A HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF OUR “FLOWER”

At our first real board meeting in Portland, Oregon, one board member (no longer with us) presented a hierarchical flow chart, mapping out responsibilities — who was in charge of what — who was in charge of whom. I became more and more uncomfortable as the day wore on. I went to bed that night, and had a dream early the next morning. I woke up, grabbed my notebook and quickly drew out what was in my dream.

What I saw was a kind of flower, with babies in the middle, and different parts of our mission the petals. There was a complex array of how each petal related to the others — those that were opposite one another had a special relationship to each other, as did those petals that intersected. I went to our meeting that day, and immediately went to the chalkboard and drew out the “flower” concept, explaining the vision as I went.

As Sylvie Hetu has said in her recent explanation of the flower, “The intent was to have a simple image of our international structure.This “flower” has also behind it a formal flow chart, revealing all official interrelationships between the petals, with lines showing who is accountable to who, legal contracts, etc. This also finds expression in our international bylaws, as well as in our ever evolving Policies and Procedures. Each petal represents the main aspects of our organizational/working bodies.”

My idea was met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. People who were attached to the “normal” hierarchical flow chart had a difficult time tossing all the work that went into that and embracing a different vision. By the end of the day, the “flower” was accepted. Later, Sylvie Hetu and others refined it, adding colors and more definition of the way the “petals” performed and related to one another.

— Vimala McClure

SYLVIE HETU’S DESCRIPTION OF OUR FLOWER AND ITS COLORS

The flower colors, as a whole, were inspired by the scientist and poet Goethe, who studied in depth the nature of colors. His work about colors can be studied in his book, Goethe’s Theory of Colors.

We can also start to have a sense for that circle of colors by simply asking “Mister Google”: Images, Goethe’s circle of colors. There are several inspirations of his work in beautiful images.

It is also interesting to notice that Goethe’s circle of colors repeats all the chakra’s colors brought to us by Eastern traditions, as well as the full spectrum of the rainbow colors. One particularity of Goethe’s way of expressing these colors is that they are in a full infinite circle, avoiding any hierarchy. Every color blends into the others, yet stands in its own right. Finally, everyone is invited to see how each petal interacts with the other, and how this phenomenon creates new colors. This represents how our flower does not consist of separated petals, but of those  that influence and interact with one another.

The center: Peach Blossom

One of the characteristics of Goethe’s theory of color, and this is referred to by several other authors that studied Goethe’s work, is the color in the middle that is called peach blossom. It is a color that can penetrate any other color without “shocking” the color, sort of respecting it. The peach blossom color can be a successful marriage with any other color, leaving the color in its own beautiful light, yet bringing to it a nuance that sort of “warms” it.

 It is also a color that he refers to as the womb of creation. It is also referred to as our very humanity, the color of the embryo, and the color of the palm of our hand.  Our hand is in itself the human attribute that builds the world, creates the world, writes the world, plays the world, and transforms the world.  Our hands bring the world into constant metamorphosis, giving meaning to the word creation, at a human level. In our particular mission, we can also say that our peach blossom’s palm is the one providing nurturing touch.

The peach blossom color is very delicate, and hard to obtain even by artistic means, and requires a lot of attention. It is easy to make it too dark, too dense or “terrestrial”.  We need to keep a “celestial touch” to it. It must have the delicacy of a blossom, and needs to contain light. When we observe the sky, we can feel that color when the sun rises or set, at this magical time of the day that I often refer to as the pink hour.  Light in a revealed potential.

This color in the middle of the IAIM flower was therefore perfectly indicated to “hold” the parents and babies, as they are at the core of our mission. All the other petals are in service of this core. The peach blossom color calls for respect, we want to avoid spoiling it.  It encompasses this very idea that the parents are the persons who should be given the immense privilege and right to be providing the gentle nurturing touch for their baby.  It also embraces the idea that when parents and babies are introduced to our work, it needs to be done with extreme delicacy and respect.   We cannot thrust or force anything in the peach blossom; we can only try to create conditions for it to blossom (!). That is indeed a crucial aspect of our work, the blossoming of love and bonding between parents and babies in a containing atmosphere, allowing the subtle fostering of the human very basic relationship, in itself fostering our capacity to eventually relate to others with love and respect later on in life.  Our mission is simply to provide indications with the use of appropriate nurturing, loving and respectful touch.

The peach blossom color at the middle of our flower can be used as inspiration for all levels of our work when we think about our planetary mission, especially when we are in the presence of parents and babies during our IAIM classes.

Petals

Green: Instructors

The color green was chosen for the instructors, as green is present everywhere in nature. Even in winter the needle trees stay green. Green is the color of balance and harmony. From a color psychology perspective, it is the great balancer of the heart and the emotions, creating equilibrium between the head and the heart.

From a meaning of colors perspective, green is also the color of growth, spring, renewal and rebirth. It renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of well-being. This is why there is so much of this relaxing color on the earth, and why we need to keep it that way. Green is an emotionally positive color, giving us the ability to love and nurture others and ourselves unconditionally.

This is all related with our work as instructors, as IAIM simply wish for instructors to be everywhere. Furthermore, the work of the instructors is in itself a healing, as Vimala clearly stated it. Vimala indicated that the work of IAIM instructors is healing for babies, parents, society, the planet and each instructor engaging with the task. This is lived at profound levels. That healing can be associated with the color green. Furthermore all instructors are requested to create a very calm atmosphere in the IAIM classes, and are often blessed by the parents’ comments stating how they find the classes relaxing not only for their baby, but for themselves as well.

Finally, the balancing effect of green, as found in nature, is also related to the work of instructors as our work in itself brings balance for parents and babies, bringing a higher capacity to deal with a demanding life.

Yellow:  Chapters

Yellow is the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness; yellow stands for freshness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy. Chapters are to be a light, a shining and leading light for IAIM instructors of their country. They are there to provide guidance just as light is also often referred to. Chapters are there to shine, just as the sun does. They are there to keep instructors energized when days seem dark, and to bring their rays of light everywhere.  They are like a lighthouse signaling a shore, and we all wish that everyone would be “caught” by the IAIM light. Yellow is the color that irradiates everywhere, and that is exactly what we want chapters to be doing. Be there. Be there and expose themselves to all medias, all events, everywhere. As sunrays cannot be denied, Chapters like the sun shining bring their rays and warmth in each and every corner of their country, so that everyone in the country becomes aware of the IAIM.

Red:  General Assembly

Red! The color of blood and fire, is associated with meanings of love, passion, desire, heat, longing, sensitivity, romance, joy, strength, leadership, courage, vigour, willpower, rage, anger, danger, action, vibrancy, radiance, and determination.

Red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. It symbolizes action, confidence, and courage. The color red is linked to the most primitive physical, emotional, and financial needs of survival and self-preservation. It is the color of our blood that circulates within our individual body, nourishing all its parts. Red is surely a color that makes a statement, to say the least.

All of the above can be associated with our General Assembly (GA), as anyone that has attended the GA will have witnessed. We can almost see all of this color’s attributes happening during the GA!  And we can smile when observing it, and feel the passion for the IAIM mission expressed in a multitude of ways. The General Assembly, as the main leading legal body of IAIM, IAIM being a member led association, can be seen with all its attendees as the blood of IAIM, the circulation of the  ‘being’ of IAIM.

And as blood is meant to circulate everywhere, we want IAIM to be living because of that circulation. Having said that we all need to learn to live with the blockages that circulation sometimes experience, the blood clots, the over heating, the passions that brings pressure a bit high!  Red is strong, and we want the GA to be strong, yet viable. We can also all remember that red represents love, and therefore always bear in mind that the heart of IAIM is filled with warmth and love, to inspire us to keep the beating positively alive.

Purple: the International Board

Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic. The color purple is also often related to spirituality. It is also a color that incorporates feminine and masculine, a necessary attribute for board work. It is a color that balances action and reflection. It is, interestingly, a color that Vimala and IAIM adopted right at the beginning and became the branding of IAIM at the international level.  Our Manual, our website, are purple. The international board members must surely deeply bring all their spirit into the mission and be the guardians of a whole that never ceases to expand. They keep IAIM in balance between chaos and rigidity, in a subtle movement expressed by the combination of insight (blue) and action (red) manifested in the color purple.

The international board members keep the IAIM dignity intact and devote themselves to a good greater then them. This we can say is what noble leaders should always do.

Blue:  Education CTC (Committee for Trainer Candidates) and IEC  (International Education Committee)

Blue represents both the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence. It is also related to interiority, thinking, depth, and objectivity. We all know the expression “keeping a cool head.” These are all crucial attributes for the Trainers who are dedicating themselves to train other trainers or to inspire wisdom in continuing education for IAIM, for it to remain true to itself.

These committees have to hold all the depth of the IAIM values, keep it in all its wisdom that we find expressed in our very unique and specific curriculum. They have to deal with floods of information, temptations of different nature, and other means that could spoil the IAIM’s program’s essence, with an objectivity that requires constant monitoring, where all the attribute of the blue color mentioned above are requested.  All the qualities described above and associated with blue are a necessity for the accomplishment of the highest means of education within IAIM.

Turquoise: Trainers

The color turquoise is associated with refreshing, feminine, calming, sophisticated, energy, wisdom, serenity, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, spiritual grounding, friendship, love, joy, tranquillity, patience, intuition, and loyalty. These are all qualities requested of IAIM International Trainers and for its very Circle and Circulitos.

The color turquoise was also chosen for the Trainers, as it is a color that also represents the ocean filled with light. The ocean is the cradle of life, and IAIM cannot be alive without the trainers. The turquoise blue is a blue filled with light. Water in itself covers the greatest part of the planet and is necessary for life.
Vimala trained trainers very early in the stage of the development of her vision, passing them on the very womb of all that is to immerse the world with her wisdom.

Turquoise is like thinking filled with light, and no one can resist the beauty of an aqua ocean.  We like to think that no one can resist the beauty of what IAIM Trainers bring when they train as instructors. It is in the ocean that life starts; it is with Trainers that IAIM finds its ignition.

Around the Flower

Around the flower can be any color that one chooses, as it sort of represents the infinite universe from which IAIM emerged, a vision that only our dear Vimala could capture.  Thank you Vimala, for being the source of inspiration and love for thousands of babies, parents and caring adults, all “touched” by your wisdom.

— Sylvie Hetu