Heal your soul, body and mind by hugging a tree

We are finally waking up to the impact of our choices on the environment. Thanks to global events such as the Earth Day. I was visiting Wahamangollawa, a rural village thirty kilo meters away from the Anuradhapura city, last summer. A unique and fascinating village which has a rich cultural heritage, exquisite temples, monuments, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, and natural landscape of often-enchanting beauty and a home to many thousands of prolific artists and craftsmen, nevertheless, still largely undiscovered. The villagers are gentle fierce defenders of their region’s traditional culture and ardent believers in and proponents of sustainable living. They encourage anyone with even a passing interest in living off the grid, growing their own food, building a home, farming, or an interest in more general environmental issues to explore their village that is typically a refuge for learning about, practicing, and enjoying wholesome and sustainable living.

I spent time wandering through the neat lanes of the village one morning enjoying the spectacular view of dry foliage and verdant rice fields, with clean air pristine water. I paused at a home garden where a family was placing their hands on the tree, leaning their foreheads against and whispering to it. I was awed by the gesture and watched them do the ritual in a peaceful manner. They then sat underneath the tree like a child sits in his mother’s lap. The family graciously allowed me to come into their space to see the ritual followed by an invite to join them. I was told to take the time to express my love and gratitude to the trees and thank them for their beauty and strength; for the shade they provide, or fruit, or flowers, for stabilizing the earth they stand in with the power of their roots and for any other personal reason I may have. I decided to physically connect with the tree by hugging it. As I hugged the tree, I felt the strength; the years and years that it’s been here, cultivating its' strength, growing out from its’ roots, and its’ branches widely spread to reach out. I learnt that plants are our elders and have been here for a long time and have so much earth wisdom and will open to us more deeply if we allow. As I was meditating quietly, I realized that they can help me with many ailments and unbalanced energy. I established a friendship with the tree. It was a blissful moment as love surged within me. I felt my heart beating with the vibration of the tree and was mesmerized. We exchanged energy and a vow to protect each other.

It is true that trees are being cut down rapidly and our earth is becoming warmer. If pollution continues and the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil which produces our crops, vegetables and fruits, all become more impure, and then our chances of good health and longevity will be very less. Realizing the danger, we must plant trees in large numbers to absorb impure air. The ongoing land grabs for development projects has led to the loss of agricultural land destroying agriculture, horticulture, rivers, forests, and mangroves to extract minerals major and minor as well as ground water, without replenishment at a pace that will not leave anything for the next generation. Our real participation to save the earth comes when we plant a tree so that we reap love in our life.

Have you ever stopped by and expressed your gratitude to the trees that stand true to their promise of sustaining our life? Have you connected with the innate wisdom of the age-old tree? Have you ever nurtured a sapling? Take some time to connect with a tree as it has a power to transform negative emotions, bring clarity of mind and reduce stress.

“Believe me, you will find more lessons in the woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you what you cannot learn from masters”- Bernard of Clairvaux

Bhagya Wijayawardane

An educationist, English Language instructor and an environmentalist working to grow her thinking about literacy, new technologies, and building connected communities.