In my own journey of growth and transformation, engaging in various forms of creativity has been the most effective way to ground myself and experience what I call embodied focus. In this process, I am also able to tap into what I feel are abilities unique to the neurodivergent brain. I often refer to them as special powers not because I feel I am better than anyone, but rather because they help transmute the pain and old story that something is wrong with me and I just need to try harder to adapt and fit in. As a dance/movement therapist, dance has been a support in my journey of self-expression and connecting with and helping others for many years. After experiencing an ankle injury, I started connecting more with music and found that singing and sounding is a particular kind of medicine for me as I learned to embody and feel the frequency of my own voice. I also returned to making jewelry and felt guided by the properties of crystals (see my last post for more on that). Hammering and shaping wire to make beautiful adornments for people is a healing process which usually invites the creation of something beautiful and meaningful. I am fascinated by the variety of ways that the neuroplasticity of our brains can grow new neural connections through focusing on honing and cultivating our natural gifts.
A meditation practice which allows me to connect with and feel supported by Mother Earth has also been extremely helpful in cultivating embodied focus, although it took me several years to let go what I thought it meant to be a devout meditator and embrace the uniqueness of my own process. Religious conditioning from my own upbringing had to be uprooted and released. We can learn to develop compassion for ourselves in the process of healing from cultural conditioning and find a deeper sense of freedom and agency as we learn to live from our own truth. Through seeing ourselves more clearly, we can then ultimately see the others with more gentleness as well. As we accept our unique way of being in the world, we often come to realize how we can be powerful agents of change in the world.
While the neurodivergent label may at times seem like an indication of a not fitting in or not being normal (whatever that is), I have come to see it overall as a unique power that can help change and uplift humanity. This is what I aim to offer clients who struggle in a similar way. I see a lot of writing about neurodivergence cautioning against calling it a superpower but I feel it is important to acknowledge the struggle as well as the gift. When we release the need to be a certain way, we have the freedom to create a new way of being for ourselves which can be empowering both for ourselves and for the people around us. This is a continual living question for me and it is one of my life’s joys to help similar beings find their way through.
