Today we’re going to imagine that we are trees in a forest. The classroom can be the forest, and all of the students can be the trees. Imagine the type of tree that you want to be, and then begin to find your roots in the floor while standing up tall. Imagine that you are becoming really stable, starting from your feet, just like the roots of a tree connecting you down to the earth.

As you close your eyes, imagine that you are growing taller and stronger, up into the sky. Move your attention from your feet, up through your legs and into your arms. Notice how your body is feeling along the way. Once you get up to your arms, imagine your they are like branches spreading wide as you grow taller, connecting you to the other trees in the forest. This part of the trees is called the canopy. It is the part where all the branches connect and animals can make homes in. Beautiful things can grow in the canopy when the trees in the forest are all connected. Imagine the animals that might live in your forest canopy. Maybe you have some butterflies on your branches or baby birds. Maybe you even have little caterpillars on your leaves. What do you want to live in your canopy?

Begin to leave the canopy by traveling up your trunk, moving your attention up out of your arms and to the top of your head. Travel all the way up to the very top of your tree, beyond any branches. Take a moment here to see whatever you would like to see. What does your forest look like? Is it tropical, or in the mountains? Is it sunny outside? Are you somewhere familiar? You can imagine anything that you want to see.

Teachers and students: You can use this tree meditation to become grounded and change your perspective whenever you would like to alter the way that you are feeling.