I became interested in a movement started by Jangee Westphal. Humanitree is about grounding people by planting them like a tree. Participants stand knee deep in a hole for about 20-30 minutes. The digging is a shared community experience. The tree is planted in the hole when the person steps out.
In the name of world peace and peace within, my friend Yana and I planted two trees... a Shumard Oak and an Apricot tree! Our ceremony consisted of dancing and chanting. We created mandalas around our holes. After stepping into the hole and filling it with dirt... watering myself felt surreal. Each tree was then planted with a crystal from the mandala.
Do you Dare to Dream?
“I have a dream to plant a tree." ~Yana Symonenko
Yana mentioned that she had a dream to plant an oak tree. She doesn’t own property yet and her folks had voiced reluctance toward her planting that type of tree on their land. I have a long-held interest in helping others achieve their dreams. When Yana mentioned it to me I told her she could plant one in my yard. I also told her about the Humanitree movement and how we could create a ceremony for ourselves, and she agreed.
The first thing we noticed was how difficult it was for us to dig the holes. I was amazed by the root systems within my current landscape and how far the roots had traveled from the bushes and trees.
Yana voiced a concern for the plants, asking if I thought the foliage could feel it if we cut into their roots. I knew that Aspen trees can have a reaction, because their root system is so connected. I felt Yana had a valid point.
When Yana stepped into her hole we filled it with soil - placing the crystals and murtis/statues around the space. She said that she felt child-like and had not played in the dirt for decades.
We took some photos and she watered the dirt around her feet. I pressed the soil firmly until she felt steady and grounded like a tree. She moved and swayed her arms - feeling herself anchored at the same time. The chants we used were for healing, removal of obstacles, world peace, and for eliminating the stories that keep us all in ego. We released feeling small, unworthy and incapable... all things preventing peace in our lives.
My Experience
“I feel that chants are like spells, whether said in English or Sanskrit. What I repeat over and over becomes what I see - and what I see IS my world.”
When I was planted, I felt a deep connection to Mother Earth/Gaia. I felt creative. I felt as though I was birthing something new - bringing new life to my home. The trees will attract more wildlife that will create homes of their own.
I felt a sense of being tethered between heaven and earth. In the past I’ve imagined what this could feel like and yet never had such an embodied sensation before. I wrote about this tethered feeling in my book Creativity Reborn - Intelligence Having Fun. This concept keeps me feeling secure enough to withstand my waves of emotion. It has always amazed me when I think about how trees can bend in the wind and not break. They have such grounded stability. This is what I seek in my life as well.
Get Inspired
What sort of creative endeavors might YOU conjure up if you felt that your dreams and wishes could come true?
Event Announcements
If you would like to receive additional information about our next Humanitree event and other updates... just scroll down to subscribe.
Putting on your own event?
Your attendees might enjoy a Humanitree experience as well. Feel free to email me to make arrangements at: slomotionyoga@gmail.com
Comments