Instill the wisdom of plants into yourself. Today we will learn the “power to break conventions” from air plants.

Tillandsias, known also as “air plants,” are unconventional. The way they’ve evolved to grow on rocks and trees breaks the bounds of common sense. They forego their roots, that all-important link to the ground, and instead absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. Their unique and exceptionally light structure also flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Within the highly appreciated Tillandsia genus, the Spanish moss is known for its long-hanging stems. Nomadic in their adaptability and minimalist in composition, they seem rather light, don’t they? And yet the surface of Spanish moss leaves is composed of fine silver hairs that are densely packed together. These are meant to catch water and repel UV rays. They’re very efficient plants.

To reduce competition with other plants surrounding it, the Spanish moss spreads its seeds far and wide. Somewhere along with its evolution, the air plant became lighter, taller, and capable of spreading itself farther. The Spanish moss proves the success of the species. The basis for its survival is in its power to break conventional wisdom and be unlike any other plant. In the same way, humans can grow lighter if they let go of what they think they should be. Conversely, attaching yourself to a preconceived notion leads to suffering.

Let’s allow the tillandsia to teach us its power to break conventions.

―――――――

To effectively learn how to break conventions, we have to turn everything upside down. Let’s try this.

First, stand up and open your legs wide. Next, gradually bend your body forward. When your head reaches the level of your knees, see how the world looks from that vantage point between your legs.

What kind of world do you see? It’s upside-down, right?

The ceiling is now the floor. A pond will look like the sky. Plants growing from the ground seem like they’re hanging down from heaven. Can you see it?

Looking at the world from a different perspective helps free you from preconceived notions. You can do this with your body by bending over and looking through your legs.

Try flipping the obligations restricting you on their head for a moment. Then steadily remove yourself from them. Breaking with conventions can help you detach and live more lightly.

Let’s look at the tillandsias in the sky the same way. How do they look to you when you see them from an inverted perspective?

For many plants, up is up, and down is down, but air plants seem to float, no matter the angle you view them from. You could say that by detaching from their roots, they released themselves from the concept of “up” and “down”.

It’s okay to have dreams, goals, obligations, and necessities. But it’s also okay to not have them. The key phrase is “it’s okay.” Change the words you use to refer to those things, and it may lead you to breezy new discoveries.