The title of this blog comes from a talk I hosted for Dr. Salman Akhtar, titled “Poetry and Its Healing Potential.” Preparing to moderate his talk led me to read poetry again.
I want this blog to open with posts exploring how Rumi’s poems have influenced my reflection on healing, starting with the first poem I read by Rumi, The Guest House. I learned about this poem during my clinical practicum at a CBAT unit, a short-term residential program for children and adolescents experiencing an emotional crisis. At the CBAT, clinicians led many group sessions in which we taught coping skills, played therapeutic games, and engaged in creative arts activities, including story and poetry reading.
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Rumi, “The Guest House” (13th century)
Translated by Coleman Barks
While revisiting this poem, I found it heartwarming. I was particularly touched by the last line, where each emotion is viewed as a guide from beyond. By embracing and fully experiencing the emotion, we can gain a clearer sense of our current state of mind. Accepting emotions is an essential component of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based therapy approach for emotional distress and many mental health conditions. Rather than struggling with or suppressing painful emotions, you learn to let them be without judgment. Rumi’s perspective goes further, transforming emotions into meaningful signals and connecting to our inner wisdom. In that way, a depression is not something that we combat, but something that reminds us that there may be a deep pain that has not been grieved. An anxiety attack is not something that we cope with, but rather a reminder that we need to pay attention to our bodily reaction to stress and to learn to prioritize our health when there are competing needs. This vision of acceptance and guidance underscores poetry’s unique ability to foster mental well-being.