For this exercise, when asked to picture a person, I instead pictured an ancient tree. I am a very visual learner, and while surprised that the tree was what appeared in my mind, I just went with it. I felt this exercise to be very powerful and I have felt a change in me because of it. When focusing on this tree, and the light shifting from it to me, I wanted to be rooted. I wanted to feel the strength of its roots, the gracefulness of its swaying leaves in the wind, and learn from its wisdom only gained from its ancient experiences. To think of all that an ancient tree has seen, all that has touched it, used it as a resource, used it as a marker of place in the physical world. I will apply this exercise to my life by remembering that while the seasons will always shift, and life will always happen around me, I can be centered and participate in this life.
The saying, "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is to say that one cannot tell someone how to react or deal in a situation when one has not experienced it. For example, my brother committed suicide and I felt the pain, the hurt, confusion and sadness. My boyfriend was there as support, but did not understand the heaviness and breaking of my heart in terms of a close death of a loved one like that. One year and a half later, my boyfriend's friend committed suicide. It was then that he felt my pain, suffering, sadness and frustration, though I would of never wished this for him. I could be there as not only a supportive girlfriend, but as one that had felt this unfortunate experience. There is a thread of common understanding because we have both undergone this unfortunate experience, though different coping mechanisms are used and different relations were affected.
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