Marla Estes
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From The Dark Night of The Soul The expression "cultivating the orchid" is Taoist; the orchid the metaphor for our essential self. In order to cultivate our orchid, we need optimal psychic space - if not physical - so that we can have a safe, protected, guarded area in which to grow, blossom, and bloom. As with any new growth, we do best in the long term if protected from the elements until we are strong enough to withstand the forces of nature on our own. Chungliang Al Huang calls this "a place of inner rest to find the inner orchid, to allow it to bloom." Mid-life offers us a wonderful opportunity for soul-making, and to explore ourselves and discover our soul’s imperative, which means that we live as our optimal selves, using all of our gifts and talents. We may find ourselves walking in metaphorical shoes that are too tight, too constraining. Sometimes external circumstances prompt - or force - us to go inward. Then we might be driven to find new and different ways from the ones that have worked well enough for us in the past. One of my passions is not only to live this for myself, but to help others - adolescents, women, and men - find this place for themselves. By participating with others in this process, I am also in the process of cultivating my own orchid. This website is devoted to cultivating orchids. |
| Cultivating the Orchid |
