Nature: A Mirror to Our Inner World

death of a tree

tree: thriving, growing, living and dying simultaneously

birth

growing toward the sun and into the earth

As I was walking today in the woods I realized that nature is a perfect mirror for our inner state of being. There is a bit of everything in nature, as in our bodies. At a cellular level, in each moment we die and are reborn. Our bodies are continuously creating ourselves, as a constant state of being. Nature, too, is in a state of rebirth and death, all in the same moment. Each death makes way for the cycle of birth and on . . . Even the shapes and contrasts in each tree, flower, pebble of sand reflect the diversity of experience in our lives. A tree may have a multitude of dead branches, yet it is flourishing and growing and reaching toward the sun. When it is time to let go of the branch, it happens. The branch falls to the ground and nourishes other plant life on the forest floor. The tree may grow another branch that better suits it, ad infinitum. As nature lets go, so do we. We are always free to choose our own unique experience, just as the tree grows a new branch or drops an old one.
We each have a unique perspective and a unique body and a unique way of expressing our self. How can life ever be dull when you realize that each person has something (or many things!) you can learn from to expand your own experience. Often it is the people I least expect to learn from that I gain the most insights from. It is that process of letting go of our assumptions about who people are and really listening that brings forth the most intimate knowledge of ourselves. Ah, nature . . .