Guidance from an Ancestor

        Paying attention to our dreams, literally can be beneficial to our health and well-being. We may receive information that can help us in waking life. I once had a dream where a male ancestor on my father's paternal line showed up. He said that he was a Druid from what we now call Great Britain. He came to share some advice for me. The message was very clear. If I had an asthma attack, he instructed that I should merge with a tree.

        I thought this was an interesting notion, since trees breathe in carbon dioxide and they breathe out the oxygen that we need to breathe. I have long suspected that my asthma has worsened in adulthood because we are tearing down the trees in the Amazon at an alarming rate. No matter where the trees are in the world, we have a symbiotic relationship with them.

        Regardless of my fascination in this guidance, I wasn't really sure I would remember to heed to the advice while in the midst of an asthma attack.

        ...A week later…

I was in a class where we were to begin a Shamanic journey. We had about 30 in our group. Bodies were scattered all over the floor on yoga mats to prepare for the journey. The moment the drumming began, my breathing faltered. I began to have an asthma attack.

        My mind quickly pondered the situation. I didn't want to disturb my classmates by wheezing, nor did I want get up to try to navigate through the menagerie of bodies on the floor to leave. Either option would be distracting for everyone. I began repeatedly swallowing to prevent the coughs from manifesting. Droplets of sweat began formulating on my brow. I was in a lose-lose situation with these two obvious choices. What was I going to do?

        That's when the memory of my dream emerged into my awareness. It was time to put the dream to the test. Was it real advice or "just a dream" that didn't matter. Regardless, it couldn't make things worse. It was time to merge with a tree.

        I have a favorite oak that I decided to have as my merging ally. I imagined the strength of the 200 year old tree inside me. Its trunk became one with my body while the branches reached outward to my surroundings. I felt even this imagining helped to expand my lungs.

        Amazingly, within mere moments, my breathing normalized and I carried on with the assigned journey for the class without a hitch. Of course, this part of the journey became a part of the discussion afterwards.

        I couldn't have made this up. I am forever grateful for the wisdom that was showed to in the dreamscape by my ancestor—and I am forever grateful to the trees--particularly the Oak, as well.

    Paying attention to our dreams is good for our health.

Sleep well. Dream well.