Spiritual Practice - Listen to the Wind

At the church service we attended on Sunday we were encouraged to lie on the ground under a tree and listen, then stand and listen again, watching the trees move in the wind. It was a fascinating exercise.

When I lay on the ground looking up into the trees, there appeared to be very little motion and there was a comfortable, relaxing silence all around me. Then I stood up and became aware that the wind was blowing furiously through the trees. They were swaying and dancing, playing tunes, each unique to their species. The needle-like leaves of the firs vibrated with a high-pitched whisper, the broad leaf birches sang with a rustling melody. The sounds that rolled off all of them combined to create a calming and restorative tune.

Evidently these evocative sounds of wind blowing through trees, is known as psithurism, and comes from the Greek word "psithuros," meaning whispering or rustling. It is well documented that psithurism varies based on tree species and wind conditions. Different types of leaves and branches create distinct sounds, from rustling to whistling. Stronger winds create louder, more dynamic sounds like roaring or howling that can drown out one’s conversation. This is not necessarily as calming and restorative as the gentler breezes that not only bring out the music in the trees but also caress us with their soft touch. Each tree produces a sound like different instruments in an orchestra, fine tuned and in harmony together.

As I listened to the trees, and refreshed myself in their beautiful harmonic music, it occurred to me how like the Holy Spirit this is. Sometimes we are unaware of it. When I lay down, and relaxed, I was not only oblivious to the movement above me, but also to the orchestra playing around me. How often do we lie down spiritually and shut ourselves of the music and the motion of the spirit around us? And in our comfortable position we tend to think that the spirit is not really moving at all.

To see the Spirit’s movement and hear the Spirit’s voice we need to stand in the midst of the swaying trees, looking and listening. We may not see the Spirit, but we can certainly see what she is doing and the music makes us feel that we need to join in.

Listen to the wind rustling through the trees in the video above. Now, take some time today to think of where the Spirit is moving in your community. What are the sounds that make you aware of its music? Where do you see the “leaves” moving and what are they saying? Are there places where you feel you have been lying down unaware of the whispering and rustling around you? What would it take for you to stand up and walk into the “trees” to hear what is being said.