Before this journey began, I was given an unusual birthday present by a friend. I didn’t use it straight away, as the dance with the Big C got in the way. Actually, make that the small C. Let’s not give it too much centre stage.
As I’ve said, I’m totally committed to the big guns of medicine. But I’ll be adding some of my own remedies as the days go by. Archie’s cat therapy set me on the right path. If he’s so dedicated, I should be too. My new pescatarian habits delight him and I suspect it’s why he’s stepped up the nightly program a little. I examined my voucher again. Leaves of Lore and a body mapping session. I decided to book myself in. I can barely draw a stick figure but apparently it didn’t matter. So I took myself off to the lovely Lore’s place and settled myself on a cushion to begin the session. We started with tea and a chat. Lore didn’t provide cake, thank goodness. The temptation would have killed me! Perhaps she’d read my blog, as a bowl of multi-coloured berries were put on the coffee table.
A gentle guided meditation got me into a creative mood. I then set an intention for the morning and needless to say, it was about health. Lore then invited me to lie down in a position my body felt drawn to. An extended fetal did the trick. Then she drew an outline on the white cardboard sheet beneath me. Once that was done, I was asked to write or draw things that I wanted to communicate. I chose to draw and used all the coloured pastels that appealed to me. I tumbled green and gold circles across my chest and added a pink heart in the middle of it all. Blue spiraled down my throat and I added a pink ribbon to my waist. Yellow waves caressed my ribs and a green and blue eye peered from my forehead. Red roses finished off my torso.
Lore asked me a little more about my intention, before the next part began. I was encouraged to paint anything I felt like, all over my sheet of cardboard. Paints of all colours and textures filled the table set out and I felt as if I’d been let into a magic playground. I held a brush in my hand and glanced over at Lore. She was already painting her own picture and the message was clear. I was free to do whatever I liked!
I chose purple as my first colour and swept it across my sheet. An azure blue caught my eye and I added a few brush strokes of that. Cerise, lemon yellow, emerald green, pink and silver followed. My strokes became more adventurous and I added a little curl to each line. The burst of colour energized me and if Lore had told me to stop I would have pleaded for more time. She didn’t. I added touches of gold and fluorescent white to some parts. And then a little more gold. It was finished. I felt as any great artist would, that one could ruin a painting by not stopping in time.
Lore came to observe my masterpiece and then we discussed it. “Movement! You’ve painted music and dancing.” She looked at me for a response. I didn’t have one. “Does that resonate with you?” I nodded my head. I’d lived to dance in my youth and yearned for it ever since. It was a part of me that I’d cut off and it literally felt as if a piece of my soul had gone with it. Lore became insistent and I had to commit to finding somewhere to dance again. She suggested once a week. I wrote three times. If I decide then I do it properly.
And the message I took away with me? The dark shadow was only a small part of the vibrant whole. I’d take that. Would I go back for more? Well, about that belated birthday present you were thinking of…
