Trees absorb carbon dioxide which is toxic to humans, and emit oxygen which is nutritional to humans. Symbolically speaking, when we touch or look at a tree (even through a window, at a distance) we can release toxicity/stress from ourselves which is then absorbed by the tree and cleansed by the earth.
Trees are working all the time to absorb carbon dioxide, and working all the time to emit oxygen. We can visualise and participate in that cycle – breathing out the trees absorb our toxins, breathing in we absorb the tree’s oxygen. Visualise the stress being drawn down to the roots and being cleansed by the earth. Visualise the fresh nutrients being drawn from the earth, up the roots and trunk and being released into the atmosphere for us to breath as oxygen to be nourished, refreshed, energised. Breathing out, breathing in. Breathing out, breathing in.
Trees also show us how to deal with stress. Trees cannot control the weather conditions to prevent themselves from being injured. They can prepare themselves to “weather the storm” by putting down deep strong roots linked to the solid soil, and by staying flexible so as to sway with the winds then come back to upright and central again in due course.
We cannot always control the circumstances and conditions we find ourselves in, but we can strengthen ourselves through a combination of being solid below ground and flexible above ground.