Winter trees

Photo: Yantar yoga

Raking leaves can be a meditative endeavor. I for one needed it now more than ever as we approach the second winter holidays during COVID and the cases in the DC region are spiking... There is something soothing in fixing your gaze on the fading colors of fallen leaves and in the repetitive motion of arranging them into a neat (or not so neat in my case) pile. Cleaning up around the yard before the holidays became a moment of moving meditation. My silver maple looks bare now, its lush summer canopy just a distant memory crumbling under my feet. Time to rest, reflect, and renew.

Trees at Leisure is a short book written by the artist, naturalist, philosopher, entomologist, and educator Anna Botsford Comstock back in 1916. I was recently introduced to it by Maria Popova of The Marginalian fame. Comstock loved nature and spoke lovingly of trees in the winter season in ways I find very relatable when I look at my dormant maple:

“Eons must have passed before the human eye grew keen enough and the human soul large enough to give sympathetic comprehension to the beauty of bare branches laced across changing skies, which is the tree-lover’s full heritage. (…) During its winter resting time, the tree stands revealed, ready to give its most intimate confidences to those who love it.”

“To each of us is given a sky which many times a day is painted anew for our delectation; and it is never more perfect than when it winter it is a background against which the trees are etched.”

Happy holidays, everyone, and be kind to the winter trees! Next time you go for a walk take a moment to appreciate their special beauty. Maybe even join them practicing vrksasana - tree pose - outdoors!