Healing Power of the Land by Rey Amara diGioia

Healing Power of the Land

by Rey Amara diGioia

Arriving at the doctoral residency, I felt excited and a sense of trepidation, but quickly learned I was in the best company and that the future is brightly lit by these visionaries and our hope. Stepping into this six-day journey felt like crossing a threshold, stepping from the known into the vast field of possibility. I carried with me the hope of deepening my vision-seed and the question of how my path will intertwine with those of my cohort and with the land itself.
            The most impactful moment for me was the turning to the land. My body was suffering from the flares of chronic illness, and even in that pain, the land welcomed me, offering a sense of belonging and gentle presence. In that encounter, I felt called to write a poem:

I came to the land,

carrying my aching body

In the arms of my overwhelmed soul

And again

With all her ancient generosity

The land held my body

The land held my soul
With gentle breezes,

My mother caressed every ache

Breathing into me

That healing takes time
A message she has been waiting to share with me

For millennia.

Through this experience, I realized that the land itself is a partner in my doctoral journey—an active participant in my healing, inquiry, and visioning.
            I was also struck by the generosity of the cohort and faculty—the way feedback was offered with care, curiosity, and respect. This challenged me to consider how I receive and integrate reflection from others and offered me new perspective on the relational nature of visionary practice.

            Across these experiences, I learned that stepping into uncertainty with openness creates space for authentic connection and growth. I noticed how reciprocity, perspective-taking, and generosity shaped the way I engaged, reminding me that leadership in this context is shared and relational. I am beginning to understand how my personal journey connects with the larger arc of transformational learning, rooted in community and in relationship with the land.

            These reflections are shaping how I want to move forward in my doctoral path. I see myself growing in my ability to hold complexity with care, and I intend to integrate both self-reflection and community feedback into the unfolding of my vision-seed. I feel stretched by the enormity of the work, inspired by the courage of my peers, and committed to continuing to explore how visionary practice can repair and regenerate.

            I am grateful for the land that held me in illness and in renewal, for the coheart that welcomed me, and for the mentors who offer guidance. This residency reminded me that beginnings are sacred thresholds, where trust in the unknown allows possibility to emerge. As I move forward, I intend to nurture reciprocity with land, community, and self, weaving these threads into both scholarship and practice.

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