"There is healing in hugging a tree...the idea is that everything is full of energy and that trees are something substantial that we can feel with our entire bodies.  They are alive and growing and very powerful...When I was sure no one was looking, I found a large tree and put my arms around it.  Holding myself close to the trunk, it actually felt good."

~ Ruth Fishel, Precious Solitude, Finding peace and serenity in a hectic world. Adams Media Corp., 1999.

From Wherever You Go There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn*, "Standing meditation is best learned from trees.  Stand close to one, or, better still, in a stand of trees and just peer out in one direction.  Feel your feet developing roots into the ground.  Feel your body sway gently, as it always will, just as trees do in a breeze.  Staying put, in touch with your breathing, drink in what is in front of you, or keep your eyes closed and sense your surroundings.  Sense the tree closest to you.  Listen to it, feel its presence, touch it with your mind and body.
     Use your breath to help you to stay in the moment...feeling your own body standing, breathing, being, moment by moment."

*Hyperion, 1994, Afterward 2004.