Roots and branches..

​This picture above was painted recently by my Dad, who took up painting later in life, attending classes at The Studio Art School run by my cousin Justin, down on the south coast in Dorset.  Art Classes at Upwey | thestudioartschool

On seeing this one I was immediately struck by the similarity with the famous 'lone tree' of Llyn Padarn, near where I live, 300 miles away. 

​What an incredible location for this tree to survive in. 

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Up here in North Wales I recently visited another famous tree.  This ancient yew tree has been estimated to be a mind-boggling 4000 years old!! ​

You just can't help but feel a sense of reverence and awe in the presence of this ancient yew.  It sits in a church yard now, but of course it predates Christianity by about half of it's lifetime!  

On the same day we also came across this pair of trees with their beautifully entwined root systems, exposed for us to appreciate a little of what is going on underground!

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I love to bring images of trees to mind during my yoga practice, finding inspiration in root systems such as these. 

What if our feet could grow roots just like the ones above? 

​​The more we can gain an embodied sense of growing our roots downwards, the more we gain stability in the body and perhaps more steadiness of mind at the same time. ​​

As Vanda Scaravelli reminds us, "The pull of gravity under our feet makes it possible for us to extend the upper part of the spine, and this extension allows us to release tension between the vertebrae.  Gravity is like a magnet attracting us to the earth, but this attraction is not limited to pulling us down, it also allows us to stretch in the opposite direction towards the sky."  (Awakening The Spine, 1991). 

So, through dedicated practice, we find ourselves standing tall and perhaps also carrying ourselves with greater confidence and ease.  A kind of confidence that has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with simply claiming one's place alongside all other living things, with a sense of equanimity, inspired by the trees. 

If you're reading this before May 2024 do come and join me to explore these themes in person together at this upcoming workshop: 

Book Workshop Here