping we are heard and answered. Are we listening? Are we focused and fixated upon an outcome too distracted to notice her wisdom and guidance as she grants us perception and access?

Love is what we crave. Have we lost our direction to it within our everyday life? Silenced by the busyness and noise, distraction and fear. Do we have the courage to surrender our pride and release ourselves from our invisible chains of despair? Do we know the difference? Do we know how? Do we know we have a choice?

The Earth lives. She breaths, and so do we. The trees and oceans are her breath, carried by the winds and so too are they ours. Birds soar in the currents of her breath as the tides below shape the coastal shores and inland riverbanks under the stewardship of the moon.

Close our eyes and hear the night call of the woods and forests and her creatures as we fall asleep, safely snuggled in our bed, covers pulled up under our chin as the night air cools and leaves rustle gently in her breath as her tears begin to water her diverse landscape.

Earth, our body. Fire our spirit. Water our blood. Air our breath. She breathes and so do we. We are one.

What makes us different? What, sets us apart? Our thoughts, our beliefs, our journey, all cast into the universe to return as a mirror for our learning and future evaluation. Do we critique with sarcasm, criticism, disdain, judgement and fear? or with discernment, nurture, encouragement, laughter and joy? Where does our free spirit and ultimate liberation lie?

How do we see the wood for the trees? How do we care for our home, our spirit, our connection? How do we stand on the Earth and still touch the sky with love? How do we reach the stars with hope and spread our wings to fly? How do we surrender into the universe that is filled with unity and love? How do we, if we do not know, or have not been shown?

With servitude, we can place our hand gently upon a tree and allow our self to feel her pulse through the trunk and sap. We can look up and see the home she has created for her creatures nestled amongst the branches and shaded by the leaves in the heat of summer and be grateful for our own. We can see the food she provides in abundance for all and have gratitude and appreciation for the enhancement that all her creatures create in life.

Will our hearts awaken tomorrow with new appreciation in the dewy silence of a spectacular sunrise as we sit quietly and patiently awaiting the appearance of the sun, as it majestically peeks over the horizon and the golden glow that announced its arrival fades quintessentially into the ether?

Listen not with our eyes, but with our heart. Close our eyes and allow our ears, to see the birds and their song. Admire the cycles of nature with curiosity and awe, rather than with annoyance and inconvenience. Her winds carry our anger as she holds the space for our grief as she hears the delicate whispers of our depleted heart. She sees us, she hears us, she knows us, even if we don’t know her and yet, she still sings to our heart to awaken us to the beauty the lies within our own depth. She does not bind nor limit her love, it is there for all, if we choose to partake of her banquet and quench our thirst with her generosity and presence.

We can honour ourselves and our connection, and, where, by the simple planting of a tree, we can share our breath and our worth with the world and future generations. We can harness our kindness and nurture our spirit with patience and tolerance allowing ourselves to rest and reset in the face of busyness. We can speak with the courage of honesty and hone our skills of authenticity and weave it into our protective and soft blanket of truth without needing or wanting anything from anyone other than to feel heard and not judged. That is freedom, that is our liberation.

We easily serve others, but within that, do we serve ourselves with honesty, humility, integrity and discernment? Or do we unceremoniously deplete ourselves of our worth in the process and bend our integrity to fit another’s perception, allowing ourselves to bathe in the comfort of safety so as not to feel failure? That is where the virtue of empathy can be engaged and not surrender ourselves into the vastness of oblivion. What are our limitations? Do we know? Do we look? Do we ask? And where is it that we grow?

Our heart is calling us forward into more love and will not allow us to meander aimlessly, there is always learning nestling quietly under the surface, guiding us patiently through situations that once felt insurmountable and unconscionable into awareness, understanding and knowledge until we can stand on the other side with wisdom and liberation without the judgement of hindsight and discrimination.

Our life is our learning and journey of our soul; it is never just black and white. Connection, purpose and meaning give us depth and strength of character and build a framework and legacy for this world. What is our imprint? What is our connection? And what is our legacy? What is our value? What is our worth? Not to someone else but to ourselves? And in that how do we connect with our inner mother, nature and care?

It is all worth knowing.

Om Namo Narayani