Soul care is a vital part of healing—in all areas of healing. Our souls—mind, emotions, will—must be nurtured for them to be healthy. There are many ways that people, everyone—whether they are abuse survivors or not, nurture their souls. One that I highly endorse for everyone, as well as greatly enjoy myself, is Creativity! Making creative things truly does wonders in our brains, from relaxing the nervous system, to healing trauma, to aiding right thinking and clarity, to increasing brain function and brain power itself.
Creativity is my happy place. But I wasn’t expecting treadle sewing itself to be therapeutic. I got my first treadle sewing machine 8 or 9 years ago. I discovered it is completely different from sewing on an electric machine, and I’m not just talking about the way the foot pedal works. The actual treadling is a healing action.
Sitting down at a treadle sewing machine and putting it into motion is a therapeutic thing. It takes a moment of focused coordination, starting the hand wheel into motion and keeping that momentum going with your foot. You settle your foot motion into the rocking rhythm. Steady. Even. Back and forth. Clickity-clack. Clickity-clack. As your foot rocks in that calming rhythm, you feel the tension leave. Your breathing steadies with the soothing beat.
This past weekend I opened one of my treadles (not my usual one) to do some sewing on my Paper Bag Pockets I made last month (tutorial link.) She was struggling. Rather than switching to a different treadle (that’s already running well,) my 2 minute sewing project turned into a 2 evening restoration project. I couldn’t leave her limping like that. I wouldn’t call the restoration work soul care, but looking forward to the treadling was good motivation.
Now, she’s all cleaned up and treadles smooth as buttah and is singing her song, just as she did 93 years ago when she was made. Soothing my soul, and calming my body. Perhaps just listening and watching the flow will soothe your soul too.
Audrey, my 93 year old White Family Rotary, is named after Audrey Hepburn, also born in 1929.
Living Coram Deo
SDG!
~ Liberty
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