“So see support as a bouquet of flowers, sometimes you’ll want a particular flower, form of support that day, other times you’d like another flower” said my therapist as she explained what I now call the ‘bouquet of support’.
For over a decade I relied heavily on my yoga practice to give me support, and it worked for some time, but steadily it became less supportive, more commanding because on its own I was no longer getting what I needed. Likewise always relying upon one person for support can be comforting but it doesn’t yield the freshness of insight that another person may bring. We are such multifaceted beings, with countless aspects so it follows that what enlivens, grounds, inspires is also multifaceted!
Drawing a bouquet of flowers then marking each one with a person or thing that offers support can be a reminder of just how much support we really have, including the every moment act of breathing. One day we may draw upon three or so flowers, the next day we draw upon others, honouring how everyday is a new day.
Teaching this at the beginning of the recent tuscany retreat as a way to ground and root ourselves in a new environment, people enjoyed drawing as an embodied act of bringing their support into creative focus.
Support to sense into can include:
* people
* actions
* activities
* environment
* art
* and for sure, breathing!
Let your support be fluid, changeable, and above all, always available.