Tapestry of Faith: Circle of Trees: A Multigenerational Program about Nourishing Deep Connections with Nature

Activity 3: Discovering Your Being and Calling Your Ally

Part of Circle of Trees

Activity time: 10 minutes

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the activity description several times so that you will be comfortable leading.

Description of Activity

Invite participants to sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Ask them to close their eyes and allow the image of a tree or part of a tree, an animal that lives in or near trees, or any another image of nature-such as a cloud, a mountain, or a pond-to come to them in their imagination. Remind them that if nothing comes to them, they can actively choose a creature, tree, or part of nature themselves.

After several minutes, invite everyone to take on the spirit of the being or the part of nature that they have envisioned. Ask them to feel as if they are turning into the tree, creature, or part of nature. Say, in these words or your own:

What is happening to me as this spirit? What are my days like? What are my nights like? What is happening to my environment? What do I want? What do I have to say? What would I like to tell the humans? What wisdom do I have to share?

Encourage them to allow the answers to come to them from inside. Allow them to reflect for a few minutes.

Ask participants to silently sit up while continuing to keep their eyes closed.