I felt like one of the lucky ones during lockdown. The advice to stay at home brought a sense of relief and an opportunity to rest. More importantly, with minimal external distractions and nowhere to run to, I felt my garden beckoning me to come and sit. To find some healing in the nature all around me. To discover the healing power of trees.
At first, I wasn’t very still. I threw myself into all the spring gardening jobs, delighting in the sense of
purpose and connection with my garden plants. It was a joy to watch nature in action and spot the daily changes in the plants, as buds turned to blossoms. The birds too seemed to play an essential part in the rich tapestry that also satisfied my internal need for stimulation and connection.
My Reiki practice, which has been part of my life for 20 years, took on a new dimension. I have always enjoyed connecting with plants and nature either in meditation, mindful gardening or through the energy practice of Reiki.
The call of the garden
This spring it felt like the garden was calling for something else, a deeper involvement in my personal meditation and healing practice. Together with a group of four other practitioners, we set up a distance healing circle to help soothe anxiety and bring a sense of peace for those who requested it. We each agreed to anchor our individual practices with a tree in nature so that the strength and power of the earth and trees could hold this powerful healing.
Each day I visited a group of eucalyptus trees in the garden and, as the days passed, I began to feel an increased sense of connection to the trees and a strong sense of feeling held and witnessed. After completing the distance healing, I lingered more in the space, giving space for my feelings, needs and desires.
My partner found an enormous tree stump which he placed in amongst the trees for me to sit on. Some days I felt that simply by showing up and acknowledging the trees, sitting with a cup of tea in the stillness, I was receiving a transmission of healing and connection. It felt as if the trees were holding me automatically, together with the Reiki healing circle, without me even needing to ask.
