Not Giving, Not Receiving—Just Being

Our forest therapy group was immersed in Redwood Memorial Grove, a pocket of towering giants hidden in the heart of the city. Its calming energy wraps around you the moment you arrive.

The invitation:

1. Let your heart guide you to a tree.

2. Place your left hand on its bark and allow love to flow until you feel complete.

3. Offer the tree an unanswered question—and listen.

Finding My Tree

I didn’t have to search; my hands found the tree first. At the base of the trunk was a natural cradle that fit me perfectly. As soon as both palms settled on the bark, a wordless knowing filled my chest:

“It’s not about giving or receiving; it’s simply about being together.”

When I silently asked, “How can I help my heart heal?” there were no words. Instead, a warm, womb-like hug enveloped my heart. My mind tried to form sentences, but I stayed with the feeling. It was the best hug of my life—and it came from a redwood.

Letting go to listen more deeply: Why It Feels Edgy

That kind of heart-based way of being can feel edgy for many people. As a myofascial-release therapist, I see daily how tightly—and unnecessarily—we all hold on:

Common Holding Pattern	What It Looks Like	What It Feels Like
Breath-holding & jaw clenching	Short, shallow breaths; teeth pressed	Hyper-vigilance, anxiety
Shoulders up to ears (“weight of the world”)	Neck disappears, upper back stiff	Overwhelm, burden
Collapsed chest & rounded spine	Slumping forward	Sadness, defeat
Hard belly bracing	Rigid midsection	Fear, control

These repetitive contractions become fascial holding patterns—literal tension maps just beneath our skin. Over time they lock us into a feedback loop:

Embodied Cognition: How we feel shapes how we hold the body, and how we hold the body reinforces how we feel.

No wonder letting go feels risky; it asks us to dismantle the armor we’ve practiced for years.

Somatic Preparation: Unclenching Before We Listen

Before leading people into presence with nature, I like to weave in short somatic resets:

1. Three-Part Exhale – let the breath trickle out, softening jaw, belly, pelvis.

2. Shoulder-Drop Shake – inhale shoulders up, exhale “hmph” and let them fall; repeat.

3. Heart-Press & Release – palms on sternum, gentle pressure in… slow sigh out.

As we attend to and release embodied stress, something magical happens: the nervous system shifts from high alert to open curiosity. Presence deepens. The forest’s subtle language—wind in leaves, scent of duff, the hush between bird calls—becomes suddenly legible.

Is Nature Sentient?

Sentience is the capacity to feel; consciousness adds the layer of awareness. I won’t claim redwoods contemplate their existence the way we do, yet they most certainly sense: light, moisture, pheromones, the touch of my hand. Their response was the hug I felt.

Nature’s sentience is:

• Non-verbal – expressed in chemistry, vibration, rhythm

• Relational – trees share nutrients, birds warn one another

• Present-based – no story, just the pulse of now

Our human sentience adds self-reflection and storytelling. The bridge between the two is presence itself. When we unclench, breathe, and feel, we meet nature where she is—not through words but through resonance.

The Call to Protect

We protect what we love, and we love what we feel connected to. Forest bathing, combined with somatic release, is more than self-care; it’s ecosystem care. By letting the forest “hug” us, we remember we’re made of the same stuff—wood, water, breath, and heartbeat.

Practice: Let your heart guide you to a tree. Place a hand on its bark. Offer your love, your question. Release your shoulders, soften your belly, breathe. Listen with your whole being.

You might discover—as I did—that the line between healer and healed dissolves. In that shared quiet, we find the courage to let go again and again, together, in community with one another and the living earth.

Feel free to share your own story of connection in the comments. What did you sense when you let nature hold you?