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Botanical Musing Meditation: The Pruning Blessing (Gift), Brain Health Awareness Month Edition
- Andrea Angie (GA)
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
Pruning Blessing (Gift): May you discover the tender mercy of trimming excess. May the sacred art release assist you in saying no to what crowds your soul so that what is most essential in you can breathe, stretch, and finally unfurl into its full glory. Let this season teach you that some forms of letting go are not loss but love—love for the parts of yourself that have been waiting patiently for room to grow.
Botanical Observation: Gardeners move through their gardens with gentle hands + sharp shears, making cuts that look like wounds but are actually invitations. Each pruned branch redirects the plant's life force toward what matters most—the strongest stems, the most promising buds, the growth that will bear fruit.
There is poetry in this paradox: sometimes we must subtract to multiply, release to receive, cut away to create space for abundance. The neurodivergent mind understands this sacred mathematics of energy. When your nervous system is stretched thin across too many demands—the constant translation between your inner world + a world that speaks a different language, the exhausting choreography of masking, the sensory symphony that never stops playing—your most beautiful gifts can't find room to breathe.
The gentle art of pruning whispers: beloved, you were not created to do everything, be everything, or satisfy everyone. You are sublimely crafted by God to let your unique light shine upon the world, which necessitates the courage to cut away anything that attempts to diminish your glow.
Blessing in Hebrew: Berakah (beh-rah-KHAH) - literally means "to kneel." In ancient contexts, kneeling to present a gift symbolized offering something valuable with honor + humility. This imagery suggests that blessings flow from a heart posture of generosity + abundance.
Blessing in Ghanaian Twi: Nhyira (N-yih-RAH) - is both a noun + a verb, meaning "blessing" or "to bless." It is seen as a robust invocation of divine favor that brings prosperity, peace, joy, and hope to individuals + communities. Beyond personal wellbeing, the belief is that blessings are meant to be shared + multiplied within the community.
Reflection for Your Journey
SOULjourner,
What are you ready to tenderly trim? What commitments, expectations, or old stories about who you should be are asking to be pruned from your life?
Personally, this might be the season to finally set down the heavy burden of neurotypical timelines—the belief that you should heal faster, socialize longer, switch task better, need less quiet, require fewer breaks. Perhaps it's time to prune away the relationships that leave you depleted rather than replenished, the projects that drain your creative wellspring. Your nervous system has been quietly expressing its needs all along; pruning is simply the act of truly listening with your whole heart.
Collectively, this is an invitation for our communities to thoughtfully consider what we might gently remove to create room for all forms of flourishing. Imagine if we let go of the belief that participation appears the same for everyone. What if we abandoned the timeline that insists healing + growth occur on a set schedule? A neuroinclusive community accommodates for the full spectrum of human blooming—the exuberant and the quietly observant, the fast thinkers + the deep ponderers, the steady annual growers and the seasonal perennial bloomers.
Brain Health Awareness Month Benediction: May every blessing (berakhah / nhyira) flow freely—from reverence, from grace, from the deep well of God's generosity—reminding you that your brain + being are sacred gifts worthy of love + care every single day.
Amen + Asé ♡
A Special Free Gift for You
To deepen your journey into sensory awareness + sensing pleasure, I invite you to download my complimentary PDF guide, Savoring Sensuality with Soul.
This pastoral guide explores the importance of presence, surrender, and gratitude in experiencing life's replete pleasures more fully. It offers pastoral care on how to engage your senses and celebrate your neurology.
Download Your Free PDF Here:
As you explore this resource, remember that your unique journey is a celebration of soulful living. May you find daring shalom + sensual pleasure in every moment.
With soul,
Pastor Angie
SOULjourner, go Deeper on my Autism+ page for more resources.
Featured Gift Set SOULution
The Workspace Gift Set - Nourish your mind + workspace with this thoughtfully designed, succulent-themed gift set.
Why This Set? Every item in this set is chosen to create a workspace that supports your mental clarity, creativity, emotional regulation, and daily peace + play. Fabulous for Brain Health Awareness Month (and beyond), it’s a beautiful way to honor the connection between your environment and your wellbeing.
What’s Included + How Each Item Supports Brain Health:
Whimsical Respiratory-Sensitive Paint Can Candle (8 oz., hand-poured, wood wick, non-toxic): The gentle, non-toxic fragrance + soft crackle of the wood wick create a calming atmosphere, helping to manage stress and support mindful work-play + relaxation.
Pre-Planted Fresh Mini Succulent: Having a living plant at your desk has been shown to lower stress, boost mood, and improve focus. The act of caring for a plant also nurtures a sense of self-tending + connection to nature.
Affirmation Phone Stand: This daily visual reminder keeps your phone upright + your spirit uplifted. Positive affirmations are proven to support emotional wellbeing, essential for brain health.
4 x 6 in, 50-Sheet Sticky Notepad: Jotting quick notes, ideas, or gratitude lists by hand stimulates cognitive function, enhances memory, and helps organize thoughts—supporting both creativity + mindfulness.
Faux Feather Pen: Writing by hand with a unique pen can make note-taking more enjoyable, encouraging creative thinking + providing a tactile break from screens.
Color + Journal™ 'Thank You' Card + Envelope: Expressing gratitude + reflecting on meaningful relationships is linked to improved mood + cognitive wellbeing. The card’s message + succulent coloring activity offer a mindful pause + a nourishing soul care reminder:
Front of postcard: “Thank you, you stuck it out with me, I’m forever grateful." Back: blank Back quote: “Like the life of a cactus, it blooms at night to conserve water + energy. This is a soul care reminder that blooming is about a grace pace, not performance."
Soil Moisture Stick Sensor: This simple tool makes caring for your succulent effortless, reinforcing daily rituals + the satisfaction of nurturing life—routines that can ground you + support sabbathing rhythms.
Free Gift Wrapping Included: A beautifully wrapped gift elevates the experience, signaling that your well-being is worthy of celebration.
Or you can BUILD YOUR OWN GIFT SET >>
Until next time,
Gift from your soul.
✧
Deepen Your Soul Care Journey
Beloved SOULjourner, as you continue to nurture your gift-giving practice, discover sustainable gifts designed to embody intentional gift-giving + connection.
Soulful gifting for social change in the soul care boutique. Be inspired to amplify your ARTvocacy through peace + play vibes.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only as I share my pastoral care, my journey, and bring to you valuable research. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing any medical concerns or symptoms, please seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.
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