SYMBOLS OF SURVIVING

I'm very excited about an American Cancer Society conference coming up this weekend exploring integrated treatments: providing psycho/social support along with chemo and radiation. The Women & Infants Women's Oncology Center has many integrated elements, including Reiki, acupuncture, a writing group and a new one for me: Exploring Symbols and Images as a Pathway to Positive Survival.

Yesterday I attended the 'Symbols ' group led by W & I Licensed Social Worker Sandra Shields. She is grounded in Jungian psychology, and believes strongly in the power of the unconscious and imagery.

We participated in a 'guided meditation' called 'slowing down time' - a wonderfully relaxing exercise for which we had lavender eye pillows and blankets (!) Letting go of the tight control of our conscious minds is so hard - but I was lulled into a strong meditative state.

After this, Sandra asked us to draw/paint any imagery that came to mind. For many, it was the image of floating, of water, and the image from the meditation of a slowly drifting feather. As I started to draw the image of a turtle came to me: I used my 'mandala' practice as a base, and drew a turtle based sketch with waves and fish and the moon.

Later, Sandra told me that turtles are one of the 'archetypal' images, representing female nature, longevity, unity between heaven and earth, survival through the long slow journey.

So I continue with my long slow journey, taking time to savor each day and each moment, learning about self in the world. Survival is on my mind for so many reasons beyond the personal: the terrible toll of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the criminal negligence of British Petroleum giving us the horrendous Gulf oil spill, the continuing struggles for so many to survive disasters, both natural and human made. We carry the world on our backs. xx