Centering yourself is allowing yourself to get in touch with and be open to your True Self. It is allowing yourself to realize that you are perfect just as you are, even with your imperfections, because those feelings and desires are also a part of who you really are. If you accept your imperfections and integrate them into your way of thinking and feeling about yourself, you will obtain peace of mind, and you will be centered.

6.0 Finding Your Center

Centering refers to the process of emptying your mind of any concerns about past problems or future worries. In Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy centering is a way of preparing yourself for doing deeper meditative work.

In simpler terms, centering is getting in touch with your True Self. In this session we will learn a few centering techniques. These skills lay the groundwork for connecting, which will be covered in Session 7.We will focus on one particular method of centering using the Tree of Life Meditation and several exercises using your birth tree.

6.1 Who are You?

Why are you, you? What are the things that make you the person that you are today? Why do inner work in the first place?

Many of us carry a vision of who we would like to be. We also carry a vision of who we perceive ourselves to be at this moment in time. The Humanist Psychologist Carl Rogers called these two visions the Ideal Self and the Perceived Self. At the times when we do not feel at peace with ourselves because of some anxiety, stress or depression, it is most often due to a conflict between our vision of who we would want to be, and who we actually perceive ourselves to be. In other words, we experience a conflict between the Ideal Self and the Perceived Self.

The act of centering involves striking a balance between the powers of chaos and order in our lives. From this perspective, the Ideal Self represents the power of order, and the Perceived Self represents the power of chaos. The way to strike a balance between these two powers is to introduce a little chaos into the order, or introduce a little order to the chaos.

If conflict and inner turmoil are arising within you because of the gap between your Ideal Self and your Perceived Self, then the way to achieve balance would be to narrow that gap or to close it completely. Suppose for example that your Ideal Self is a person who is organized, punctual and capable of completing multiple tasks at once during the day. On the other hand, your Perceived Self (the person you see yourself as) is not very organized, always late, and incapable of meeting all the goals you set for yourself in a day. The conflict within you has arisen in this case because you have set impossible standards for yourself, yet you feel you should be able to meet those standards anyway. One way to find balance in this situation would be to realize that your Ideal Self doesn’t have to be perfectly organized and punctual all the time, thereby allowing a little chaos to enter into the “perfect’” order established in your vision of your Ideal Self. Another way to introduce balance is to impose a little more order upon the chaos of your Perceived Self by taking the time to plan better so that you are more able to meet the schedule set by your Ideal Self.

The ultimate goal of the inner journey that is Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is to strike a balance between the Ideal Self (or the life of perfect order) and the Perceived Self (or the life of perfect chaos). The more we learn about our own inner wants, needs and desires, and the reasons for them, the more we will draw closer to achieving the balance of individuation. In short, if we can change our thoughts and feelings, we can change the world. But in order to change our thoughts and feelings, we must first know what those thoughts and feelings are. Centering is a way to learn about your thoughts and feelings so that you may change them if you so desire.

There are many things we may wish to change about ourselves and about the world. We may even be able to change many of them. But there are also things that are beyond our power to change. Those things we cannot change, we must learn to accept. If we do not, then we will be endlessly frustrated by attempting the impossible. Of course, it can be very difficult to tell which things we can change, and which things we cannot. This is where wisdom enters the picture. One purpose of centering is to gain enough inner wisdom to be able to know the difference between the things we can change, and the things we must accept.

Think for a moment about the last time you were anxious or stressed out. Do you remember what caused your anxiety? Did that cause of your worry have something to do with an event that happened in the past, or an event that might happen in the future? Until someone invents a time machine, there is no way to go back and change the past. So worrying about something that happened in the past is counterproductive. Likewise, if you are worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future, you are wasting energy that could be put to better use in the here and now. Unless you have a crystal ball, there’s no way of knowing for certain what may happen in the future. By worrying about it, you are expending energy that could be used to prevent the possible future disaster from happening in the first place.

When conflict arises within us due to conflicts between our Ideal Self and our Perceived Self, we can restore balance and eliminate or reduce that conflict by seeking wisdom through acceptance and change. If the conflict between our Ideal Self and our Perceived Self has to do with something that happened in the past or something that might happen in the future, then that is something we will have to learn to accept, since it is impossible to change the past, and it is impossible to predict the future with any degree of certainty. The only changes we may make involve things that are happening right now, in the present moment.

Remember, as you set out on the path of making changes in your life, that you cannot change anyone but yourself. If problems arise in your life because of the actions of another person, you cannot force that person to do anything. All you can do is to accept that they are who they are. Knowing this, you may then be able to change yourself so that you can accept others more easily. This acceptance can occur more readily if you learn to let go of the past and the future and focus only on the present moment.

6.2 Which Tree are You?

Do you have a favorite tree? What can your affinity for that particular tree tell you about yourself? What characteristics do you share in common with your tree? In short, which tree are you?

Celtic lore has months named for trees. Because of this, it is possible to create a horoscope based on trees and their characteristics. You don’t have to believe in horoscopes or Celtic lore in order to derive benefits from the exercises contained in this section. If you prefer, you may just think of the information below as symbolic or metaphorical.

For this exercise we will be identifying the characteristics of trees and comparing them to the characteristics of humans. In this way we will be using trees as a metaphor in order to center ourselves. This act of centering occurs by comparing our own personal characteristics to the characteristics of a particular tree. Using nature as a metaphor for our own traits, we are able to learn more about ourselves, and therefore center ourselves.

We’ll begin by finding your birth month on the tree horoscope.

6.3 The Celtic Tree Alphabet

The Ogham Alphabet

The Celtic alphabet known as ogham consists of three sets of five consonants and one set of five vowels. The traditional variant of this alphabet contains a total of twenty-five letters. Each letter in the ogham alphabet also stands for a tree. The letter ‘A’ stands for the elm tree, the letter ‘B’ stands for the birch, the letter ‘C’ stands for the hazel, and so on.

The Celtic year, unlike our solar year, was a lunar year divided into thirteen months. In his book, The White Goddess, Robert Graves speculates that the ancient Celtic months were named after trees. While scholars are dubious of Graves’ claim, the tree horoscope has become a part of popular contemporary Celtic lore and mythology.

For our purposes the origins of the tree horoscope are unimportant. We’re using it as a metaphor to help us in centering.

A Celtic horoscope can be constructed by determining the properties of the tree in whose month you were born. To begin our centering exercise, first find your birthday in the following list of tree months. The actual dates vary depending on the phases of the moon from year to year. Use the chart on the next page to help you determine your birth tree. If you would like a more accurate determination of your birth tree, you may use the calculator at http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-tree-astrology.html

Celtic Lunar Months for 2016

Ogham Name Tree Month Dates for 2016
Beth Birch Moon December 26 – January 22
Luis Rowan Moon January 23 – February 21
Nion Ash Moon February 22 – March 22
Fearn Alder Moon March 23 – April 21
Saille Willow Moon April 22 – May 20
Huath Hawthorn Moon May 21 – June 19
Duir Oak Moon June 20 – July 18
Tinne Holly Moon July 19 – August 17
Coll Hazel Moon August 18 – September 15
Muin Blackberry Moon September 16 – October 15
Gort Ivy Moon October 16 – November 13
Ngetal Reed Moon November 14 – December 12
Ruis Elder Moon December 13 – January 12

Once you’ve found your Celtic birth month from the list above, identify the ogham letter associated with it. For example, if your birthday is December 13, your birth moon would be the Elder Moon, your birth tree would be the elder tree, and the ogham letter associated with your birth moon would be ‘ruis.’

Now go on to the Celtic Tree Horoscope on the next page and identify the characteristics of your birth tree.

6.4 The Celtic Tree Horoscope

Beth (BEH) represents the birch tree. The whitish color of the birch represents purity and determination. Birch people are persistent and loyal. They make good leaders, but they sometimes hide their feelings.

Luis (LWEESH) represents the rowan tree. The rowan, or mountain ash, thrives in less than perfect conditions. This tree is a protector tree that guards against negative influences. It is also a powerful healer. Rune sticks were cut from rowan trees. Rowan people are creative and artistic

Nion (NEE-uhn), the ash tree, is a loner, but it is far-reaching. Its branches and roots span the past, present and future. It represents prosperity. If you are an ash, you are spontaneous, curious, and often humorous. You are the life of the party, but you can be moody.

Fearn (FAIR-n), the common alder is usually found along lowland rivers. Alder people are very spiritual and full of energy. They are usually outgoing and creative. They are also very affectionate, but can be fierce and stubborn at times.

Saille (SAHL-yuh), the willow, loves the water. This tree represents feminine power and rules over romantic love, fertility and sex. Willows have good memories, but can be moody. Willows are unique. They stand out in a crowd, and are very strong-willed.

Huath (HOO-ah) is represented by the hawthorn. The hawthorn is also a feminine energy. It represents peace and prosperity, and is associated with the goddess of the home and hearth. Hawthorns are creative, charming, and self-confident, but can be impatient and quick-tempered.

Duir (DOO-r) is represented by the oak. It grows in the lowland forests, and can reach a height of 150 feet and age of 800 years. The oak is the King of the forest, and the word ‘Druid’ probably came from the Gaelic word for ‘oak.’ It is a powerful masculine energy. Oaks are survivors. They know how to endure. They are natural leaders who are self-confident, reliable and practical, but sometimes their self-confidence can lead them to act selfishly.

Tinne (CHIN-yuh) is the holly. It is an evergreen of masculine energy. Hollies are practical, logical, and very right-brained. They love to figure things out and plan step-by-step. Purity, single-mindedness of purpose, and inner strength are Holly’s traits. Hollies are self-confident, but they are very sensitive to personal criticism.

Coll (CULL), the hazel, is used for introspection and meditation. Hazel people are introverted, quiet, and artistic. In spite of their calm exteriors, they can often be radicals, fighting for social change behind the scenes. Their inner eye sees much. This is their gift, but if not moderated it can lead them to be extremely critical of others.

Muin (MUHN) is the blackberry, associated with pleasure, fertility and hedonism. Its berries can be made into wine. Blackberries are very good in social situations, and are natural directors and teachers. They can however also be very self-critical. They are peacemakers but they can occasional be insensitive to the needs of others.

Gort (GORT), the ivy, survives in all weather conditions, and knows how to endure. A member of the ginseng family, the ivy is tough and strong. It is associated with healing. Ivy people tend to be restless. They are natural peacemakers, who like to consider all the options before acting. They can be timid, and on occasion manipulative.

Ngetal (NYEH-tl), the reed is thin and fragile, and is related to matters of marriage, romantic love, and family. The spirit of the reed is male, but it is a softer male power. Reed people are complex and courageous, but they can also be stubborn and impulsive. They are fiercely loyal, but they can also be extremely jealous.

Ruis (RWEESH) is the elder. Elderberries are used for jams and wine. It is associated with the power of life and death. Elders are spontaneous and open-minded. They hate routines and prefer to be self-sufficient. This tendency can sometimes lead to a lack of good judgment on their part.

6.5 Your Birth Tree

 Now that you’ve read the characteristics of your birth tree, do you agree or disagree? If you disagree with what the Celtic Tree Horoscope says about your birth tree, look over the list again and see if another tree better describes you. Perhaps you disagree with some of the characteristics, but not all of them. If there were positive characteristics associated with your birth tree that you disagreed with, are they characteristics that you would like to possess? How many of the characteristics of your birth tree match your own picture of your True Self?

We’ll come back to the characteristics of your birth tree later. For now, just remember your birth tree. If it was totally out of character for you, pick one that more closely matches your own personal characteristics.

Now that you’ve selected a tree, can you identify it if you saw one in the woods? If not, search online or use a field guide to learn to identify your tree. If you have a park or forest nearby, try to find your tree somewhere outdoors. It should be a location where you may meditate undisturbed for at least ten minutes. If you don’t have access to your own tree, you may do the meditation outdoors under any tree available. If you don’t have access to any trees, or if the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor meditation, you may also do the meditation indoors. Picture yourself sitting under your tree as you do the meditation. Remember, we’re reaching into the power of the unconscious mind, and activating our own personal tree archetypes during this meditation.

6.6 Tree of Life Meditation

Begin this meditation by finding a comfortable place, preferably outdoors. If you have identified your birth tree, and such a tree is nearby, sit comfortably underneath it (weather permitting, of course), with your back resting against the tree. If you must do this meditation indoors, sit comfortably in a quiet area where you may be undisturbed for the duration of the meditation.

You may read the directions below step-by-step as you perform the meditation. Alternately you may wish to record yourself reading the steps out loud, then play back the recording as you perform the meditation. If you have a trusted friend with a calming voice, you might also ask them to guide you through the meditation by reading the points below.

  • Before beginning this meditation, center yourself by emptying your mind of all distractions.
  • Start with a few cleansing breaths.
  • Begin the Tree of Life meditation by thinking of a color that gives you peace and serenity. This should be a color that brings you happiness, joy, and relaxation.
  • Now visualize a small sphere of light in this color, radiating from your solar plexus, just above your navel.
  • Picture this light flowing downward, out of the tip of your spine, into the earth below you. See it branching off like the roots of a tree, drawing strength and energy from the earth. With each breath, you are drawing more energy out of the earth.
  • Your spine is becoming the trunk of a tree: The Tree of Life. Feel the energy rising from the ground to become part of your being. This is called ‘grounding,’ and is the beginning of any meditation.
  • Feel the energy rise through the trunk of your spine into the crown of your head. See the energy as colored light, bursting forth from the top of your head.
  • The light energy emerging from your head is branching off in all directions, reaching out to touch the heavens above with each exhaled breath.
  • Watch the energy rise far above you, like the branches and leaves of the Tree of Life.
  • How far does your energy reach? Can you reach the stars? See the light energy flowing within you, uniting the realms of earth and sky. Feel yourself becoming a part of all that is. You are merging with the life force of all existence.
  • When you feel you have reached Unity with the Tree of Life, meditate on these questions:
    • How am I like all that exists?
    • How am I different?
    • How can I be more at peace with all that is?
    • What teachings do my senses give to me?
    • What teachings do my dreams give to me?
    • How closely do my dreams match my reality?
    • Can I bring my reality into closer harmony with my dreams? How?
  • To close this meditation, note any insights you have gained.
  • Now see the roots and branches of energy slowly returning to the center of your being. The energy of the life force is not leaving you, it is simply concentrating itself into the center of your being.
  • When you have returned to this world, open your eyes, and take with you the lessons you have learned today from the Tree of Life.

After completing the Tree of Life meditation, go on to the exercise on the next page, Reflections on the Tree of Life Meditation.

Reflections on the Tree of Life Meditation

During the Tree of Life meditation you were asked to reflect on how you are like all that exists. Which of the answers to that question are also personal truths from your own True Self? Answer below:

The meditation also asked you to describe how you are different from all that exists. Are any of these differences barriers to living in your True Self? How?

The meditation asked you to think about how you can I be more at peace with all that exists. Did your answers to this question reflect any of your own personal core values?

The meditation asked you to reflect on the teachings your senses give to you. Did one sense seem to predominate over all the others? Which one? What teachings did you learn from that particular sense?

The meditation asked you to reflect on which teachings your dreams give to you. What do these teaching have in common with your own personal truths? What teachings from your dreams are different from your own personal truths?

The meditation asked you to reflect on how closely your dreams match your reality. Would you like your dreams to become more real? If so, why? If not, why not?

Did you learn anything from your birth tree while doing this meditation? If so, describe what you learned below:

Optional Activity: Your Birth Tree

Because this activity takes an entire year, it is usually outside of the scope of the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy seminars, so you may wish to do this on your own.

Once you have identified your birth tree, you may wish to develop a deeper relationship with it. The best way to do this is to befriend your tree for at least a year. By doing so you will have observed your tree in all seasons. You will have experienced all of its manifestations throughout the year.

If you choose to do this, you may wish to keep a Birth Tree Journal. You may write any of your observations about your birth tree in this journal. You may also use it to record any lore, songs, or poetry about your tree. If your tree bears leaves, you might press them and place them in your journal, one for each season.

You may also take photographs of your tree from time to time, and watch as it grows.

Notice that from time to time, trees shed their leaves. Branches fall off. New growths of leaves or flowers or fruit begin. Trees are ever-changing. They are a reminder that we are always changing and growing too. Just because on occasion our own leaves fall off and our own branches may need an occasional pruning, that doesn’t mean that new growth won’t come in the spring.

As you and your tree change together, it can help you to find your own roots, your own branches, and your own center.

6.7 Getting to Know Your Tree

To begin exploring the wealth of knowledge to be gained from the trees and plants, you will start by selecting a tree to spend some time with. This tree can be your birth tree, or any tree that you feel drawn to. This should be a tree with which you have a strong relationship. If you have not yet developed a relationship with a tree, go out into the woods, preferably in the spring of the year, and select one that seems to call to you. Spend some time cultivating a relationship with that tree. Sit under its branches in the shade while meditating. Study its leaves, its branches, its roots, and its bark. Research folklore associated with your tree. Are there any medicinal uses for your tree? Does your tree have any practical uses? What might you make out of its wood? What might you use its leaves, bark, roots and fruit for? How is your tree like you? How is it different? What strengths does your tree have, that you might find lacking in yourself? What strengths do you possess that your tree does not? What can you learn about yourself from studying your tree?

As you learn about your tree, don’t forget to bring it gifts from time to time. Talk to your tree, and listen for a reply. Don’t expect answers in words; listen with your heart and spirit. Spend the time learning from your tree and befriending it. Watch how it changes from season to season. Know its moods and its habits. Know its needs and its gifts. Become an expert on your tree.

At first it may seem odd to think of trees as having moods, but as you come to know your tree, it may not seem so odd at all. As you spend time with your tree, learning its moods will become almost second nature to you.

To begin understanding how to learn a tree’s feelings, think about how you observe the feelings of your friends and family. A subtle change of posture, or a slight change of facial expression, and you can tell when your romantic partner is feeling a bit down. Likewise, the more you know your tree, the more you will become sensitive to its moods.

Explore your tree with your senses. Taste its fruit. Smell its blossoms. Touch its bark. Does its scent change with the seasons? Does its bark feel different in the morning than it does in the evening? Can you tell by taste when the fruit is ripe for the picking? The more time you spend with your tree, the more you will become attuned to how these changes manifest.

When you truly come to know your tree, you will see that it can predict the weather by the way its leaves orient themselves. You will be able to know when your tree is about to bear fruit, when its leaves will begin to shed, and when the seasons are about to change. When you begin to understand the ways of your tree, you can take energy from your tree when you need it, and you can give energy to your tree when it needs you.

6.8 The Tree at the Center

“Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”- attributed to Chief Seattle, 1854

How old are you? How long have you lived? What does age mean, really? In the beginning, the Universe was nothing but hydrogen. Then came the first stars, which exploded and made the elements. These elements congealed into planets, and eventually into animals, then humans. The body you inhabit now is made of star dust. The atoms in your body witnessed the explosion of the Big Bang. The elements of which you are made are billions of years old. You are as old as the stars. You have been here since the beginning of the Universe.

Yggdrasil, the World Tree

Your body is about 70% water. Some of your body’s water was once dew on the first grasses that grew on the Earth. A dinosaur once drank the water that is now contained within you. Some of the water that makes up your body once flowed past the Sphinx in the Nile River. It once quenched a lion’s thirst in the deserts of Africa. Your water has been mammal, fish, and fowl. It has known what it is like to be an insect, and a king. It has been a tiny raindrop and a mighty ocean.

The atoms that make up your body once slept at the heart of a star. Some of your atoms have been reptiles and amphibians. Others have been great eagles or majestic beasts. Still other atoms have dwelt within the trees of the forest before becoming you. The collection of atoms called ‘you’ is as old as the Universe.

Visualize your life as a timeline. Each choice you make on that line redefines who you are. With each choice, you create two paths: One path in which you made the choice and one path in which you didn’t make the choice. All of our choices along the line of our lives branch out behind us like the twigs of a tree. Each node where a choice was made is a node where fruit can grow, or where fruit can wither and die.

Picture the line of your life as the trunk of a tree. This is the tree at the center of your life. As you look at the tree which is your life, note that its roots disappear into the ground, out of sight. These roots have branches too. These branches are the choices you made in the past that brought you to this life, here and now. In your mind’s eye, follow those roots. See how they intertwine with the roots of other trees in the forest. Can you tell where your tree ends and where another begins?

Now follow the branches of the tree that is you. Note how they mingle with the other branches of the forest. Can you tell where your branches end and other trees begin? How many trees are there, really? Could it be that they are all one? Is one tree really separate from another, or are we all part of the same Tree at the Center?

If we are all connected to everything and everyone around us, how can we ever be separate? From this perspective, learning is just the process of rediscovering what we already know. We already have the knowledge within us; we simply have to remember how to access it. Let nature be your guide, and then you will remember how to learn what you already know, deep within yourself.

6.9 Lessons from the Tree of Life

As you spend more time with your tree, you may come to find that as you learn about it, you learn about yourself. Trees are centered and grounded. The more time you spend with your tree, the more you will find yourself grounded and centered as well. In the Tree of Life meditation you pictured your energy descending, root-like, deeply into the earth. As you progress through the lessons of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy you may likewise find your attention and consciousness becoming more and more rooted in the soil of your True Self. This centering in your true identity is the ultimate lesson from the Tree of Life. When you have learned it, you will always be able to find your center.