The Woman and the Tree

A poem about nature’s healing magic by Serena Kelley

In the heart of a forest, where solitude thrives
A woman sought solace to quiet her cries.
Beneath the grand canopy, she found her retreat
A wise old tree, a friend with roots firm and deep.

The woman approached, burdened by the mundane
Her spirit entangled, a wearisome chain.
She sighed to the tree, "Oh, one so wise,
I'm mired in life's struggles, beneath sorrow's disguise.

Each day feels a burden, a weight on my soul
I long to be free, feel happy and whole.
Tell me wise one, with your wisdom so vast,
How can I find freedom to break free from the past?"

The tree whispered softly, its branches swaying low,
"My dear, you are free, more than you'll know.
Bound not by the world, but the thoughts you believe,
Release the shackles and your spirit will free.

The roots that ground me reach into the earth
But they do not define me, they're simply my birth.

As such, your routines need not keep you confined
For you hold the power to leave them behind.

Choose to dance with the wind, like leaves in the breeze
Embrace the untrodden path, let your heart find its ease.
The world may throw troubles, but they need not define
For you, my dear friend, possess a freedom divine.

Open your eyes to the beauty around
The caress of sunlight, the songbird's sweet sounds.

Your soul is unbounded, a spirit that's free
Release all worries, and your eyes will see.
Embrace life's adventures, explore the unknown
For you have the choice, you're not meant to be thrown."

The woman listened, her heart stirred by the tree
A hope awakened, her spirit set free.
She looked up in awe to thank the tree so grand
For showing her freedom lay within her own hands.

From that day forward, she walked a different path
Unburdened by routines, liberated from the past.
The forest is her haven, her sanctuary of choice
Finding solace in nature & the tree's gentle voice.

So remember dear wanderer, when life weighs you down
Freedom's within you, a choice to be found.
Seek the wisdom of trees, let their voices guide
And embrace liberation, for on wings of joy you'll glide.

—Serena Kelley

Horses are some of nature's greatest healers

There’s something truly enchanting about horses, something that transcends mere words and touches the deepest corners of our souls. They possess a unique kind of magic that fills our hearts with wonder and awe.

🐎 Horses are more than just graceful animals; they are empathetic beings, capable of forging a connection that goes beyond human understanding. Whenever I find myself in their presence, an indescribable sense of peace washes over me. They are the call to any storm.

Throughout history, horses have been revered as symbols of strength, freedom, and spiritual connection. Their presence exudes a kind of ethereal beauty that effortlessly captivates anyone lucky enough to witness it. They are the embodiment of grace, power, and resilience, teaching us valuable lessons about life and ourselves along the way.

Beyond their physical allure, horses possess an incredible ability to heal. Their nonjudgmental nature and unwavering acceptance create a safe space where we can truly be ourselves. When you’re around them time slows down, worries fade away and you find solace and serenity from the chaos of everyday life. This is why I chose to volunteer at an equine mental health facility and pursuit certifications in equine mental health facilitation.

My love for horses runs deep, all the way from childhood in Brazil. They were an escape from me during extremely hard times and will forever hold a special place in my heart. They taught me patience, perseverance, and the importance of trust. Through them I’ve learned to embrace vulnerability, listen with my heart, and communicate beyond words. Horses are not only companions but soulmates, connecting with me on a level that words alone cannot express.

This horse is Bella and she lives in . I spent every day with her for hours when visited her ranch, in her presence during my cross country trip. Her demeanor and love for connection was unparalleled, and I have never met a horse like her since.

Let their presence remind you of beauty and peace in the world.

You don't need half the stuff to progress in life that you think you do

The best thing about traveling without a specific hard and fast plan in mind is finding incredible place is like these steps away from your original plan.

Throughout my travels and my six month cross-country drive around the USA, I constantly pulled over and veered off the side of the road towards exits with views that looked cool, or random rivers or lakes. Many times I stumbled across hidden gems like this lake right outside of Prescott Arizona!

I feel so blessed to have disconnected from all the outside noise of media, people’s opinions and fired any sort of teacher or guide I was paying to coach me. In doing so it allowed me to create a deeper relationship with myself and connect to my intuition to where I knew exactly where to stop, exactly where to go at every step of the way. And I was able to take that connection to the rest of my life and apply it everywhere.

It’s amazing when you drown out the noise of all the other inputs around you with your own silence, that’s when you truly can hear the voices you’re meant to. And that’s the ones within yourself, your own soul, the only connection and teacher you need.

So turn off the fucking news. Stop reading articles online, stop following a gagillion influencers who say they have the only objective way to enlightenment or (fill in the blank) of whatever thing you are searching for. Stop getting offended and mad for everyone else. Because the thing you are searching for is already within you. But you can’t find it because the only person that you’re abandoning and fighting against, is yourself.

All good things are wild and free

When was the last time you felt truly wild and free…if ever?

"All good things are wild and free." -- Henry David Thoreau

When was the last time you felt truly free? For me I feel it every time I travel, when I explore a new destination, land in a country I’ve never been surrounded by people speaking a language I don’t understand. I relish the novelty, the excitement an the overwhelm.

But sometimes, I long for more. For true, raw, unbridled freedom. Freedom that’s hard to get in most cities, crowded spots and fast-paced lifestyles. It's being alone out in nature, in the wild, with nothing to keep me company except myself, and whatever nature is around.

Here is when I can come back to myself. Back to life, back to the beginning, naked, stripped away of everything I identity with, to remind myself of who I truly am, without all the other outside accolades and identities to hide behind. It’s here where I truly feel the freedom that life has to offer.

I hope everyone can experience the magic of nature, not just outside your door, but truly in the wild. With no one else around to tell you what to do, how to think or how to act.

We live our lives everyday under the rules of civilization and judgments of others. We're not even aware of how much this influences us until we completely step out of that bubble and see everything with a new lens.

When we connect with nature, we found parts of ourselves that we completely lost along life’s way. The parts that were shut down, the weirdness and oddities at our core that make us truly unique and connect us to the specific gifts we each have to share with the world.

I hope everyone can experience true #freedom in their lives at some point. It would change so much about who we are, how we react and show up in the world. When freedom comes from within, the rest will follow.

Cheers to forever being wild and free!

When taking the risk works out

This goes for anything, really. But especially when you start doing something out of the norm, many people will start to tell you why it can’t be done or why you shouldn’t do it.

The amount of times I was told I’d be bitten by tics, trapped by a bear, murdered by a serial killer, die in the desert, get COVID, my dog would die from a snake bite or get eaten by a bear, I’d be kidnapped, and all other sorts of things…wow if I listened to even half of these I wouldn’t have left the house!

So instead, I didn’t listen to anyone but myself, packed up my car and drove around the country living in it for six months, and came home perfectly safe. Franklin too.

Also, I did everything I said I was gonna do, and more. And I did a lot of it naked. And I’m still alive to tell the tale and share the photos.

If there’s something you want to do but you’re getting swayed by other people’s opinions of it, just stop listening to them. Or better yet, don’t talk about it until you’re well on your way and can’t be dissuaded by others. The outcome will be well worth it.

#mysereneearth #sereneearthtravels #nakedagain #nudainnature #solotravel #girlswhotravel #soloadventures #nakedinnature #nakedlifetruths #nudaisnormal #nuda #faerie #faerielife #nakedfaeries #faeriefolk #forestbathing #toyota4runner #toyota4runnersr5 #toyota4runnerlife

How dance reconnects you to your body

Healing through movement - part 2

Healing from sexual trauma requires not only conscious but subconscious efforts, if you want truly break out of the self-imposed prison your brain put you in to protect you.

When we experience sexual trauma, our brain dissociates. This enables us to not only “deal” with the trauma, but disconnect so we don’t fully experience the horror of what our bodies experience.

The problem is, we stay dissociated & become completely disconnected to ourselves and bodies. We don’t fully feel anything anymore…joy, sorrow, excitement, pain. You don’t know how to be truly alive as you are not fully there, in your conscious mind and body.

What helped me get to a place of being comfortable back in my body and sexuality, was movement. This can look different to each person, but for me it was dancing. In my 20s I spent most of the decade dancing away in clubs. While this was not the healthiest way to move emotions through my body, it was what worked for me at the time. I credit it as actually being a big source of healing & reacquaintance to my body, and for this I’ll never be ashamed of it.

These days I often practice hip movements like this. Grounding, isolated moves focused on the pelvic region. Why? It helps get in touch with the parts of your body you’ve ignored because they’ve been violated. It reconnects you to the discarded parts of yourself that were too painful to take notice of before. That’s where dancing comes in. With the reconnection of our bodies with movement…you can heal.

Healing is work, yes, but it doesn’t have to be terrifying, sad and serious all the time. It can be fun, exciting, new, and different. Just approach it like a curious child and think “what can I try today that I haven’t before?” Then go do it!

Other forms of movement for healing include:
- Walking
- Running
- Stretching
- Horseback riding
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Rock climbing
- Biking
- Hiking.. And more!

I want to know… what movement worked for when you were going through something? Comment below!

#mysereneearth #traumarecovery #traumainformed #mypathtohealing #childrenofgod #traumahealing #childrenofgodcult #marydear #dancetherapy #danceitout #dancevibes #movetoheal