What plants teach us about presence

Friend, an incredible scientific breakthrough hit mainstream media recently that I can’t stop thinking about.

You know how we learned in school that plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen? I bet you didn’t know that they do that by breathing.

Not in a poetic sense. Literally.

For the first time, scientists have been able to observe plants “breathing” through stomata, holes that expand and contract to let air in and out like tiny little lungs. It’s absolutely mind-blowing.

Our society tends to think of plants as still, passive, maybe even decorative.

But in reality, they are brilliantly alive, dynamic, and intelligent beyond our imagination.

They are in constant negotiation with their environment – energy and air pulsing through them with precision and purpose.

If something as “ordinary” as a plant is this complex, this responsive, this alive… what does that say about the world we’re living in?

What does that say about us?

This discovery helped me realize how much I move through my day without really noticing what’s alive around me. And that life is a highly intelligent system, quietly doing an intricate dance, whether we notice it or not.

But isn’t it all so much better when we notice? When we pause to witness the tiny (and big) miracles all around us and hold them in reverence?

As Earth Day draws near, I invite you to come deeper into relationship with nature.

Why not take yourself on a date to the woods? Breathe in the spring air. Notice the budding blooms. Watch the squirrels at play.

Maybe even be a little wild and take your shoes off to curl your toes in the dirt. Or wilder yet, place your palms on a tree and listen for its wisdom.

Because the truth is: we feel far more alive when we connect with life itself.

In Love, Light, and healing,

P.S. – If you’re craving more presence in your life, this is the heart of the work I do at Arden Healing. Just reply to this email to see how we might work best together. 💛