Hi everyone! I hope the summer sun has nourished you and brought relaxation and joy to your life. It has been a quieter summer at Moving Together, and with the warm and lazy months drawing to an end, I’m looking forward to the new projects and exciting changes that September will bring! I’ll announce those soon, but first I thought I’d share a quick recap!
This summer I’ve been focusing on facilitating growth as usual, but instead of human growth, I’ve been a proud witness, supporter, and collaborator of Mother Nature and her beautiful vegetable beings!
I was often struck this summer by the similarities between being a gardener and being a therapist, and on top of that, the similarities between human beings and plant beings. All of these different ways of being have so much that ties them together!
For example, plant and human needs are so similar – we need love, time, space, patience, attention, support, nourishment…. and the occasional pruning and weeding! All in moderation.
Further to that, plants and humans share the quality of being incredibly varying and unique, and each of our distinct identities and personalities contribute to the most beautiful richness of a diverse community.
And so it was an excellent learning opportunity for me, being with this Garden of Life. I came to see patterns of how I strive, how I achieve, and how I fail. And I came to know deeply the value of listening to my own needs, and how often my needs and the garden’s needs were aligned.
Sometimes I needed to escape into the garden and lose myself in the endless tasks that need doing, and the garden needed that too. Sometimes I needed to step back and rest, and let nature have its way, and the garden needed that too. Sometimes I needed to ask for help, for someone else to come and care for it for a while, with their fresh eyes full of wonder, and the garden needed that too. Sometimes I needed to make hard decisions about pulling up or pruning back a plant that wasn’t doing well, and guess what? The garden needed that too!
Above all, the thing that struck me time and time again, was the way that every single plant – every seed, weed, and flower – knows how to grow. And so do we.
So really, although it’s been quiet in terms of ongoing projects and new offerings, it’s been an incredibly fascinating, breathtaking, inspiring, and growth-filled summer, and I can’t wait to share all that I’ve learnt with you!
-Jessica Houghton (Dance Movement Therapist)
Moving Together 