{"id":10357,"date":"2025-08-05T13:30:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T18:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/?p=10357"},"modified":"2025-08-09T08:26:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T13:26:18","slug":"teach-me-how-to-be-a-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/?p=10357","title":{"rendered":"Teach me How to Be a Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_10363\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10363\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10363\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist-890x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"736\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist-890x1024.jpg 890w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist-261x300.jpg 261w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist-768x884.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist-1335x1536.jpg 1335w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/OldNaturalist.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ancient Sugar Maple<br \/>Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Most humans walk by us and think, \u201cIt is just a tree.\u201d But a few humans stop and listen and realize we are so much more than \u201cjust a tree\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Listening to trees<br \/>\n<\/strong>Consider this a &#8220;mindfulness&#8221; activity that includes a tree. Many people &#8220;talk&#8221; to trees, but in doing this activity, you will be learning how to listen to the trees.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find a place that has a sense of wildness with some big trees<\/li>\n<li>Find a tree that you are drawn to<\/li>\n<li>Choose a place where you feel safe and will not be disturbed<\/li>\n<li>Slow down your energy &#8211; pay attention to your breath<\/li>\n<li>Be present &#8211; quiet the self-talk and chatter<\/li>\n<li>Ground &#8211; Feel your roots and let them mingle with the roots of the tree<\/li>\n<li>Listen to your heartbeat and let the tree join with your heartbeat<\/li>\n<li>Inhale Oxygen &#8211; a gift from the tree \/ exhale CO2\u00a0 &#8211; a gift for the tree<\/li>\n<li>Listen with your whole body, not just your ears<\/li>\n<li>Listen without expectations &#8211; let your mind be a clean slate<\/li>\n<li>Listening can come to you in feelings, colors or sounds inside of your body and it may not be in words<\/li>\n<li>Learning how to listen is a skill that needs to be developed over time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_10377\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-rotated.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10377\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10377\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/snag-rotated.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10377\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Oak snag<br \/>photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<\/strong> &#8211; A human asks an old red oak snag &#8211;\u00a0 \u201cWhy is it you seem so alive, when you are dead?&#8221;<br \/>\n<em>We don\u2019t think or live like you do. You think when something \u201cdies\u201d, it has no more life. Nothing actually \u201cdies\u201d, but is part of a continuum that is in constant change. There is no end or beginning.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10395\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-rotated.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10395\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10395\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-768x1024.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-225x300.jpeg 225w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TwistedTRee-rotated.jpeg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10395\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Put down your phone. Don\u2019t be afraid to open yourself up and receive. Trust the deep connection being created, for it is within this space that you will fully experience what you see, hear, feel and sense. <\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10410\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10410\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10410\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1-1024x850.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1-1024x850.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1-300x249.jpg 300w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1-768x638.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1bluedasher-1.jpg 1369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blue Dasher<br \/>Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<\/strong>\u00a0 &#8211; <em>You have to let go of the &#8220;I&#8221; and be part of the &#8220;We&#8221;.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10362\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10362\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10362\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/FalseSolomenSealSeeds.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10362\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">False Solomen Seal Fruit.<br \/>Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<\/strong> &#8211; <em>When you touch one of us with an open heart, you touch the whole forest.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12554\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherFrary.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12554\" class=\"size-large wp-image-12554\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherFrary-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherFrary-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherFrary-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherFrary.jpg 996w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12554\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by Heather Frary<br \/>Fiona&#8217;s Tree<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest\u00a0 &#8211;\u00a0 <\/strong><em>You have to let go of\u00a0 your dead wood.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10383\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10383\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10383\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound-921x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"712\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound-921x1024.jpg 921w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound-270x300.jpg 270w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound-768x854.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound-1381x1536.jpg 1381w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/wound.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tree Wound<br \/>Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach Me How to be a Forest &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<em> You can heal from your wounds.\u00a0 <\/em><em>All you need is within you.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10359\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10359\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10359\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jack-O-Lantern.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10359\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jack O&#8217;Lantern &#8211; Highly poisonous<br \/>ID by Ron Spinosa<br \/>Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<\/strong><em> &#8211; Be deeply rooted to the planet and connected to the sky at the same time.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10411\" style=\"width: 2083px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Hole-in-Tree-NH2-6-26-20-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10411\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10411\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Hole-in-Tree-NH2-6-26-20-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2073\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Hole-in-Tree-NH2-6-26-20-scaled.jpg 2073w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Hole-in-Tree-NH2-6-26-20-243x300.jpg 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2073px) 100vw, 2073px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10411\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Janine Pung<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><em>You will find freedom in embracing uncertainty. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest\u00a0 <\/strong><em>Just like all things in this forest, you have a right to exist. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><em>I love being out there\u2014connecting to trees and discovering quiet beauty in the most unexpected places (Janine Pung)<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10393\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10393\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10393\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow-955x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"686\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow-955x1024.jpg 955w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow-280x300.jpg 280w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow-768x823.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow-1433x1536.jpg 1433w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/TreeShadow.jpg 1496w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10393\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Lawrence Wade<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Teach me how to be a forest<\/strong>\u00a0 &#8211;\u00a0\u00a0<em>Slow down. Walk and breathe with the forest inside of you.\u00a0 Become One with us.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reader Dale Antonson shared the following:<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Connecting to the trees creates an awareness of the timeless life that exists all around us. \u00a0It&#8217;s important take the time to get out of our own way and connect ourselves back to the energy of the soil. <\/em><br \/>\n<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10425\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10425\" class=\"size-large wp-image-10425\" src=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-768x768.jpg 768w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Healing-touch-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10425\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Performing &#8216;Healing Touch&#8217; on an ancient Bur Oak that suffered major trauma in 2014.<br \/>Photo by Dale Antonson<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>If this posting resonated with you, I would highly recommend, <em>Finding the Mother Tree <\/em>by Susan Simard. Dr. Simard is a forest ecologist whose research has shown how interconnected and conscious trees are .<\/p>\n<p>At a forest clear cut, Simard writes, &#8220;The beauty is that with a little momentum, a little help at this site, the plants and animals will come back. They&#8217;d make the forest whole again, help it recover. The land wanted to heal itself.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most humans walk by us and think, \u201cIt is just a tree.\u201d But a few humans stop and listen and realize we are so much more than \u201cjust a tree\u201d. Listening to trees Consider this a &#8220;mindfulness&#8221; activity that includes &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/?p=10357\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,25,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecting-to-nature","category-nature-guardians","category-photography"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10357"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12555,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10357\/revisions\/12555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}