Today I read the chapter, “Sonare and Videre: A Story, Three Echoes and a Lingering Note” from a keynote address in 1990, as I continue to read Curriculum in a New Key – The Collected Works of Ted T. Aoki. The chapter brought me back to a place in time when I intentionally connected my body to the earth in a grounding ritual. I was participating in a creative embodiment to practice self-love. With two other women, we repeated aloud “I awaken in my body, and connect to the body of the earth,” while beating a drum. We repeated this over and over until we felt as connected as possible to our bodies at that moment. Only when we did, we proceeded with time spent in the forest. The drum beat was a critical part of this process. The drum sounded like a heartbeat and was meant to help align our hearts to the rhythm of the earth.
In the chapter, Aoki reflects on the Chinese character for poetry, and notes that to “dwell poetically is to be in the dwelling place of mortals where one may hear the inspirited beat of earth’s measure” (Aoki, p. 375). We often are busy and do not hear or see the natural rhythms and beats of the earth. I noticed that when I moved to the rural Pender Island, it was a lot easier to hear and see these. I see the moon and stars at night clearly because there are no streetlights, and I always know the phase of the moon for this reason. I pay attention to the tides because they impact me. I listen to the wind, which is usually the loudest sound around. The rhythms of nature matter here. There are fewer man-made obstructions, so it is easier to hear and see.
When I think about being a teacher, I can understand why it is hard to hear and see not only the earth’s rhythm but anything that might be lying beneath the surface. When I think about applying the connections made after reading Aoki’s insights, I see again the value of being in nature, slowing down, and removing the to-do list. Aoki writes about the benefits of music, and I can relate to the power of a drum. Having a way of grounding myself and students, such as a drum, could help everyone connect differently. I feel inspired to sit outside in the native plant garden outside my school and see how the setting changes the experience of coming together with each other.
Photo by Soul Portrait Photography.
Curriculum in a New Key | The Collected Works of Ted T. Aoki | Ted T. (n.d.). Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/pdfviewer/