Why Cedar Wise?

You are in this time of the interim where everything seems withheld. The path you took to get here has washed out; The way forward is still concealed from you….The more faithfully you can endure here, the more refined your heart will become for your arrival in the new dawn. — John O’Donohue

A Winter Solstice Reflection

When I first started meditating in my early 20s, I was enamored with the idea of transcendence. I thought if I could just transcend my body, my thoughts and emotions — my worldly existence, for that matter — then I could be at peace, perhaps even enlightened. I was hoping I might get to skip having to feel what was happening in the moment — just dodge the pain and those icky emotions — and kind of float through the world unaffected by anything. Nice try….

It wasn’t until some years later that I realized being rooted in this reality is in fact the first critical step to engaging creatively in the world. I eventually got that transcendence isn’t a useful goal at all. Instead, cultivating my capacity to be with whatever is emerging — fully experiencing it without resistance or attachment — was what would help me act more wisely and kindly towards myself and others. And to do this, I needed to learn (and continue to learn) to nourish what is most life-affirming, authentic and meaningful in myself so that I can accompany others in becoming even more of who they are and want to be in the world.

So what does that have to do with ‘Cedar Wise’? Living here in the Pacific Northwest, the Western red cedar tree represents the essence of what it is to be both rooted and responsive to our ever-changing inner and outer experiences. Our branches can’t reach the sky, like those of the magnificent cedar, if we aren’t grounded. If we don’t keep attending to what centers us in the vastness and vitality of life, we will topple over. In other words, to be ‘Cedar Wise’ is to practice embodying the wisdom of the ancient cedar tree every single day.

Winter Solstice is the perfect time of year to reconnect with your own wisdom. During this “interim” time before “the new dawn,” as O’Donohue describes, being with the deepest questions in your heart now will ensure you can show up as the leader you want to be in 2022. Learn more how becoming more ‘Cedar Wise’ can support you in this process. Set up a free “discovery session” today.

In the meanwhile, may this holiday season be peaceful, heartwarming and nourishing for you and all those you love.

P.S. Keep an eye out for my blogs starting in January. I’ll describe in more detail my coaching process: RISE - Root, Inquire, Shift and Embody….

— Elise Miller, published December19, 2021