My Spiritual Journey: The Meaning of the Forest

I grew up in North East South Dakota, in the middle of the great plains region of the United States. I was surrounded by beautiful prairie and farmland, but very few forests. Most of my life, I only saw forests on vacations. It wasn’t until I began traveling the world, that I discovered just how important the forest was to my very soul. This blog is now called The Wholistic Hiker. However, it began, in 2017, with the name My Walk in the Woods. This journal entry is the first in a series from that time and explains what the forest means to me and why I chose My Walk in the Woods for a name.

I decided to change the name to encompass more of what I have become over the past 5 years. Since starting this blog 5 years ago, I developed my love of nutrition and wholistic living, through my master’s degree in health and nutrition education. Hiking and backpacking has flourished in my life, and become my way of spending as much time in forests as possible. So, now, I’d like to share this 5 year old article as a way of understanding my beliefs a bit better. Namaste my friends. 🙏

As I sit in the quiet of the forest, I am lost to the peace and energy that permeates my being. I absolutely love being in the forest. When I am amongst the trees, I feel at one with the world, unified with our disconnected society. All worries wash away…all stress fades…all concerns are lifted and carried away by these majestic guardians of this beautiful planet we call home.

While I know how I feel in the forest, I was still uncertain as to why the phrase “My walk in the woods” permeated my soul so deeply and completely. Why was it so important that I choose this particular phrase as the title of this new blog? What was it about these words that symbolized my spiritual journey through life and this universe?

So I was drawn to do some research on the symbolism of forests and trees. Trees have always held an air of mystery throughout mythology and history. To some, forests serve as protection and providers of food, weapons and shelter. To others forests are a scary and mysterious place full of the unknown.

This reminds me of the legend of Robin Hood as his men. For Robin Hood, the forest was their home, providing shelter and sustenance. On the other hand, for the Sheriff, the forest was full of unknowns, evil spirits and danger.

So, I asked myself, how does this have anything to do with my spiritual journey? The answer, it seems is quite simple. My spiritual journey represents a walk through the forest. The forest represents the mysteries for which I am searching, such as why we are here, what happens after we die, what is a soul, is there one right religion…well, you get the idea. I could go on. As I walk through my spiritual forest in search of answers to my questions, as well as for unity, love and enlightenment, the trees keep me at peace, as well as provide me with the protection and the energy I need on my journey.

As the first entry in my spiritual journal comes to a close, I’d like to invite you to comment on your interpretation of the forest and trees with which we live. What do they represent to you?