Oh, the Things That I’m Learning

On my walks in the woods 🌲🌲🌲

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One transcendent experience in nature is worth 1,000 nature facts.

—David Sobel

I came upon this quote recently while watching a video of Micah Mortali, founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and author of “Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature.”

Years ago, when I read “Rewilding,” what stuck in my brain was Micah’s telling of a bear encounter he had near his home in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.

I sat under a strong oak tree and closed my eyes. I asked Spirit to come and sit with me, to share in my heartfelt thanksgiving. I spoke the words aloud and immediately heard footsteps in the woods behind me. They got closer, but I continued with my meditation, until directly behind me, I heard a twig snap and a loud exhalation, through a very big nose. I knew in that moment, in every cell of my body, that a bear was behind me.

—Micah Mortali

You’ll have to read the book to hear the entire incredible story, but I can tell you it has a happy ending. Spoiler alert - the bear sat down next to him!

For days I was in a profound state of shock and elation. My life was filled with magic, possibility, and power. Anything could happen. I felt incredibly alive.

—Micah Mortali

When I read this in early 2020, I had no idea I would be moving from the city to the country. It was long before my moving mantra:

I want to live somewhere where I can walk out my door into the woods. And I want to see mountains.

I read Micah’s bear story, and I felt fear and wonder. But mostly fear. I had little experience navigating in the woods, and I had a long history of being afraid of bears.

Fast forward to last summer when I had several bear visitations in my own front yard. I was in awe of them.

But, it was the one who came right up to my kitchen screen door one morning while I sat having breakfast, that had a profound effect on my nervous system.

I noticed immediately that I was excited, not fearful, as I jumped up and said, “Hey, sorry, but you can’t come in here!” He looked right at me, turned around, and ran away, stopping twice to look back before lumbering down the hill.

Let me just mention that I’m not entirely daft. I lock my doors and have bells hanging on the doorknobs during bear season. They are very smart.

But, you have to understand something. How incredibly amazing my reaction was. Because I have lived almost an entire lifetime with high anxiety and fear. Lots of Vata dosha.

And that is one of the most important things that my walks in the woods, especially this winter (well, the bears have been hibernating), have done for me.

They have helped to regulate my nervous system from the sympathetic fight-or-flight to the parasympathetic rest-and-digest.

Lately, I’ve had a few people say to me, “You’re so brave to walk out there alone.” I don’t feel brave, I just feel peaceful.

I see the tracks of the wild animals everywhere in the snow. I saw a Bobcat cross the Pond a couple of weeks ago. I feel this joy rise up inside of me, and I’m aware of how healing it is for my body and my soul.

Not to be in a state of fear.

Hey, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I never feel afraid anymore. But, I’ve learned how to stay out of it as much as humanly possible. Because fear is one of the unhealthiest states to be in.

Like Lukas Nelson sings, “Turn off the news and build a garden.”

I stopped to hug this tree a few days ago and asked if he had any words of wisdom for me.

“Write, my child,” he said. It’s been a while since anyone called me “child.” He’s a wise old soul tree. He must have known I’d been fretting about getting my posts written.

The Gaius Tree

Just a few days before, I’d pulled the Turtle card again. Nudging me to get back to writing.

And then, the very next day, it was the Nightingale card:

Nightingale: Fearless Voice, Speech, Communication, Or Song

The song of the Nightingale is otherworldly This simple brown bird, almost unnoticeable among the flashy plumage of other birds, transports its listener to the realm of poetry. Nightingale energy is with us when we write, compose, and especially when we sing. It reminds us that music heals the deepest wounds. This card indicates a need to open the bridge between the heart and the voice. Is there something you need to say? How long has it been since you sang? Turn it up, write it down, and let it out.

— Kim Krans from “The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle”

“simple brown bird, almost unnoticeable among the flashy plumage of other birds.”

That’s kind of how I think of myself. Simple and content to stay unnoticed.

As I’ve been walking in the woods, I find myself deeply listening. Especially to the birdsong. More medicine for my nervous system.

And there’s lots of singing going on, as well. :) I wonder if the Birds and the Trees and the Rocks are familiar with me now. Are they enjoying or cringing at my singing?

I’m also someone who startles easily. Now, after so many months spent wandering, if I hear a branch snap, I don’t go into full-on fight or flight. :) That being said, I still sometimes jump when it’s my own coat brushing against something and I hear a noise. :)

I didn’t set out to go wandering in the forest to learn life lessons or for exercise, although both have been a welcome result. I’ve felt healthier this winter than I have in a long time. Not so much as a sniffle, and my back has seemed remarkably happy. My heart and lungs feel stronger.

A walk in the woods, in solitude, is medicine for my Soul.

I’m more of a meanderer than a hiker bent on racking up mileage, racing to get to the top of a peak. I stop and talk to Trees and Rocks, the Pond and the Stream.

And, I can’t help but be aware of how we truly are Nature.

We are made of the same elements. Earth, air, water, fire, ether.

I try to deeply be aware of and feel the elements.

Listen to them.

Smell the forest as it changes daily.

I’m mindful of where my feet (or snowshoes) land.

Be careful who you step on…

There are all kinds of Nature beings along my path, and I find myself gingerly stepping over them, not wanting to hurt tender new life. I often say, “Grow tall and strong, little one.”

Baby White Pine

It’s become hard to even step on a Pinecone or a lone Beech leaf.

I make a mental note to try my best to be the same way with humans I meet on my path. Be kind. Don’t step on anyone’s Spirit.

Nature is Authentic and Present. Something I strive to be.

I look at the Pond and the Stream that I have come to love so much, and I see how effortlessly they change every day, depending on the weather around them.

“Just Be,” they whisper to me.

“Go with the Flow.”

“Don’t be afraid of Change.”

Gone-Away Pond

These are just simple, humble bodies of water. Not a roaring ocean, or a mountain lake, or a wide rushing river. But, they have become companions and teachers for me.

When I walk down the path through the woods and come into the clearing where the Pond lives, I feel an unbridled Joy. And I recognize, as I’m typing this to you, that it’s a feeling I’ve had my entire life, every time I would come upon a lake or a river or a stream. I grew up in Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes. But, it was always the inland lakes and rivers that excited me.

What in Nature gives you that feeling?

I always have to visit both the Pond and the Stream into which she runs. I like to stop and have a snack there and watch the water rushing over or around the rocks. She has mesmerized me this winter with how she changes every day.

I shared a video of her in my last post, so today I’ll share one from another part of (I think!) the same stream, only deeper into the woods which I just happened upon one day.

My friend, Amanda, said “It looks like a portal!” and I have to agree. It will make a great entryway into the Otherworld when doing a shamanic journey.

People often ask me if I’m lonely. It’s hard to describe how comfortable and happy I have become in solitude. I saw this the other day, and I think it’s a beautiful description:

Via Lynnette Duncan, @oracleofyoursoul on Instagram

Surely, it’s not a life for everyone. I think it might be easier for introverts. For people who liked spending time alone as children.

Not everyone will feel comfortable and at home in the woods. Maybe a roaring ocean works best for you. Or a desert landscape. A city park. Or a suburban backyard.

But, I have found my sanctuary in the woods here, and every day, I open myself up to learn something.

The artist in me, always a lover of abstraction, sees it everywhere I look when I’m out wandering.

I feel that familiar creative awakening happening in me. It’s always such a welcome relief. My walks are filling me up to make more art. Maybe even painting again.

This is funny - I just took a break and passed by one of the last paintings I did while living in the city. It’s the only one I was able to bring with me to my new home. And I happened to glance at it and saw this detail:

“Get Ye to the Forest!!!” 2020

And, I found another detail from another similar painting…

I guess the Universe was nudging me towards this place all along.

I have promised myself that I will try my darndest to enjoy spring and summer this year despite the ravenous bugs. Did you see the deer flies on that poor bear??

And, although it surely is Kapha Season - the wind is crazy today, and temperatures are wildly fluctuating - even my houseplants know that spring is just around the corner.

A spider plant baby rooting in water on my windowsill even has a baby growing on her!

I want you to know that I don’t think of all these hours spent alone in the woods as escapism.

They are a form of meditation.

Raising my frequency.

Becoming more conscious. Not just for my own good but for the good of the planet. Yes, we each have a profound and far-reaching way of affecting mankind. Even in solitude. By becoming more at peace with ourselves first.

By staying out of fear.

I have noticed that the peace that gathers within me out there comes back with me as I go about my day or go out into the world.

I slipped and fell down the stairs a few weeks ago. Instead of panicking, I assessed the situation, put my own healing hands where I could reach, closed my eyes, began breathing deeply, and sent healing to my body.

I stood up, grateful that nothing seemed broken, took some Arnica, and went for a two-hour walk in the woods!

This week, I had a dead car battery, and today, I spilled something on my spanking-new laptop. Later, my faucet glitched.

Remarkably, I seem to handle life’s annoying disturbances with more ease and less fear and/or frustration.

Thank you, Nature.

@thetrailblazery on Instagram

Ok, enough about me and my walks in the woods! I’m thinking that maybe you’re getting tired of them.

I remember that when I first signed up for Substack, I had to come up with a one-liner about what The Quaking Poplar 🌳 was about. Here it is:

“Whatever’s on my mind that makes it to the page. Usually, Nature is involved.” LOL

And, because I almost never show my face here, I thought I’d post a rare selfie. In my happy place, of course. :)

While I was writing this, Pam Gregory’s wonderful ramble came my way. She puts into words so much more eloquently what I was trying to say. It’s a wonderful video that I think you’ll enjoy.

Consciousness is our most powerful weapon.

Everything in our life and everything we affect in our life cascades from our frequency. — Pam Gregory

Thank you for your heartfelt comments, your subscriptions (free or paid), or just for stopping by and reading or listening to The Quaking Poplar 🌳!

Much Love,
Barbara

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