The trees of life

Treating trees with the respect they deserve: a whispered compliment, a gentle touch or even a share of your water will ensure that the spirits are satisfied.

 Held sacred by the ancient Mayans and being of great spiritual importance to the people of Antigua is the imposing Silk Cotton or Ceiba Tree. In the forest at Walling you can spot the huge, buttressed trunk and broad, flat crown of horizontal branches. From December to February you will see dense clusters of whitish to pink flowers that bloom before the leaves appear and that are followed by long elliptical fruits that burst to reveal the cottony fibres that surround the seeds. This fibrous floss known as kapok is a common stuffing in furniture and mattresses and in life preservers.

This morning I took my Yoga practice onto land for a change. It was nice to feel grounded while doing the downward dog and to feel the earth underneath me.  Be surrounded by the history of English harbour while moving in and out of the warrior sequence. Feeling deeply rooted to the whole universe while standing in the tree pose. Feeling connected to the spirit of the trees while my mind and heart is expanding to my breathing.  I have noticed a change in my yoga practice lately, lots of heart opening postures; leaving me wondering whether this is preparing me for our move to become landlubbers again, a change in season or a spiritual transition inside me. Whatever it is I will continue to observe, trying not to analyze it too much and simply be the witness without judgment for the things to come. This morning I enjoyed for relaxation to sit in the roots of a beautiful tree embraced by nature and its beauty.

When Christopher Columbus visited the New World in 1492 he was impressed by the huge Amerindian canoes, or Ceiba Trees; some big enough to carry 100 men. They were hollowed out of a single piece off the trunk of the Ceiba tree. Many ceremonies preceded the choosing of the tree and permission from the tree spirits was sort before its felling. Nowadays the tree has lost much of its commercial importance but it is still held in reverence and even fear for its spiritual properties. In some Caribbean countries it is call “God Tree” or “Devil Tree” and it legends and strange tales have been passed down through the generations with many people still believing that the tree has a soul or resident spirit. Even today, people have stories of extraordinary personal experiences over Silk Cotton Trees in their gardens.