Be Like Trees
April 25, 2012 
The practice - quite simply - begins with the breath.
Just breathe.
Slowly - we release that thinking mind..and sink into that feeling body. We fold ourselves forwards. We hang our heads. We let go.
And - breathe. Inhale. Exhale. As simple..as easy...as basic - as that.
Feel the ground. Look up and see the sky. Listen to the sound of the rain. Smell the lilacs blooming. Taste the spring air.
Let go of the past. Look not into the future. Be here. Be now. In this moment. On this day.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I find myself tongue-tied and speechless when trying to describe this process of learning to become a teacher. Like the practice itself - the experience is a feeling one..and not one that can be easily put into words.
We began - all of us - as seekers. Searching for answers to questions we didn't even know how to ask. Looking for something somewhere. Something intangible and beyond our arm's reach. Something - for sure - beyond us.
We read. We studied. We practiced. We pushed ourselves beyond our self-limiting boundaries and beliefs. We laughed. We cried. We supported and shared. We made ourselves vulnerable..and in that place of raw-vulnerability - found our strength.
200 hours.
We closed..just as we'd begun. We formed a one big circle and shared how it is we'd grown and changed. Although each and every story was different..the stories were really much the same. From where we began..to where we'd come. From what we'd set out to find..to what we'd found.
From not enough..to plenty. From fear..to courage. From sadness..to joy. From weakness..to strength. From not knowing...to now knowing that knowing that we know-not is the best place of all. From a sense of alone-ness..to one in which and where we found ourselves one.
Connection.
No matter the age or gender or life experience - the need..the desire..the drive to connect is a powerful one. To connect to one another. To belong. To be unconditionally held and loved and celebrated for being no one other than who we are. To have a safe place in which to rest.
But most important - what I heard..what I felt..what I thought - that although it was to one another that we'd connected...it was really that connection to ourselves that we had all been seeking. That self-awareness..that inner strength. That power that comes from within.
It was that that we - who knew not what we were seeking - found.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Coming into tree pose. Rooting down. Trusting the support of the nuturing earth. Feeling the connection between the foot and inner thigh. Reaching and growing. Stretching out of that thinking mind and into the strength of the body.
Bringing hands to heart center - listening to the quiet sound of breath....feeling the beat of the heart. Trusting and believing.
All that we need...we already have.
* * * * * * * * * *
Cross-posted over at Vision and Verb - where a collaborative group of like-minded women from all over the world share their passion for photography and the written word.
Reader Comments (39)
beautiful ... and brilliant ... and breathtaking in the most soothing way ... thank you. xo
i haven't been by or been around for some time and i really appreciate your post
about being rooted and in the here and now ~ this very moment ...
it really is all we have right now ...
and it is precious.
now, i just have to practice ... : )
cheers marcie ~ lovely to read your words!
xxo
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Beautiful Marcie - I love the energy of this photo and that must have been shared within the group. Yes, be like a tree! Love that pose and love yoga!!!!
Ooh that is fun and makes me happy. I play at trying to pick you out. Congrats on the teacher training. I'm sure it will grown and bring you blessings.
Bonne séance en perspective...
excellent image - I like the full of energy feeling
The focus of 200 hours is so impressive Marcie! Congrats!
Beautiful post.
Funny shot :)
Really beautiful Marcie..
Spot On. Thank-you.
Reading your words with wet eyes.
Felicitations! In this case your work is your reward, isn't it?
That really captures the experience Marcie. Thank-you for sharing such a beautiful part of yourself with this.
looks fun and great :)
Love this. Love the idea of being rooted, grounded. Awesome take!
I like your colourful trees Marcie and the way that you decribed the unity within the the group seeking comunity with each other and within themselves... only 200 hours :-)....peter:)
Self-awareness is often elusive for so many. I am glad you have found a path to it through your endeavors. Love the image. So full of life and energy.
Funnily, these people and their poses remind me very much of some of your still life shots with flowers! Excellent work!!!
fun shot
i tried yoga a couple of years ago but it just wasn't my piece of cake
Both feet on the ground. Feeling where it all comes from. Must be a great feel. Just like it feels great watching this amazing frame of yours!
All the best & safe travels, Fritsch.
This is quite the journey you are taking at the moment, Marcie. When I saw the photo and read the first few sentences, I thought about 'rooting down' - something I could always imagine and see myself doing. The photo is magnificent. Full of life and openness.
So much learning here in your journey Marcie. Lots to think about and process in this post.
If we listen there is so much to learn from mother earth and by listening inside. Love the image of you all blended in amongst the trees.
You know I love this post for everything you did and everything you said about what you did. Especially the part about connecting to oneself..your honesty and courage always touch and inspire me.
What I love about the image is seeing that many people doing that many 'variations' on the tree pose - each one being who they are, where they are, yet still connected. (Whew - that was some sentence!)
Congratulations on being confident enough to choose another path in your personal journey. I love how you 'internalize' each experience and search for (and find) deeper meaning.
Beautiful! Thank-you!
That "something beyond us", you have surely found and described so eloquently here Marcie. I would love to take a class with you!!!!
Tree pose is such a wonderful pose, and your instructions are spot on...you are going to be an excellent yoga instructor because you have such an open heart.
Many blessings to you Marcie!
It sounds like a wonderful experience. I almost feel as if I was there. Love the image.
Hi Marcie! First of all, I LOVE the photo! It is fantastic and colorful and energetic!
Second of all, I'm kind of glad to have hooked into a practitioner of yoga! My blogoversary month is in May, and I am giving away a ton of great stuff -- but the COOLEST thing is from HotDog Yoga! It's a new bag from Skooba Design. Google it. Anyway, I don't even know which day I'm doing the giveaway, but I think it runs May 21st or something. You might want to subscribe for the month and see what you think.
*Hint hint* ;-)
Practicing yoga outside is the BEST!
beautiful imagery thanks for a lovely read
Congratulations Marcie. What an accomplishment! Namaste'
What a great shot! As always, your writing is full of insight and charm.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! So perfect. Your words are a snapshot of my journey...although the path and the experiences I've had are so different from the path and experiences of others, we are not so different in what we seek and what we find. I am so glad to experience you and your work.
You said it all in your final sentence. it's something I keep reminding myself when 'desire' gets the better of me.
that's a fun shot of the group.. :)
Oh yes..and what a lovely journey you took us on to remind us of the truest of truisms. and good for you!
"it was really that connection to ourselves that we had all been seeking" - how beautifully expressed. Congrats to you for completing this journey to yourself.
Hehe fun shot! :)
Hmmmmm .. this image is so unexpected on your blog :) SUPER !!!!!