Patches as a metaphor for body care (a disruptive post?)
Mending your own clothes is once again a trend, seeking inspiration from issues as diverse as financial difficulties, sustainability, family traditions, creativity or leisure activities.
Read more here:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/21/trend-to-mend-cost-of-living-crisis-puts-darning-back-in-vogue
Q: But how does this relate to body care?
A: In several ways.
The most obvious thing is that clothing protects us, and that's why we shouldn't have holes.
On the other hand, if we view the garment as a skin, if there are tears/restrictions these will affect the general structure of the garment/body, causing a general deterioration in the medium term. A patch can help prevent and limit the effects, extending its lifespan.
But if a piece of clothing can be replaced, doing that to a body is still complicated...
But how to patch the body without looking like Frankenstein? And isn't that what happens when you have surgery, leaving you with scars for life?
Yes, but in this case I focus on a patching approach in a holistic way. That is, a small adjustment can stabilize and affect the entire tissue (or the body).
For example, let's imagine that we have a tear in our pants (or a pain in our knee). If we do nothing, the tear (or pain) may tend to increase, or even affect and increase the effort in another area, causing more tears. A patch, associated with an observation about why this happened the first time (for example, sitting down often), leads us to behavioral adjustments that allow us to prolong the well-being of the piece.
And in this way, it will allow not only to correct the tear area, but also to use the piece in another way. He gains a new perspective on the piece and it gains a "new life".
It also makes it possible to avoid or reflect on more extreme and costly interventions, such as throwing away.
With proper follow-up, it can have similar effects: because there are situations that require the opinion of a specialist (be it a seamstress or a doctor), before making any decision. Education and information is of utmost importance.
I don't know if I can convey the meaning of this thought or not, but in summary, what I want to say is that small interventions (like darning or Bowen Therapy) can help solve problems and avoid more drastic solutions. And knowledge, whether about sewing, about knitting or about the movement of your body, is always an asset, it uses your hands and develops creativity. And with this we find new solutions for what worries us, moving little by little towards a more peaceful life.
I've tried it, how about you?
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