2 of the last 5 days I have spent time in a forest. One of them was a new forest that I will be visiting again very soon and one was “my” forest. In the last 2 years I have discovered the transformative power that exists in nature, specifically forests. Spending time in the forest has been as critical to my healing journey as any medicine I have been prescribed. I think the silence of nature allows use to really hear ourselves and reminds us just how interconnected we all are to each other and our environment. The forest teaches us life lessons in tangible ways. For instance, the other day I saw a tree growing literally sideways. It was rooted to the ground, but instead of growing up towards the sky it was growing off to the side and leaning. It struck me how that tree was a tangible reminder of what surrendering and acceptance look like. The tree wasn’t fighting against the way Mother Nature had decided it was going to grow. It was simply going with it.

Because I have spent so much time recently in the forest I have noticed how different Forest Sara is to Everyday Sara. Forest Sara is grounded, empowered, capable, and self-assured. Forest Sara doesn’t need to see exactly where the path ahead is going to follow it and trust that everything will work out. Forest Sara feels a sense of home and belonging the second her foot hits the dirt covered trails. Everyday Sara struggles with feeling grounded, trusting herself, believing she’s enough, and the what-if’s of life. Everyday Sara would like a detailed print out of the path ahead marked with every possible scenario that could possibly happen on said path. Everyday Sara is still searching for that sense of home.

I remarked to A+ therapist that I don’t know why I can’t translate Forest Sara into my everyday life more. There are times when I am by myself that I feel like Forest Sara and there are dear people in my life that I feel like Forest Sara around, but I’d like to feel like her more as I think Forest Sara is my true self. Forest Sara is my authentic being that comes alive the I’m removed from the “noise” of everyday life. I told A+ that maybe I just need to drag along a grove of trees with me at all times to manifest Forest Sara, but she didn’t think that sounded like a very realistic option. So instead she gave me homework to approach what the days and week ahead brings as if I was Forest Sara. What she’s really asking me to do is approach the days and the week ahead from my authentic self and sense of being instead of the parts of my being that work for everyone else.

I hope you all have a place you can go that sets your soul on fire and brings out your authentic self. A place where you feel at home and where you breathe a little easier. If you don’t, I highly suggest finding one. You’ll know when you’ve found your sacred place because your soul will sing in a way you haven’t yet heard.