We, as a part of Nature, view seasons with charts and hearts... times of varied passions. How to Feel the Sap Rising (a love note from your online Abbess) http://abbeyofthearts.com/blog/2013/06/17/how-to-feel-the-sap-rising/ How to Feel the Sap Rising (a poem for summer) Walk as slowly as possible, all the while imagining yourself moving through pools of honey and dancing with snails, turtles, and caterpillars. Turn your body in a clockwise direction to inspire your dreams to flow upward. Imagine the trees are your own wise ancestors offering their emerald leaves to you as a sacred text. Lay yourself down across earth and stones. Feel the vibration of dirt and moss, sparking a tiny (or tremendous) revolution in your heart with their own great longing. Close your eyes and forget this border of skin. Imagine the breeze blowing through your hair is the breath of the forest and your own breath joined, rising and falling in ancient rhythms. Open your eyes again and see it is true, that there is no "me" and "tree" but only One great pulsing of life, one sap which nourishes and enlivens all, one great nectar bestowing trust and wonder. Open your eyes and see that there are no more words like beautiful, and ugly, good and bad, but only the shimmering presence of your own attention to life. Only one great miracle unfolding and only one sacred word which is yes. —Christine Valters Paintner