May 2019: May Flowers
Art, Music, and TranscenDANCE
By Christina Wilke-Burbach PhD, RMT, CA
Mind, Soul, and Self LLC
mindsoulandself.com
2019 is a journey into the world of non-verbal healing and personal growth here at Mind, Soul, and Self LLC. I have come to understand, true ways to heal spiritually, psychologically and emotionally are non-verbal: through art, music, movement, meditative states, and bodywork/energy work. The language of the soul/psyche is symbols, images, colors, vibrations, sensations, and patterns; we communicate this non-verbally.
I have been on an incredible personal growth journey of my own the past few years into the world of art. I have become very involved with John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) in Sheboygan, WI. I am the chair of the JMKAC Indoor Gardens, a member of the Friends of the Arts Council, and a museum docent (teacher/tour guide). I try to take a new art class every month. I started joining my artist husband in his art studio to paint and experiment with making art. Coincidentally, my old office space was located in an art gallery and my current office space is in an entire building of art studios. My preferred social media has become Instagram. I try to post a new photograph every day. I have enjoyed experimenting with art and photography as ways to express myself. So I have decided to have a photo blog this year to complement this personal and professional journey that I am on. I just recently had a revelation regarding my photography and am working on a project I hope to release later this year.
As a Master Gardener/Herbalist/Natural Perfumer, naturally, much of my photography inspiration is plants, trees, and flowers. Nature is the greatest work of art. I find so much beauty in the sky, water, and land. In animals and botanicals. I feel closer to the divine when I am surrounded by nature. As above, so below. Spring is one of my favorite times of the year because nature wakes up from her winter slumber. Animals come out of hibernation and all the blossoms and blooms of new life. The days get longer and warmer. Its a time of growth and positivity. I find it as gorgeous as it is inspiring because we forget that we humans are nature too. We are not separate from nature. We are a part of nature. When we consider ourselves distanced from the sun, moon, stars, birds, bees, and the trees it can lead to feeling unbalanced, depressed, and ungrounded. We too ebb and flow with the cycles of nature whether we realize it or not.
“Spring is a time of outward growth, not only in nature but in us as well. Spring is a great time to look at the goals you’ve set for yourself for the year and to plan them out so you can move forward to meet them. It’s also a time of renewed energy. Paying attention to the rhythms of the seasons can help us to feel more stable and centered as a person. It can also help us see ourselves as part of the bigger picture of nature where everything is working together synergistically. These things can help us to focus and live more mindfully during the coming season. Being attentive to the cycles of nature can impact your physical and emotional health for the better.” Meagan Visser
Below are pictures of my May Flowers in my own personal garden. As you view them, contemplate if you live a life in flow with the cycles of nature. How can you take the energy and new growth of springtime and use it as a catalyst to blossom in your own life?
**All photos are the property of Christina Wilke-Burbach. All rights reserved ***