Breath and the Redwoods

If you are like me, on top of all of the other devastation last week from the California fires, your heart broke even more at the reports of California’s oldest redwood forest being destroyed in the blazes. Big Basin Redwoods State Park was described earlier this week as “gone.”

Yet, an article in yesterday‘s Sacramento Bee reports that most of the ancient redwoods did survive, including one referred to as “Mother of the Forest.”

As described by Laura McLendon, the conservation director for an environmental group interviewed for the article, redwood forests are meant to burn. “Every old growth redwood I’ve ever seen, in big basin and other parks, has fire scars on them,” she said. “They’ve been through multiple fires, probably worse than this.“

Considering the fact that some of these trees are 2000 years old(!), it’s clear that adaptability, interconnection and resilience are a part of their design.

We know that redwood trees can resprout from old growth, and trees that do fall feed the forest floor and become nurse trees for new growth. Along with the vegetation, fungi, insects and creatures that are also a part of this process, the story of the life-death-life cycle is so beautifully modeled. The forest is our teacher.

It was the last quote in the article from McLendon that got the tears flowing for me. “ The forest, in some ways, is resetting.”

That we can reset, we can resprout. That even when we fall for the last time, we become part of the soil of life and feed what lives on. The cycle doesn’t end with death. It is life-death-life.

This weekend’s pranayama (breath) workshop will borrow these themes of resilience and adaptability, as well as soothing and restoration.

If you‘ve been holding your breath... or gasping... or if you’ve been exposed to smoke for prolonged periods, come and soothe. Our practices will be gentle and intended for regulation and nourishment.

We will, in some way, reset.

I hope to see you. Being together, even in this strange way, is so important right now.

♥
Michelle

Michelle Marlahan
Where Self Care becomes Soul Care

Join me for a free live webinar:
How to Create a Grief Altar to Ease Heartache
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