Springtime, Resilience, and Being like the Redwood Tree

Rebirth. Renew. Re-seed. Resurrect. As a word-oriented person, I often reflect on how many words there are with the prefix “re-” that express the fundamental energy of springtime. This is the same energetic quality that in the Five Element/Five Phases tradition we call the Wood Element, or as I like to think of it, the seedling/sapling phase within the seasonal wheel of the year. Spring is the season of return: the return of life, the return of hope, the return of green vibrant plants aspiring towards the sun. Another word that encompasses this quality of springtime, and one that I love to explore deeply, is resilience.

Springtime is a testament to nature's resilience. Just when we thought everything was dead and gone in the depth of winter, spring reminds us of the tenacity and resilience of life. Life continues and is not willing to just give up just because of some storms or a freeze. Resilience is such an essential spiritual skill for us humans as well. The external winds of life can be so severe and potentially damaging; the ability to cultivate and practice resilience becomes essential. But how do we do this? How do we cultivate resilience within ourselves?

I like to look to the redwood tree as a teacher, which aligns beautifully with the element and season of wood. When we really spend time looking at and sitting with Redwood Tree medicine, we can see how incredibly resilient these ancient beings truly are. I have been reflecting on this even more since the CZU fire ravaged the Santa Cruz mountains in 2020, and so many trees went up in flames. Now six years later, as I walk through these areas that were burned in that mega-fire, I can see how the redwoods have this innate ability to withstand fire, and to even benefit from it. Redwoods are powerful teachers for resilience.

When I think about how to cultivate more resilience within myself, I look to the redwoods and think about how it is that they embody and teach this spiritual skill. What is it about redwood trees that makes them so resilient, so able to withstand traumas and stressors like fire and storms? One way that redwoods make themselves resilient is through their incredible, thick bark that is resistant to fire. As humans, we can build a kind of protective shield around us- our own redwood bark- by learning how to really nourish ourselves. When we prioritize self-care, and by this I mean true nourishment of ourselves both physically and spiritually, we are able to have this kind of protective shield around us energetically. We become less susceptible and much more resistant to external pathological factors- be they a virus, a negative person at work, or a particularly stressful season of life. We can prioritize caring for ourselves with nourishing food, enough sleep, movement, meditation, and healing work. In so doing we become more resilient and protected.

Another thing that redwood trees have that support their resilience are some pretty darn amazing roots. We can ponder, what are our roots? What can help us feel anchored, steady, and solid within ourselves, as we move through life upon this earth? We can deeply explore this question, and in doing so we begin to discover that we have our own internal root system. Then we can start to actually tap into these roots when the winds of life start blowing. This is a very personal spiritual practice, but there are also some time-tested tools that can help one cultivate this sense of resilience. I would like to share one of these tools in honor of the Spring Equinox. In this video, I share a Qigong practice that has traditionally been called “bamboo in the wind”, but that I personally refer to as “redwood tree in the wind”. Whatever we call it, it’s a simple, accessible, and profound way to access our roots, and our reslience, when life gets windy.

This is a practice we can do as part of a larger Qigong practice, or as a standalone practice (if you would like personalized guidance and instruction of Qigong you can book private sessions with me by clicking the button above). Redwood Tree in the Wind is also something we can do anytime, anywhere and that's what I love so much about it. It’s portable! We can literally do it in the middle of the grocery store, when our toddler is having a meltdown and we feel like we're going to get really unrooted, or snap. Life is often quite windy and chaotic on this earth. The fires will come around, and the storms will come around. But if we learn how to nourish ourselves, and how to tend to our roots, we can become more resilient. Strong and yet yielding, with this tree-power we can continue to grow towards the light, which is what the wood element and the energy of springtime is all about! If you would like some personalized seasonal healing support this spring, please check out the details for my Spring Cleanse program below.