Buffalo seasons Awareness in life
A White Buffalo is born
On June 4th, a white buffalo calf was discovered in the Lamar Valley in the northeastern corner of Yellowstone National Park. The birth of a white buffalo calf with black nose, eyes and hooves is a rare occurrence and holds spiritual significance for American Plains Indian tribes.
The American buffalo, or bison, has a storied history intertwined with the ecology and culture of North America. Roaming the continent for thousands of years, the buffalo thrived in diverse environments from the Great Plains to the eastern forests and as far south as Mexico. With estimated populations between 30-60 million, these majestic animals were integral to the way of life for many Native American tribes. For the Plains tribes, in particular, the buffalo was vital, providing food, clothing, shelter, and tools, shaping their nomadic lifestyle and cultural practices.
Wood & Dragons || Creativity & Resilience
According to the Chinese Zodiac, those born in Year of the Wood Dragon (1904, 1964, 2024) are highly creative and inquisitive beings. In celebration of the Year of the Wood Dragon, I explore intellectual wellbeing, the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the five Pillars of Resilience.
Resilience …That Which Does Not Kill Us
Nietzsche spoke to me on that lava field as if he were my Zarathustra: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Indeed, I thought. Indeed. Decades later, I still rely on Western and Eastern philosophical writings to guide me in life and in my work with clients. Translating Nietzsche’s existential inquiry into therapeutic parlance leads me to a psychological concept gobbled up by 21st Century pop culture: Resilience.
What Nietzsche noted in the late 1800s is today described as one’s ability to rebound from life challenges through flexibility and adaptability. One’s resilience is supported by five pillars: self-awareness, engagement in self-care, the practice of mindfulness, supportive relationships, and living a life with purpose and meaning. During stressful times, any or all of these pillars may weaken, become unstable, or crumble. As one sustains the impacts of adversity, each can help buoy one through the storm.
Be the buffalo & Head Into the Storm
Resilience is your ability to rebound from life challenges—not by avoiding them—but by facing them head on like the buffalo. The American Bison, also known as the Buffalo, serves well as a metaphor for resilience. While domesticated cattle try to outrun a storm, buffalo instinctually know that to outrun a storm is impossible. They face the storm head on and are rewarded for their strength and ability to rebound: Buffalo suffer less, conserve energy, and spend far less time in the freezing rain, drizzle, high winds, snow, and more. In contrast, domesticated cattle suffer longer, exert more energy, and spend more time in the chaotic rise and fall of a storm. Human storms can arise from myriad wells: Infidelity or mistrust in a marriage, the death of a loved one, panic attacks of unknown origins, depression, existential angst, or a major life transition. Yet, there is purpose and meaning beyond ourselves in such storms; it is that which can be understood.