On Being Rooted — Lessons from a Windy Day in the Forest
Originally shared with my Soulful Inspirations community — a reflection on what trees can teach us about being grounded and alive.
The Storm
The other day, my partner and I went for a walk in a forest overlooking the Elbe River in Germany, near where I live. It was quite a wild, windy day, and the wind was tearing through the tree canopies, making loud sounds like crashing waves at a wild ocean. We wondered whether it was really wise to be out in the forest at all — but well, we were already in it.
They were mainly large trees with thick trunks, and we found a spot by a huge one to wait it out. I leaned against the tree trunk, feeling safe (I’m a bit of a chicken with these things, I have to admit). It was surprisingly calm — like we had entered into a still bubble. I leaned back against the sturdy trunk; it was about three times my size. It felt strong and steady and almost seemed to radiate out its protection.
As my back relaxed into it, I started to feel the smallest movements in the tree — a subtle swaying and squeaking with the wind that ran through the trunk and up into the branches above.
The tree’s quiet teaching
It moved me to feel this. Even though it’s logical, I guess because the tree was so huge, some part of me had assumed it was standing still. But no — it was doing its own dance with the wind. Just being with what was happening — firmly planted in the ground while the thinner branches higher up bent over, clasping at their leaves. High above, the canopy was wild with movement, like a frothing ocean.
I was thankful to receive this teaching, which has continued to weave its way into my life in surprising ways.
Even the Tiniest Movements Can Help Us Ground in Our Roots
So often we think being grounded means being unshakable, unchanging. But this tree was reminding me that real groundedness isn’t about stillness at all. It’s about allowing life to move through us while staying rooted in what holds us from within — our deep inner truth, our quiet inner depths, the essence that always guides us back home.
Even when there’s no storm outside — when everything seems still or we feel caught in place — our bodies are quietly moving: tiny fascial rhythms, the soft pulse of the heart, the gentle tide of the breath.
These movements are life itself, always waiting to bring us back into our own aliveness, even in challenging times.
Returning to Our Own Roots
So join me in remembering: When life feels like a storm, perhaps we don’t need to brace so hard against it, we can stay soft inside and move with what we feel, still be grounded.
Let us be supported by those quiet inner swaying movements — the ones that help us bend, breathe, feel, and help others as we stay grounded in our own roots.
I guess being a tree is a bit easier in that respect — but what a beautiful metaphor, don’t you think?
With warmth,
Julia
🌿 If this reflection resonates, you’re warmly invited to explore Quiet Depths Mentoring — where I speak more about this experience in a short video, and share how this way of grounding and listening becomes part of the work we do together.
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Trauma-informed intuitive guide and soulful embodiment coach with a background rooted in science and spirit.
Your energy and presence are gifts to share with the world — even if they are deeply quiet. They are the very fuel that helps you transform your life and truly flourish.
You can tap into this when you ground in the essence of being you.
That’s what this blog is here to hold: reflections from my own long journey home to myself, interwoven with the insights I’ve gained through years of lived experience and training.