Breathe with your heart
This is sort of an interesting (and maybe a bit unsettling!) card when it comes up, isn’t it? It was surprising even to me that this flower led me to the theme of ‘sorrow’.
I was visiting my parents, always on the lookout for flowers to add to my list to draw for my 100 day project, and this was one of the plants growing on their window sill. When I asked what it was called, my mom said it was the impatiens and she specifically had a memory of using the plant to dye her nails when she was growing up (apparently this is a thing in Korea!).
When I looked up information about the flower when I got home, I saw that it was also called the ‘touch me not’. And I immediately connected this flower to the word sorrow based on one of my favorites works of art called ‘Noli me tangere’ by Fra Angelico, an early Renaissance monk and painter.
‘Noli me tangere’ by Fra Angelico, CC0 Licence
‘Noli me tangere’ is Latin for “touch me not” or “do not hold onto me”. The term is known as the words Jesus said to Mary Magdalene when she tried to embrace him before he ascended into heaven. His gesture along with the words symbolizes how she must learn to let go of any attachment to his physical existence, and trust in their spiritual connection as he is resurrected. That moment is one of the most powerful moments in art history for me because I feel it captures the essence of sorrow. The pain of having to let go and take a leap of faith that we are still connected beyond our physical connections.
This was also a moment that I was reminded that there cannot be great sorrow without great love. I’ve come to learn that it is not a weakness or curse to feel sorrow, it is just another form of love - though there really is nothing you can say or do to reduce the grief you feel when it strikes.
I then realized the connection to other works of art including Picasso’s La Vie and Cezanne’s The Magdalen (also called Sorrow). The message I get from these paintings is that sorrow is part of the experience to be human and to love. Sorrow is the ultimate reminder of our ability to deeply love.
TAKE A PAUSE AND LISTEN
From THE GARDEN of HEALING Album. Music and video by Ariel Loh - Window Seat.
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE THEME
EPISODE 39 - SEASON 1
Why explore sorrow? It’s so easy to resist this emotion, but it’s a powerful reminder of the courage to love.
EPISODE 04 - SEASON 2
We are part of something bigger than ourselves. This week, we are joined from the UK by psychotherapist and co-founder of Misfit Robots Marianne Le Coyte Grinney.
Together, we explore the systems of care that are essential to our mental health and the Gratitude Blooming theme of Sorrow, represented by the flower the Touch-me-not.
EPISODE 65 - SEASON 3
Join us in a heartwarming journey where we embrace the art of grounding ourselves through meditation, connecting deeply with the earth and our innermost dreams. We'll navigate the ancient philosophy of Wu Wei or effortless action and learn to trust the natural flow of life.
We close with the soulful strains of "Sorrow" by Windows Seat as we also look forward to an enriching collaboration with the Democracy Center, continuing to weave a narrative that celebrates the courage found in both love and sorrow.
For this episode, we released a new limited-edition digital art.
You can support our podcast and activity by collecting an NFT or by ordering a set of cards.
Sorrow is one of the 39 Gratitude Blooming themes that we explore to help our community keep gratitude front of mind.
Explore all themes
