Vincent Karche - Tree Wisdom: A Year of Healing Among the Trees

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First published by Leduc.s ditions, Paris, 2017

Text Vincent Karche, 2017

Editorial guidance: Pascale Senk

English language translation by Corinne McKay, 2019

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on thirdparty websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-78817-389-6

E-book ISBN: 978-1-78817-395-7

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-78817-436-7

Interior images: 1, 53, 99, 143 123RF/paprika; all other illustrations Claire Nicolet

To my sister Isabelle.

Everything ends and begins with love

Trees are just like us. They are born. They breathe. They grow up. They long for harmony and balance. They grow to their full potential. They die.

Like brothers and sisters who are always available, trees are always there for you. If you dare to accept their generous offer, a clear and endless horizon will open up for you: when you get close to a tree, you will understand how you support each other. You will feel siblinghood; the simple joy of living and breathing together. You will feel at peace in any situation. Trees do all of this so naturally.

Dare to touch a tree. Dare to smell it, to press your heart against it. Embrace a tree and your emotions will come back to you a hundredfold. Trees have a zest for life that will expand to welcome you just as you are.

At difficult moments, trees can inspire you. They can help to heal your wounds and bring you peace. In the warm embrace of their branches, you are born again. And sometimes trees are still there for you, even though they are a long way away.

As time goes by, like a tree you will love growing old and passing on your wisdom, and you will grow to appreciate your times of effort and ease.

For now, it is important for you to check in with every statement in this book. This is not a book about religion. It is the result of observing and exchanging; of a life that has been lived. Live your own life: walk through woods and forests, observe, feel, make every wisdom your own and make a note of your perceptions when you return from your walks. If you wish, write your thoughts in a special notebook or journal.

A solitary tree and a tree in a city park both have much to teach us, but when it comes to the message of this book, seeing your life as part of a forest will be particularly inspiring, leading you to be more comfortable in your relationships with yourself and others.

In temperate countries, trees live according to the rhythms of the four seasons of the year. So it seemed right to me to align the 12 tree wisdoms with the 12 months of the year, especially as the four seasons of the year match the four seasons of our lives: sprouting, blossoming, transforming and resting peacefully.

To help you truly experience tree wisdom, I have some exercises to offer you. These are easy to do. They are inspired by more than 25 years of exploration: breathing techniques learned from great singing masters; fasciatherapy seminars; meditation retreats at the Kopan Buddhist temple in Kathmandu, Nepal; the intense silences of the Benedictine monastery of SaintBenitduLac, Quebec; learning to be present at the First Nation cultural site of Tsonontwan, Quebec; and years of psychotherapy, in various forms. All of these experiences have nurtured what I offer you here.

Finally, along with each wisdom, I offer you a short poem and invite you to write a poem of your own. Let a poem, a slam, a haiku, a song or even a single word spring forth.

Be assured that this book is just as much yours as it is mine. Make it your own. Live it, with all of your senses.

Trees love you. Let them join you on an exploration of who you are.

Welcome to this journey, in the company of the great masters.

Tree. When I meet you or I hear about you, I feel a deep wave of gratitude. Because Ive spent time with you and become entwined with your destiny, Ive learned about the incredible gifts youve given the world. I feel grateful for them right this moment. You give life. You love life. You are life. I owe you nothing. I feel like a son who sometimes wanders away, but who comes back to you to find some comfort. Tree, my big brother, youre always there for me when Im happy, when Im hurting, when Im angry, or just for no reason at all. In my quiet, empty moments, you inspire me.

My first job was working in the woods a logical continuation of my childhood in northeastern Frances heavily wooded Lorraine region. I remember the forest in Moyeuvre, near where I grew up, and the forest in the Vosges region of eastern France, where I went on summer holidays with my family. These forests were where I felt close to my father, a true nature lover. Trees were one of the few, precious, things we had in common.

I was a bit ignorant and idealistic when I was younger. I travelled the world and was surprised to find that humans sometimes cut trees down by the hundreds, or dug them up to see how they would grow if they were moved to a different location. I learned that the most valued trees were the strongest, the straightest and the most beautiful, and that those were stuffed full of chemicals and given space to grow through selective thinning of the forest around them. Tough luck for the other trees, those that were considered weak, ugly or useless for logging, only good for paper or wood shavings. They were left to fend for themselves.

I saw huge clearcuts, swathes of the Earth made sterile, made into deserts that would endure for decades. I asked myself how many logging executives saw trees simply as gold ingots made of wood