why 'seedling' somatics?

When I first started as a coach and wanted to remind myself what I was up to before a session, the image of a seed sprouting and growing into a plant would come to my mind. This reminded me that we all have what we need to grow into our most whole, powerful, beautiful and particular selves. We don’t need someone to tell us what to do - but we do need good light, water, soil, and sometimes hands to clear away or help us navigate around blockages. This image helps me align to my role: to accompany people in growing into the particular manifestation of our ecosystem that only they know how to become. 

A seedling is both young and old. It is new to its life in the world, and it grows with the guidance of ancient evolutionary wisdom. We are also growing out of the lives of our ancestors, the land, and all that came before us—our bodies are telling stories, both healing and oppressive, that originate long before our lifetimes. I feel young, in that my roots are still just beginning to grow in this work and the lineages I'm learning from. And I am carrying the evolutionary wisdom of countless years, beings and ancestors—as are you, and every body I work with. I am embracing the humility and wonder that comes with being young to something, and the trust and grounding that comes with knowing we belong to an aliveness that is much older and bigger than just our own. 

The world that movements for justice and liberation are trying to birth—and the ways of being we are learning to embody—are like seedlings: vulnerable and resilient in the face of oppression, in need of care and resources, but ready to emerge if given the space.

may we continue to grow.