Spirals occur abundantly in nature. Many plants and flowers grow in spiral patterns, in the arrangement of leaves around the stem and petals around the flower center. Vine tendrils, spiderwebs, animal horns and shells, hurricanes and tornadoes, whirlpools, galaxies–spirals are everywhere. Our own bodies contain spirals, from our hair whorls and fingerprints to the cochlea of the inner ear and the double helix of our DNA.
Spirals are some of the oldest geometric shapes used by mankind to adorn special, often sacred, places. Although we can only speculate what the symbol meant to our ancient ancestors, there’s an obvious connection to the cycles of nature. Traditionally, the spiral is believed to depict our journey through life into death and then into rebirth. That symbolic path undoubtedly inspired the development of labyrinths, which are often found in a spiral shape, and folk dances that a spiral inward and outward.
The spiral also represents my approach to healing. During my career in therapeutic bodywork, I came to realize the vital importance of getting to the heart of my clients’ issues; once balance is restored to that central point, the pattern of wellbeing spirals outward, affecting the whole person. Every living creature who embarks on a healing journey needs a secure point of departure and a welcoming home at the return. A balance point. A clear polestar around which life can coalesce and flow. A vibrant, steady, peaceful heart of the spiral.
