My journey to the creation of The Hope Garden- a Personal Reflection:  

Several years ago, I had a series of dreams – it was like a persistent knock at my door and it didn’t go away until I started paying it attention. These dreams awoke me to the understanding that in order to truly open my heart to the light and love of the Universe, a process of deep pain and discomfort needed to happen. It required me to truly reconcile the traumas of my early life and to regard them with compassion.

This process of awakening began with self-love. Self-love not derived from a place of ego, but acceptance and loving kindness towards myself. And from this place, loving kindness began opening ever outwards to all living things, like a rose unfurling and with arms opening ever wider.

‘There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return’ Nelson Mandela

… And so, as this process of opening continued, so did the understanding that I needed to be of service to others, that it was time to really start harnessing the empathy and compassion that I felt was so much a part of me and my sense of purpose, my offering to the world. The more my heart experienced the discomfort of opening, the stronger I became inside, the softer and more available I became too - I was better equipped to serve. 

I let go of any desire to ‘fix’ people around me and instead, I felt prepared and grounded like an ancient oak tree - roots growing ever deeper into the ground, feeling ever more in touch with Sacred Mother Earth and safe to explore the infinite sky, without fear of drifting too far. 

I realised that I was able to see the light in every one I met. Increasingly I found myself looking for the good in people, for the light within and working from the position of non-judgement at the core.

I felt so deeply a calling to be of service to others. However, it took several years for the exact direction to reveal itself, so I needed to be patient, to try different things. And, this process of revealing and emerging is an on-going process.

Meanwhile, I had spent many years supporting and harnessing my students’ creativity through singing and music, which was at times a very therapeutic process. Being a professional singer and songwriter had also given me the tools to dig deep and to offer my authenticity and show my vulnerabilities through creative sharing. 

‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible’ Dalai Lama

Increasingly, I noticed that I was able to sit with others in their suffering, be wholly present but without attaching myself to the suffering of those I helped - this meant that those I was with did not need to fear that I would not be strong enough to sit in stillness alongside them. But of course, this doesn’t mean that I don’t feel deeply for those I tend to / care for, as of course, I do. 

So, this process of heart-opening - it was as if walking through winter with the cold, the hibernation, the long and dark nights, but knowing instinctively of the Promise of Spring – this process never stops and like unconditional love, it may well be infinite. 

Forgiveness: And finally, what of forgiveness? Well, the heart cannot open when the discomfort and suffering of holding ill will, judgement and resentment consumes our minds. Forgiveness is truly the greatest act of self-love - it opens our eyes through the lens of self-compassion, to accept the flaws of our collective human nature and ultimately, to be free.

With love, Cecilia x