Seated
Use your usual supports. Let your feet rest on the ground or their usual support, and choose a position you can maintain comfortably.
Lesson 01 · 5–10 minutes
Meditation with a Tree
Stay with one tree a little longer. Explore returning your attention patiently, without needing your mind or surroundings to become quiet.
An introductory adaptation from the original Tree Yoga School book.
Preparation
Choose your way to practice.
Choose a permitted place with stable ground, clear of damaged or hanging branches and other hazards. Use a bench, stable chair, wheelchair, or comfortable standing position. Choose suitable weather; you can observe from an accessible path without touching the tree.
Practice
Read once, then explore.
Arrive
Notice the support beneath you. Let your breath continue naturally. There is no need to count it, deepen it, or hold it.
Choose an anchor
Rest your attention on one detail of the tree: bark, leaves, or a branch. Let your gaze stay soft and move when it needs to.
Notice wandering
Thoughts and sounds will come and go. When you realize your attention has moved, return gently to your chosen detail. You have not failed.
Widen and finish
Notice the wider surroundings again. Let the practice end after about 5–10 minutes, or sooner. Take your time before moving on.
These are invitations, not requirements. Shorten the practice, skip a step, or finish whenever you need to.
Time away from the screen
Put the screen aside. Let one tree hold your attention for a little while.
Keep your device available whenever you need it for access, navigation, or communication.
Reflection
What was it like to return your attention without judging where it had gone?
Reflect quietly or write a sentence in your own notebook. Nothing needs to be submitted or shared. Repeat this lesson as often as you like.
Roots of this lesson
Sources and adaptations.
This new sequence develops the book’s meditation pathway and Chair Meditation into an introductory observation practice. Natural breathing, open eyes, usual supports, the duration, and the reflection are adaptations for this edition.
- Chapter 3, printed pp. 13–15 ↗: The meditation pathway.
- Chapter 4, printed p. 28 ↗: Starting with 5 or 10 minutes.
- Chapter 5, Chair Meditation, printed p. 92 ↗: A seated practice beside a tree.
Developed with AI assistance for the renewed digital school. This lesson makes no medical or healing claims.
Explore a particular tree: Pine in the Tree Library, or follow the teachings through the book.