Chainsaw Spirituality

What can chainsawing trees possibly have in common with yoga? Or have any sort of spiritual connection? Well, the Chainsaw Yogi will attempt to explain...

The photo at left is from my hill country property where I've been doing "tree management" for more than four years. That translates mostly to cutting down trees, but doing it in a smart way. So, the paradox of achieving a higher good while performing a basically destruction action begins there. Not only is chainsawing destructive (at least to the tree being cut!) , it is an annoyingly noisy task that is especially exhausting and sometimes dangerous in the Texas heat. If this cutting phase isn't bad enough, then the even hotter burning phase inevitably leaves one with singed body hair and little burn holes in your clothing from flying sparks .

Like other experiences in life which are initially difficult, chainsawing has a payback. Payback at the end of the day, when progress can be seen and measured. Payback for years to come, when smart tree management yields beautiful vistas and a healthy, balanced ecosystem. A particular problem in the Texas Hill Country is the invasive Cedars (Ash juniper) which crowd out other tree species. The photograph above left shows the bare dirt and rock in the areas where I had just cleared the cedars four years ago. The photograph below right from four years later shows some of the remaining oak trees, contorted from years of having to snake their way up to the sky through cedars that I have since removed. It also shows how the grasses and shrubs have reinserted themselves in the landscape.


Since I can't possibly post this blog without a photograph of an actual chainsaw, I've included one below of my son that I took at the property entrance a couple of years ago. Teaching him about chainsaw use and safety was lots of fun, and it was nice to seem like an expert even though I'd just learned myself the year before. Better yet, I got to pass on of the idea that we were shaping the long range future of the land itself, guiding the growth of remaining trees and re-establishing other native species. Hopefully that impression will stick with him for the rest of his life, and he'll always understand the importance of nurturing our planet.


OK, now for two last photos showing more direct and obvious ways that the noisy chainsaw can create a spiritual setting, and even provide a place for an unbelievable yoga experience! The photo at right shows a clearing made by the chainsaw for a future home, with my sweetheart enjoying the beauty of nature and no doubt formulating thoughts that she'll be expressing in her beautiful writing. Pictured at the very bottom photo is a deck I constructed beside a small creek, after clearing the area with (of course) the chainsaw. And guess what the deck is to be used for? Meditation and yoga practice. So, after some rambling and misdirection, there you have it. The chainsaw is connected with yoga practice and spirituality, even if the connection is only in my mind.


In case you are wondering about the location of this property, it is a few miles east of Wimberley, Texas, nearby the Blanco River. For me, it is just the right distance from my home in Houston, about a 3 hour drive. Any closer and I'm afraid I'd visit there TOO often, at the expense of other priorities...