When I sliced open this tomato, what I saw inside stopped me in my tracks.
I have drawn this before ~ I have taught from this drawing. This tomato looks uncannily similar to a cross section of a spleen.
I stood there and marveled at the design that was revealed.
The spleen is a blood-rich organ that’s tucked away slightly behind the stomach, nestled safety within the ribcage. You may or may not be consciously aware of your spleen. Most of us aren’t.
Though its main role is to filter blood, the spleen has been recognized by some anatomists as the “brain” of the immune system. There is deep intelligence in this organ, and a specificity in its structure which elegantly facilitates its vital functions.
The lymph nodes (miniature surveillance and cleansing stations, strategically located along our body’s extensive network of lymphatic vessels) are essential sites for the activation of our immune response when pathogens are detected.
I’ve drawn a cross-section of a lymph node dozens of times on the white board as well ~ the inner structure of these tiny organs nearly mimics that of the spleen itself.
And here’s a little sketch of a kidney which I drew when teaching the Urinary system.
These too display a similar design ~ an outer cortex or shell which plunges towards the interior to create little compartments where various essential functions take place.
(I’m actively resisting diving into a mini-lesson here on urine formation, renal pyramids and kidney tubules! It’s a fun one, and something of a wild ride… Tabling that for another day.)
So what’s the takeaway here? Besides the fact that I’m wildly enthusiastic about A&P and it’s clearly tomato season in much of the northern hemisphere…
Nature favors certain patterns. They’re in you and they’re all around you.
From certain angles, the network of our blood vessels can seem indistinguishable from a river system or the delicate veins that run through a leaf or an insect’s wing.
Our airways, through which we exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment, so closely resemble a pair of inverted trees within the lungs that the entire setup is called the bronchial tree. (Coincidence that this gas exchange is fundamentally taking place with trees? I’ll let you draw your own conclusions there.)
Branching fractals. Radials arranged around a nutrient supply. Protective outer capsules, elegantly layered, inherently durable, cradling precious, delicate, inner gifts.
A deep intelligence infuses these essential designs.
And this intelligence is within you, through and through.
Try as you may, you can’t escape this truth:
You are an absolute marvel; an exquisite beauty. Deep intelligence is woven into every fiber of your being.
You are a miracle.
When we aren’t feeling that loving or appreciative towards ourselves ~ let alone full of the miracle of our aliveness ~ it can be easy to feel disconnected from the joy of creating opportunities to take better care of ourselves.
I believe that the more we deepen our self-understanding, connecting with the universal beauty of nature within, the more we can learn to really appreciate and love ourselves.
And when our efforts to improve our health and well-being come from a place of self-understanding, deep interconnection with all living things, and love and appreciation, we begin to feel a shift.
Creating routines that support our holistic health no longer strike us as being a “burden” ~ another thing to “add to the plate.” They become a golden opportunity to show ourselves some love and appreciation, to unwrap and celebrate the miraculous gift of our aliveness.
I believe in the potential, the beauty, the gifts of aliveness in everyone.
As a coach, an educator and an advocate of empowering practices that restore our health, perhaps the most important way I serve people is in guiding them to reconnect with these profound qualities in themselves… so that they are naturally inspired to show up and care for themselves in new ways.
If that sounds good to you, schedule a free chat with me here. I’m here to guide and empower you to restore your health and well-being, and start feeling more connected to your beauty, your aliveness, and your gifts!
