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Try Being a Tree Hugger

Tree Hugging - a Power Source
Tree Hugging - a Power Source

Three old growth cedars stand sentinel in my front yard. They were there for longer than I've been alive. They've been there through cyclone bombs, torrential rain, drought, and snow. They've been there under all types of political and social upheaval. They were there when Kennedy was shot. They were there when women got the vote and when freedom marches pushed forth another level of social justice. They were there during the Vietnam War when sons and brothers were drafted and sent to kill or die. They were there when the first man walked on the Moon. They stand steadfast no matter what, communicating secret messages underneath the soil, through old roots and connections that we cannot see.


Their vibrations are solid and strong. I believe it. I felt their strength like an umbrella of fortitude over my house and yard from the day I moved in. I feel grounded when I arrive home and park beneath their stately branches. I feel stabilized immediately. I feel their energy every day.


And I feel their energy directly to my core when I stand close and wrap my arms around their rough bark. It feels solid. It feels grounded. It feels like very old wisdom.


Maybe just a little weird, but I'm not alone. Research says that hugging a tree, lowers cholesterol. It can reduce blood pressure. It boosts energy. Hugging a tree increases oxytocin, the hormone released during intimacy, orgasm and childbirth, the hormone that creates emotional bonding.


How long should you hug the tree? The recommended minimum is 21 seconds.


Yeah, I am a tree hugger. I strongly recommend it. Try it. It costs you nothing, but maybe a little dignity. A little dignity that doesn't really feel lost.


My trees inspired this peace poem:


Old growth cedars

grace my front yard.

I feel their powerful energy,

a peaceful protective quality,

an umbrella of green and life,

spreading healthy beams of spirit.

 
 
 

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