I don’t know who the original author of this piece is… it landed on my inbox along with the usual detritus of inane emails and it made me smile so I am sharing it here – it epitomises what I believe in and what I urge people to do. Enjoy!

We all Need a Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse and he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tyre made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

As he opened the door he underwent an amazing transformation . His face was wreathed in smiles as he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

‘Oh, that’s my trouble tree,’ he replied ‘I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, those troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children.. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again. ‘Funny thing is,’ he smiled,’ when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.’

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I had a phonecall today from someone who is is desperate to have a baby. A gentle, almost hushed voice spoke to me of such deep yearning, such potential for love and nurturing, it moved me to tears. It is times like this I feel both privileged and humble all rolled into one.

This time of year, especially, when Nature is full of budding promise and orgiastically flaunts its fertility everywhere, it is doubly hard for those not blessed with an offspring. Nature can appear cruel at times like this and we can turn away from it in despair and hate.

To those who feel this way I invite you to do the opposite: walk towards this apparent shameless flaunting of fertility, embrace the Nature you know is there in your veins, find someone to share your deepest yearnings, meditate a little over whatever feeling arises, follow it like a silver thread to the heart of the labyrinth of despair, unrequited dreams and yearnings… You might be pleasantly surprised.

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What happens post-Easter? Yes, the days get longer and brighter and fresher; the buds become leaves and flowers and the fields seem to burst suddenly into vigorous colour.

It’s a time for a “spring clean” and I see it as a time for sustained (and sustainable) new growth. I love walks in the woods at this time.  New buds of leaves come into being, catkins form at the edges of seemingly dead twigs, birds gift their liquid song to all…

Here is where I take my inspiration for mindful meditation. Watching a tight bud literally unfurl is a humbling and exhilarating experience which resembles a mind: all the potential tightly held, just waiting to unfold into glorious existence.

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So you would like to have “more”? What exactly is it you want more of?

Money?
Love?
Possessions?
Friends?
Holidays?

Stop for a moment and reflect what prosperity means to you. What it is you really really want… Don’t answer yet…

Just sit quietly for a moment and concentrate on your breathing. FEEL the air coming in, going out, coming in again, going out again… Feel your body relax, the tensions soften, your breathing deepen…

Allow yourself to relax and ask yourself THE QUESTION:

What is it I really really want?

Allow the answer to rise without effort, just like your breathing. Don’t discard the first word that comes to your mind! And don’t worry if it sounds irrelevant, silly or has nothing to do with what your “logical” mind perceives should be an answer…
What you get might be the name of a person, a flower, an animal, a feeling, a colour, a line from a song. Don’t censor it, don’t discard it!

So, you have a word, or a phrase now. It has arisen from the quiet stillness of your breath…

Write it down on a piece of paper and keep it to one side; we will return to it soon…

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My presence on the internet has been long and fruitful and this latest “incarnation” is such a pleasant departure for me…

I am now enjoying hugely offering a fresh aspect of myself, one that so many of my friends and patients have encouraged, indeed demanded!

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