I have received many nice reactions to my book Journey Along to the Eagle. Parents often read the book together with children and notice that children can express themselves better and sleep well after the stories. I am currently working on some journeys to trees for children and adults. This is one of them. I am very curious about your feedback. How did you like the trip? Do you have suggestions for improvement or did you see spelling errors? I like to hear it!
Journey Along to the Oak
Lie down somewhere comfortable and let a feeling of calmness come over you. Close your eyes. Relax your face. Relax your arms and hands. Relax your belly. Relax your legs. And finally, relax your feet. Take a deep breath in… and out…
Think about a tree that is special to you. Perhaps it’s a tree growing in your garden or near where you live. Or maybe it’s a beautiful tree you saw one day in a forest or while on holiday. From this tree, you will go on a journey to the Oak tree in the dream realm. Imagine standing in front of the tree. Looking at the roots, at the base of the trunk you suddenly notice a gap. You take a peek inside the gap, and you see a tunnel, one that goes down into the roots of the tree, like a slide. Curious, isn’t it? It’s completely okay to explore this gap you have found. You decide to sit by the entrance, and then you let yourself go down the slide, all the way to the bottom. Everybody’s slide is different. Perhaps your slide goes straight down, or maybe it twists and turns, or maybe you slide down to the bottom in a spiral.
After a short while, you see the bottom of the slide. You end up in a beautiful meadow surrounded by all kinds of trees. The green grass is full of colourful flowers. Look around you: perhaps you can see animals, special plants or angels, maybe you can see a clear pond or a waterfall… Anything is possible. In the middle of this meadow, there’s a huge oak tree. It’s over 700 years old and still standing strong. Slowly walk to this oak tree. Greet it, and ask whether it would like to share its wisdom with you. Oaks are very generous trees, and if asked politely they’ll always love to help, support and teach.
Walk even closer to the tree and sit down underneath it, with your back touching the enormous tree trunk. Close your eyes in this dream world and take another deep breath in… and out… This will help you to commune with the oak tree. You may hear its voice, see images, or just know what it wants to share with you today.
First, ask the oak tree to show you its roots. You may see the roots with your inner eye, growing in all directions. Or you just may know the roots. You may even feel the roots since you are so deeply connected to the oak’s energy at this moment. Close to the trunk, the roots are very thick. But soon the roots split into smaller and smaller ones. It is admirable how far these tiny roots reach and how very sensitive they are. Just as you can feel a fly landing on your skin, a tree can feel a deer walking on the ground. And just as you can hold hands with loved ones or friends, an oak tree can touch the roots of other trees and feel how that tree is doing. It can even nourish trees in need through this connection of the roots that reach out.
Now ask the tree to show you its branches. Again, you may see images of the branches, and know or feel them. Everyone has their own way of receiving the wisdom of the trees. Just like the roots, close to the trunk the branches are very thick and split into smaller and smaller branches and twigs. Does this tree have leaves, flowers - an oak grows small fresh green flowers in spring - or maybe acorns? Do moss or lichens grow on the branches? Are there any bird nests? Insects living in or on the tree? The oak tree nourishes all life around it. In spring it is one of the last trees that grow leaves so that the young plants growing on the soil receive enough light to have a good start. In summer the oak provides shade for animals and people. In the past, people would go to sit under the protective canopy of an oak tree to find stillness within. The acorns are good food for many animals, and can even nourish people in times of food scarcity. The oak tree is a true giver. But, it is also good at receiving: the roots take up all the energy and water the oak needs. When the oak tree is having a hard time, it sends out signals through its roots asking for help from other trees in the area. The leaves in their turn absorb the energy from the warm sun rays. The wise oak makes sure it feels nourished all the time. The strong tree trunk is its still centre.
Ask the oak tree how you connect with others. How well can you give and share? How well can you receive help? Do you dare to ask for help when you need it?
Feel your feet. Can you imagine roots growing from your feet, reaching in all directions? How does that feel? Feel your hands. Can you imagine big branches, twigs and leaves? Can you feel the rays of the sun warming them? Feel your abdomen and chest, your trunk. Can you experience your trunk as a strong and calm centre? Take a couple of slow and deep breaths, lingering in this calm, centred, nourishing silence.
Thank the oak tree for sharing its wisdom. In this dream world, open your dream eyes and slowly stand up. Feel how you’d like to say goodbye to the oak tree, knowing that you are welcome to return anytime you’d like to ask the oak for help or insights. When ready, return to where you came from. Walk back to the tunnel and climb up. You will notice that this is very easy as if you are using superpower to run up the tunnel.
After a short while, you are at the end of the tunnel and you are standing next to the tree from the beginning of this journey. Don’t forget to thank this tree.
Then, take a deep breath and come back to your body with a big jump. Feel every part of your body, from the tips of your toes to your fingertips and the crown on the top of your head. Take a deep breath in… and out… And finally, open your eyes.
Journey to the oak tree when you: - Want to experience more balance between giving and taking. - Want to experience inner peace. The oak helps you find the silence within, as in the sturdy trunk. - Want better contact with your intuition. The oak gives you the calmness and connection - with yourself that is needed for this.
Ideas to connect to the oak tree in your daily life: - Collect acorns in Autumn. It is an old custom to keep an acorn in your pocket or bag for good luck. If you are careful, you can make a necklace of acorns. This is an old spiritual practice that is said to help to connect to a gentle, goddess-like power. - Organise a picnic below an oak tree. Enjoy the connection to your friends and family members, and savour the shade and the woody scents. - Plant an acorn and admire its slow but steady growth year after year.