Sharings from the Wellness Blog

Below is an excerpt from an article posted on Recovery Center's Wellness Blog. To read the entire article and access other posts visit the Wellness Blog here

The Recovery Center has four trained SoulCollage® facilitators and offers a variety of classes that incorporate the use of SoulCollage® to facilitate recovery and wellness.  SoulCollage®, especially helpful for working on emotional, spiritual, and social wellness, is one of the most popular activities at the Recovery Center.  It is also one that has had a significant impact on members’ recovery.  Below are a few comments about how SoulCollage® has enhanced individuals’ recovery and wellness.

“It helped me to solve problems that I was having, to make decisions I needed to make, and to get thru stress I was having.”  Elaine

 “SoulCollage taught me that there are many pathways to recovery and that there is no right or wrong way – just your way.  I enjoyed tapping into my creative spirit in the class, I discovered many things about myself, including that I am capable of doing a lot more than I ever thought I could.”  Alison

 “My involvement opened my heart, eyes, mind, and views mainly about my actions and thought patterns.  I definitely took a new open-minded look at myself.”  Terry Carter

“My SoulCollage helps me by keeping me calm.”   Mike

 “It helps me realize what my true nature is.  It gives me something fun, meaningful, calming to focus on.”  Alyson

"Honestly, it’s beyond words, but the process & my involvement has been and continues to be liberating.  It’s helped me to remember and honor myself in a safe and healing way.  I developed a deeper level of compassion for others, a connectedness, and healing.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for the gift of self-discovery.”  Carmen

Keith Clary

I am one who likes science and space exploration

I am one who from experience,

knows how controlling,

and self serving women can be.

They are hard to figure out at times

Eric Falstrom

I AM ONE WHO loves music and to sing like a bird

and soar through space over icy waters like an eagle that way,

albeit in lower keys as I get older,

often stubborn as a bear in the desert sands

amidst pools of water

I AM ONE WHO renders male and female ascending via skid

ladder/bridge/pathway, proceeding cautiously into the world up

and beyond the green and icy mountains

Terry Carter

I am like the polar bear, alone except for

his environment and a distant elk who neither the two

see or connect with...

I am one who is in a dark frozen in time type of environment,

in a velvet and blue swirling mass of clouds

and challenges. My foreground tree of life struggles

to survive in such a harsh, foreboding,

cold environment.

Carmen Mumphrey

I am one who is birthing new and creative ideas.

I am free. I look ahead freely because

life is eternal and filled with Joy.

I am one who is ready to charge ahead.

I'm ready for new challenges,

so now is the time to begin!

Eric Falstrom

Contrasting terrains, life in the cold, flightlessness, wild,

building up like skids amidst treacherous rockiness,

looking up to heavens for hope

Male and Female ascending via skid ladder/bridge/pathway,

proceeding cautiously into the world up and beyond

the green and icy mountains

Carmen Mumphrey

I am one who sees with loving eyes that no one

can ever hurt me. I release anger in harmless ways,

so there is no guilt and no punishment. I am courageous.

I am one who chooses to climb out of the

mundance circumstances of my life.

I relax knowing the wisdom of life

takes care of details.

Mike Young

I am one who likes animals, don't U?

I am one who thinks that basketball is fun to

watch on TV and sometimes to play!

Damon Colvin

I am one with struggles in life, although complex task

'made' simple often makes me start over and over

again with almost no understanding..

simple task 'made' complex makes it hard to adjust

to a simple life.

Carmen Mumphrey

I am one who is Divinely protected and surrounded by Love.

I declare peace, and harmony within and around me...

beauty, joy and safety.

We claim mental immunity. All is well. I am Free.

I am one who is a champion of the living - do you accept

the Love I am giving? I am strong.

I have the courage of a lion.

I choose to be a winner in life.

I use my power wisely; it is my birthright to live life fully.  

To be free in the moment...now that is my duty!

Eric Falstrom

Life through a crystal ball, personal charge (e for "Eric"),

contrasting terrains - electrical storm over the watery sand dunes,

one way forward - the future, the vastness and range of climate of the

world represented by one country below the equator

The fingerprinted flower of life, over the farm and range, in the

common house, spoken and heard

Mike Young

I am one who likes to have fun in the

Wild Blue Yonder, don't U?

I am one who is going into a big ride!

Joe McMillan

Personal and Universal Evolution

Alyson Dempsey

The lessons of the Bristlecone Pine

In February 2012 Anne Marie Bennett, creator of Kaleidosoul.com, Your SoulCollage® Playground published an article about the Bristlecone Pines , trees that grow in isolated groves under the harshest of conditions. They are nourished through their wounds. These trees are more than 5,000 years old and thought to be the oldest living organisms known to mankind.   A piece from her article states

“What I take from this beautiful gift from Nature (bristlecone pine) is that even in a difficult environment, even when chaos is blowing all around me and I am laid low to the cold, cold ground, I am still growing. I am still being nourished. There is always a way to open to nourishment, even if that means allowing my wounds to be the vessels for new growth and sustenance.”

Anne Marie included a SoulCollage® challenge, and Alyson Dempsey decided to take the challenge. Here is what she wrote about her cards and the story of the Bristle Cone pines relative to her own life journey

____________________________________________________________

Thinking about the lessons of the Bristlecone Pines brings me many feelings inside. Feelings of sadness for the pain, yes, yet realizing I have found my inner strength. This Soul of mine has been through a lot.

Four of my SoulCollage® cards are from feeling and thinking about the lessons of the Bristlecone pines.

The first card is of a girl bowing her head in deep , deep pain but somehow in the midst of the horrible pain she finds there a flower blooming within her soul. There are blooms supporting her aching body. There are icebergs, but in the sky shines a wondrous light of hope for the girl has found amazing inner strength.

The second card, I ask the mountain “Why am I hurting?” and I realize that the mounrtain climbing has made me inwardly stronger and this inner strength is beautiful.

The third card is of a woman swinging on a rope – courage.  People have told me I have courage. There has been a lot of pain – It’s hard to believe I have courage but I am starting to believe I do! The courage has come from me wanting meaning and love and acceptance in my life. The wounds of my illness have brought a chance for the courage and inner strength to grow and develop in me. The Bristlecone Pines and I are alike in that way – yes, yes!

The 4^th card is of a striped fish swimming in the opposite direction of a whole school of solid similar looking fish.

This lone fish shows her scars from the inside out so she may appear a little different but she holds her chin up and is not afraid to be different. She swims on and swims on. The Bristlecone Pine has shown stripes on its bark like the fish shows on her skin. The trees and fishes stripes show pain but make both the tree and the fish special and unique and an inspiration.

I think I have a friend in the bristlecone pine. I think we understand each other. I am grateful to have learned about such an amazing, courageous, strong and inspirational living being!

Alyson Dempsey

Eric Falstrom

The Gentile Dog, for whom salvation was granted, beheld amidst uncut

gems (rubies), the eye that watches us all ("No sparrow shall fall to

the ground without your heavenly Father to receive it" - Matthew

10:29), adrift upon the waves of life and over the hills

Empowerment of the common man the ability to walk on water and cross

from one dimension into another, both dry and wet, the Holy city

anywhere from Shanghai to Atlanta to Johannesburg

Mike Young

I am one who thinks eggs should be scrambled,

not planted!

Keith Clary

This collage is of a lot of my friends. I really treasure all of them.

They have been a true blessing to me. We all help each other in lots of ways.

Not having much family to speak with.

I really enjoy Photography. This collage represents a span of talking artifacts,

as well as recycling of old cars.

As life goes on with the teens, playing pick-up basketball.

Keith Clary

I like to mediate and listen to music.

Nature is like a sweet song to me.

Colleen O'Hara

Carmen Mumphrey

A double sided "Get Well" SoulCollage Card

made for Charlotte Wright by Carmen Mumphrey

Eric Falstrom

Watched endlessly by a sun-light camera, piercing down upon the poor

and humble at work, plane flying out of water wave as trajectory

caused by man adrift in land-boat, using paint roller as oar, the

precious gems of the New Testament



Charlotte Wright

I am one who feels like life is a big puzzle.

You just have to get your

pieces in order. There are going to be ups and downs.

Stay calm and live life as peaceful as possible.

It can be warm and cozy if we let it.

Alison Gorski

I am one who respects nature's power and knows it

can be a force for creation as well as destruction

I am one who seeks to nurture

and be nurtured,

to love and be loved,

to be intimate and feel intmate.

Colleen O'Hara

I am one who believes that even the most

hectic or chaotic lives can have meaning

if you take time enough to Love;

whether a person, place, thing or pet -

Life without Love just isn't worth living

True happiness is coming home

to a place with a warm and cuddly person there

to love and empathize with even if the

day is rotten.

Keith Clary

These pictures of these animals are some that I really like especially

Horses and Birds of Prey. I think animal add to the

beauty that the earth has to offer.
I feel that at times I can soar like an eagle.

Other times I have to run like a horse to keep with others.

These photos show the symmetry of a tree, fireworks, and a dandilion.

It shows that we are all different but yet the same in many ways.

We all unique and have a lot to give to others.

This is how I feel about myself as well.

Eric Falstrom

The simple creature finding himself in the spotlight amidst the waves,

in the green yet during the night, with something unknown and out of

place coming from behind, trying to stay afloat creatively

Up the waterfall from the electric city, ascending into space,

advancing as if in a game (my favorite) to capture the uncut precious

stones of prosperity

Eric Falstrom

polar bear submerged in iced river looking for food; bird trying to

obtain money with singer Jenny Lind on 50 Euro note: singing and/or

prophesying for income; "singing for supper" with regard to accounts

and teachings of The Bible and Jerusalem: the ancient food bowl;

cascades below representing how generations are influenced by each

other through singing voices, past and present; growth and new plants

amidst; more of my favorite fruit (strawberries)

Painting as climbing, rendering an ascent to higher dwelling; in

between realms (home, icy/rocky wilderness with waterfall, spring

field, under water); "to be a star"

Colleen O'Hara

I am one who believes we all use our eyes to see, but it's hard

to tell whose eyes see the truth

Brian Goetz

LET'S HAVE LUNCH!

Hungry Eyes Watching You

Cherry Cermak

I see these animals as representing parts of me