A quiet residence

With hardly a neighbor—

A grass-covered path

And deserted garden.

Birds roost

In pond-side trees;

In moonlight,

A monk knocks at a gate.

Crossing a bridge

Unfolds more wilderness;

Moving a rock

Moves the base of clouds.

- Chia Tao (779-843) courtesy of dailyzen.com

One of my favorite exercises in art therapy is to have everyone draw a bridge and then put themselves on the bridge. The conversation that follows is rich with reflections on progress in therapy; feeling stuck in life; or having a sense of losing ground to present conflicts. Everyone draws and colors their bridge in silence; as if each member is in a quiet residence. I become the monk knocking on the gate after all the drawings are complete. A visitor from the outside inquiring about their sense of place and time. I pay attention to where they put themselves on the bridge and the details of the drawing; the shape and size of the bridge; what is drawn on either side; and what lies beneath. Sometimes we can wonder about those choices and the conversation becomes a creative process for new insights. We move rocks when we recognize the new perspectives revealed in the drawings. Past, present, and future are all represented in the drawing but the key lies in the present moment of reflection and discovery.