In the art of spiritual direction, we often refer to Spirit as the third chair, that wise presence which holds space for us to discern the deeper meaning of grief and loss. What if trees acted as that third chair, as a silent witness to our pain, loss and grief? What if trees both listen to us and also teach us at the same time? Let’s connect to their ancient wisdom.

    We will first ground ourselves in the loving presence of trees through guided meditation. Our trees will hold space for the emotions of grief that arise from deep within us. Bringing this connection through ourselves, we will then create poetry together to honor the loss we have encountered in our lives. Lastly, we will express the poetry of our grief and transform it through movement.  In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist and teacher from the Potawatomi Nation, says this, “What if you were a teacher but had no words to speak your knowledge? What if you had no language at all and yet there was something you needed to say? Wouldn’t you dance it?” And so shall we dance, as trees do, to transform the wounds of our heart into a sacred place of hope.