Connect with our origins: the importance of family roots

Forests are very special places where we can revitalize the body and calm the mind. Approaching plants and especially trees evokes another time different from the one we live in our cities.

His presence speaks to us without words of strength, verticality, calm. We admire its trunk and branches that expand the leaves in search of the sun’s rays. But we often forget the importance of the roots that nourish and sustain that tree that we admire. And that is so because they are not visible or apparent, they remain in the dark.

We do not have roots as such, although we stand erect on the “soles” of our feet. However, it is worth asking what deep bonds keep us united to life, to the spirit and to our fellow men.

What are those “roots” that sustain us and allow our development?

The family unites, so to speak, the natural order with the human one, transmitting certain values ​​that would otherwise be lost. And that family environment is part of a social community.

The root word means origin, foundation, essence. That is why it is convenient on occasions, and especially in this time of crisis of values, going back to the roots: being “radical” in a good way and “don’t get lost in the bushes”.

How to find your roots?

In the midst of the current crisis, we have rediscovered the importance of family as an area of ​​sincere affection and possible protection.

We are born into a family where, usually, up to three generations can coexistrepresenting the three dimensions of time: past, present and future.

If for a moment we imagine what we are –the last link in a chain that is lost in the mists of time–it produces an intimate shudder to be aware for a moment of all those who for centuries have preceded us and whose blood continues to be driven by our hearts.

For this reason, the cult of ancestors has been part of many cultures. It’s good feel respect and gratitude towards them, even if we don’t know them.

Tradition as legacy

The word tradition It comes from the Latin traderwhich means to give or transmit a legacy. It covers different levels: the ethnic and cultural traits of each people, their customs and, above all, their form of spirituality. Wisdom is transmitted from one generation to another, a way to overcome obstacles and harmonize with the world. From knowing how to tie sailor knots or playing the guitar, to building cathedrals.

It would be just as foolish to maintain an obsolete custom just because it comes from the past, as to think that everything that came before it is simply outdated.

It is childish to believe that in the history of mankind there has been no true intelligence and sensitivity until computers have arrived. Technological advances they don’t necessarily have intrinsic goodness. What they do is amplify, for better or for worse, our virtues and defects.

Just as the loss of natural biodiversity (vegetable and animal species) impoverishes us, the present cultural standardization also dwarfs us as humans. On the contrary, Preserving and appreciating the traditions of the world is an enriching task.

Talking once with an old Tuareg about the importance and difficulty of maintaining their identity as a people in today’s changing world, he reminded me of one of their proverbs: “Plants that do not have good roots are blown away by the wind…”.

Exercise to connect with ancestors

The navel is the mark that reminds us that in the beginning we depended on our mother through the umbilical cord that is cut at birth. If for a moment we imagine that connection between the mothers of each generation (from the daughter to the mother, grandmother, great-grandmother… like Russian dolls one inside the other), we understand that the umbilical cord extends to the most distant ancestors.

Not by chance that area of ​​the abdomen is especially vascularized and innervated (sacral plexus). According to oriental medicine, two fingers below the navel is an important energy center: for the Japanese the harafor the Chinese the lower tan dien; or the second chakra (swadishthana) for the Hindus, who associate it with the water element, emotions, sexuality and procreation.

In the center of our body, various physical and subtle structures converge that can be a source of meditation.

This zone it represents the center of gravity of the body and is related to self-confidence. If the Hara is strong, the person is fearless and creative and psychologically centered. If there is a blockage, emotions such as fear and insecurity predominate.

if we want honor our ancestors and connect with all that energythe following exercise may be helpful.

we chose a quiet time and place –we can light a candle–.Comfortably seated, we put the left hand at the level of the heart and the right on the navel.With eyes closed and breathing calmly, we feel the presence of the ancestors (in a general sense, without looking for a personalized dialogue). We remain like this for a few minutes, feeling peace, love and gratitude.