“We Are Walking Trees”

When I was speaking to Ben Ralston, a therapist, healer, advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, and writer, a number of months ago, he went into what someone had shared with him in the past. He said that this person had told him that human beings were basically walking trees.

I spend a fair amount of time in the woods, so it was fascinating to hear this. Still, I had never seen myself in this way or, conversely, seen a tree as a human that doesn’t really move.

A Big Illusion

What I did think about was how, in the same way that a human being can see themselves as being independent, a tree could also come to the same conclusion. If a tree was to look down, though, it would soon become clear how interdependent it is.

When it comes to a human being, it can be easy for them to believe that they are completely independent, due to the fact that they don’t have roots that go into the earth. This allows them to walk around freely and, therefore, to erroneously believe that they not independent.

Slightly Different

However, even though human beings don’t have a physical connection to the earth in the same way that a tree does, they can connect to it by being connected to their body. It is through being firmly rooted in their body that they will be able to experience a connection that is very similar to the connection that a tree does by having roots.

This connection to the earth could be seen as their birth right, as opposed to something that needs to be earned, for instance. After all, the earth is Mother Nature, and human beings are her children.

Disconnected

But while a human being can have this connection by being in their body, they can also lose this connection by being stuck in their head. This is what usually happens when it is too painful for them to be in their body.

They will then have a body, but all of their attention is likely to reside in their head. Thus, they are then going to be very similar to a tree with severed roots; they won’t be fully alive.

Trauma

This will cause them to feel as thorough they are separate from everything, and this can allow them to behave in ways that are anti-life. They will go from being part of nature, to being the centre of the universe, or, they could feel totally isolated from everything and come to believe that they don’t belong on this planet.

And, in the same way that a tree’s roots won’t just end up being damaged, a human being won’t just end up living in their head. This is likely to be a consequence of what they have been through, along with what has been passed down from their ancestors.

The Cause

Childhood abuse and neglect can cause someone to leave their body and they can stay this way as an adult. Consequently, they will have lived in their head for most of their time on this earth.

This can end up being experienced as ‘normal’, thereby they won’t even realise that they are out of touch with themselves. But, even if someone’s early years were not like this, living in the western world can cause them dissociate from themselves.

Final Thoughts

When someone is out of touch with their body and doesn’t see themselves as being part of nature (or part of anything for that matter), it will be a lot easier for them to cause harm to others and to the planet. Taking this into account, it shows how important it is for human beings to be in their body.
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If someone doesn’t feel connected to their body and wants to do something about this, they may need to reach out for external support. This can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a haler.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk