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When I was in my early 20\u2019s, my then-roommate showed me how to prepare and cook a fresh artichoke,\u00a0first washing it and trimming the pointy-bits, then steaming over rosemary water and finally, dipping each steam-tenderized bract into melted butter before eating it.<\/p>\n
Prior to this, I had only known artichokes through their presence in dips.<\/p>\n
Only decades later as I was peeling away my own metaphorical layers, did I see how much the artichoke is a metaphor for the human journey of healing \/ transformation \/ becoming who we are here to be.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I mean:<\/strong><\/p>\n The outer layers of the artichoke are tougher, taking longer to tenderize. The outer layers humans present to the world, especially when those layers are built from unconscious self protection, can be thicker, tougher, in order to shield the tender stuff below that surface.<\/p>\n Eating an artichoke, I start with the outer layers and work my way around the \u2018choke, pulling each layer off before going to the next, more tender layer. \u00a0I don\u2019t strip just one side or segment all the way to the heart and then turn to the next side or segment.<\/p>\n For example, when you start exploring self care, your focus and deeper diving into your layers maybe primarily oriented on self care.<\/p>\n The same is true for old beliefs you\u2019re rewriting or fears you\u2019re working to transform.<\/p>\n Within this metaphor, if you see yourself as the artichoke, what this means is you may have a narrow strip excavated all the way to the core with thick outer layers still in place for other areas.<\/p>\n Also, we may work on\/in layers close to the surface for some time (years, decades, lifetimes), metaphorically removing old layers from all sides, going deeper in some areas and remaining nearer the surface in other areas.<\/p>\n People who carry a lot of trauma \u2013 whether \u00a0personally experienced or inherited \u2013 may have difficulty going deep in areas related to the trauma because inner defenses won\u2019t allow it.<\/p>\n If you imagine an artichoke stripped at different levels in different areas, you may see, as I do, that\u00a0 we\u2019re not merely like artichokes, we\u2019re like messy, unevenly stripped artichokes.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as you can use a sharp knife to slice an artichoke open, immediately revealing the tender heart, I think Life, at times, slices us open to expedite the surfacing of hidden, inner tenderness that otherwise, may have taken considerably longer to access.<\/p>\n What does all this mean? How do you use this metaphor to support yourself in your personal journey of exploring all your layers?<\/strong><\/p>\n One more way you an use this metaphor:<\/strong><\/p>\n Just for fun, the next time you enjoy an artichoke, hold the intention of actively working the metaphor.<\/p>\n You may have a current focus you\u2019ve been \u201cworking,\u201d like getting to the heart of why a recurring emotional reaction persists, why your freeze response still shows up in certain situations, or why it\u2019s so difficult to set a specific boundary with a specific person.<\/p>\n Hold your focus in mind with the intention that you are working on the healing \/ growth process as you eat the artichoke:<\/p>\n **** ****<\/p>\nBut with humans in a growth journey, we\u2019re often working our way down through the layers in a specific area with a tighter focus.<\/span><\/h4>\n
The tender heart may be exposed in some areas and deeply shielded by tough, layers in others.<\/span><\/h4>\n
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If you’re in the process of exploring your layers and don’t want to go it alone, or if you know it’s time to do some sifting through the layers (but would really rather not), here’s how I can help:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
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