Tree Yoga School · Practice beside a tree

Any tree · About five minutes

Your first five minutes with a tree.

Read once, then give your attention to the tree. Spend a few minutes, or less if that suits you.

Find a comfortable place.

Sit or stand on stable ground in a permitted place, keeping your usual supports. A bench, wheelchair, or accessible path is enough. Keep paths clear and let your breathing stay natural. There is no need to touch the tree.

  1. Settle

    Notice the support beneath you and the space around you. Keep your eyes open and your breathing comfortable. There is no need to deepen or control it.

  2. Observe

    Look at the tree. Notice one detail: a pattern in the bark, the shape of a branch, a leaf, or the way light falls across it. Let your gaze move naturally.

  3. Listen

    Notice sounds nearby and farther away. Perhaps leaves move, a bird calls, or people pass. You do not need silence to practice.

  4. Return

    When your attention wanders, gently return to one detail of the tree. Wandering is part of the practice. Begin again as often as you need.

An optional five minutes

You can practice without a timer. Start it when you are ready to turn your attention to the tree.

5:00

Silent by default. Begin whenever you like.

Keep this page open for the closing sound. A locked screen or backgrounded browser may delay it; the time will catch up when you return.

When you are ready

What did you notice that you might otherwise have passed by?

Reflect quietly, or write a sentence in your own notebook. Let the visit be enough.