I was strolling along in the woods contemplating recent events in the world.

Trees speaking at dusk

Not knowing how to stand with all that is happening, I turned my attention to the trees and the forest as one whole entity. I felt them on my skin and in my energy system. I heard them in the air and I attuned my inner ear. I reached out mentally with a question; how do I help you best now?

You see my heart is sad, my body is sad that we are possibly facing more of a struggle to save any of the natural world than ever before. The consumerist culture seems to be on a higher rise than I ever thought it possible. It is collectively kicking, screaming and putting up one hell of a fight for its right to gobble up everything until every last little piece of breathing material is gone. That breaks my heart for my friends that have always stood tall, buried their roots deep into the earth and provided life for millions and millions of sentient beings, including the human race to which I belong.

As always their answer came abundantly, readily and graciously but it surprised me and still does. They said:

“Love Yourself!”. That’s it! “Love Yourself!”.

I knew they were pointing me inwards, pointing me towards traveling step by step deeper into my own heart. I don’t know what it means in this case to “Love Yourself!”.

I am still contemplating this and something within me tells me this will be part of my contemplation for the next 10 years or so. It is not meant lightly or superficially. It does not refers to look or superficial feelings.

My earliest of inclinations points me towards the fact that their body is my body. I believe Love to be the strongest force in the universe then perhaps loving my body, which is the Earth, has a real contribution to make. But as I said, this is just the beginning of a deeper contemplation as I also believe myself to be more than my body.
I am curious to see where it takes me.

I do encourage you to contemplate that statement too; what does it mean for you to “love yourself” and how could that then help the trees, the wind, the sun; everything that makes up the forest?

It might mean something entirely different to you than it does to me, and maybe that is just how it is supposed to be.

Take the statement, walk with it, sit with it, breathe with it and sleep with it. Let it travel the whole of your being and when it is done pose the question once more, one last time:

What does it mean to “Love Yourself!”?