By Carmen Rioja
“They will be able to cut the flowers, but they will not be able to stop the spring.”
Mario Benedetti
Spring is approaching loudly, and it seems to arrive even before the solstice to remind us that the power of nature cannot be ignored. To enjoy the views with the jacarandas in bloom, the viewpoint El Mirador located on Salida a Querétaro street, old Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, is one of the points that every hiker wishes to visit; from there you can admire the purple clouds that rise higher than the houses from patios and tree-lined streets. Those flowers, reflected in the purple clouds, have become a symbol of the feminine. This month the International Women’s Day was celebrated, and it has attracted great sorority, tributes and memorials, but also hives in some people and in the most painful cases, violence. The emotional and physical health of women is interdependent and indissoluble from the health of the rest of humanity.
It is about guaranteeing protection not only to women but to life in general, to the sacred feminine that means to be the way to new life, either in another being or through artistic, professional, social creation and so on. Hence, the vision of feminism is inclusive and diverse and extends to men. For this reason, when we seek to achieve a state of health and full happiness, we must know ourselves as an intertwined community in which each of the individuals must have the guarantees of creative, associative productive freedom and finally the protection of its integrity.
When we feel sick or present any trait of poor health, whether in the body, in the soul, or in society, the first thing to do is listen carefully to the symptoms and seek medical advice.
In Mexico City, women shouted before a wall that did not want to hear them, but the flowers, the colors and the names of the missing ones, transcended the borders. It was of no use that they flew a drone that sought to document from the air springs to yell at however had previously decided not to listen. No one can make spring stop. Let’s hear what each of the parts that hurt has to say, before censoring them, or shutting them up with painkillers.
In San Miguel de Allende, there is a rich culture around women’s health, but this was not always the case. Did you know that La Victoriana store was founded in front of Bellas Artes more than thirty years ago? It all started with the social work of the midwives and later it was extended to a naturopathic pharmacy for everyone. There you can find everything from a natural anti-allergy cream, a Rescue Remedy dropper with Bach flowers, to bath salts and biodegradable soaps. You can ask for a homeopathic consultation with its founder, Alison Bastien, much loved by everyone in the town because in addition to knowing how to listen to her patients, she helps them in the most natural way to regain balance to their health. She is a great connoisseur of medicinal plants and essential oils and shares information to study on her site: www.lavictoriana.com.
Listening is an art that we need to practice every day. Talking to be heard also has its tricks; you have to find the right time and place in order to get the best results. I don’t love being talked to in the morning. I prefer my coffee in silence or with Veracruz music, and I am much more eloquent on Whastaap than in person. If you still don’t have the temperament and compassion to listen, take a morning or afternoon walk in Juarez Park; listen to the birds, and try again. Try not to close doors or build walls in between. If we learn to listen, probably others will too.
Don’t wait until the others have to yell, but if they are yelling, listen carefully. There is also the healthy habit of looking for “shouters,” in such locations as the top of a hill, a glen, in the notebook with the pen, the rock concert or flamenco dance—you have to go see Sally Avigdor dance at the Paprika to understand how the body can scream passion also while dancing—and why not, shout into the shower, just let your neighbors know that you plan to sing very loudly so that you don’t alarm anyone.
Listening to those who speak very quietly will be the most difficult; they are in most need since they do not have the strength to communicate. If you have the opportunity to speak for them, then the health prize will be greater for all and not to mention gratitude for feeling useful. Physical health depends a lot on daily habits and how we feel emotionally on a day-to-day basis.
Carmen Rioja, Mexican artist who specialized in restoration of archaeological materials, and creative workshops. She likes to write stories or poems and throw them in imaginary bottles into the sea. Carmen has published the books “La Muerte Niña” and “Rojo 43.”