Healing through Clay

The purpose of art therapy is to encourage long-term changes that contribute to the improvement of people's well-being, as well as to emphasize the non-verbal communication and the creative processes.

Centering

Working with a pottery wheel requires a focus on the idea of centering, and a literal practice of centering. The mound of clay has to be centered on the wheel and kept within a center to avoid it spinning out and losing its shape.

Finding center is an important spiritual and psychological tool for healing.

Grounding

Grounding is another spiritual practice which is inherent in working with pottery- on and off the wheel. Clay is made from earth. Earth made substances have a natural vibration and calming energy. Spending time outdoors in grounding ways, like walking barefoot through the grass, for example, is helpful in reducing stress and reconnecting to what it means to be human.

Creation And Re-Creating

Working with clay is a fragile practice. Great effort can be put into frail, delicate details, molding a masterpiece. With one mindless adjustment on the wheel, a lack of focus on structure, and any other seeming mistake, a piece of clay can fall apart. Bringing attention to positive and negative spaces, like making a mug, art therapy through pottery enhances focus on making choices and recognizing that there is only so much control to make things "perfect" but that the process can be started over again- by returning to center and becoming grounded once more.



Through Music, Meditation and Awareness Processes Mira Hatland brings her training of Somatic Therapy, and 40 years of working with people, to the pottery studio.

See her website:
https://miralovesyou.com

"Find Your Joy and Connection to Self"