Healing Origami

The train whizzes past fields of green, announcing its arrival to every village and town. Inside, the girl sits by the window oblivious to the happenings around her – the bustling activity inside the train, the rush at every station, the hawkers selling their wares. She is bent over, focusing all her attention on a square piece of paper, folding it and refolding it with her hands. An origami work is in progress.

Origami is an art form that originated in Japan and China hundreds of years ago. It usually requires a square piece of paper to be folded and refolded in a manner that produces a variety of forms. From basic shapes to complicated designs. Origami is disciplined and requires the focus and concentration of its creator.

As an art, origami has progressed and spread outside the boundaries of China and Japan to provide joy and love to the global population. The famous origami artist, Tomoko Fuse says, that “ All origami begins by putting the hands into motion. Understanding something intellectually and knowing something tactilely are very different experiences. To learn origami you must fold it.”

Origami encompasses a world where everyone becomes a creator. There is a euphoric joy when a particularly difficult or complex fold has been understood and translated onto paper. With origami every individual square, every unit has the potential to be a masterpiece.

This is what makes origami a perfect art form to be used by people of all ages and nationalities – there is no language barrier and no need for a unique material. Paper is available everywhere and origami does not discriminate. Today, this art is also being used for a special purpose. Origami has been found to be useful as a substitute for traditional physiotherapy especially for those who have to improve motor skills of their hands. This art form is even used in prisons and has been known to help inmates overcome fear and anxiety. In fact, origami can help those who suffer from psychological disorders, stress and even more commonly depression. There is a sense of self-worth that an individual feels when he/she completes an origami product – it feels like there is something they can do, that they can contribute to the world. Past worries and sorrows cease to exist in the origami world.

The girl in the train starts on another square piece of paper. The moments which she spends doing her origami help her forget the pain associated with juvenile arthritis. Her swollen fingers work quickly and are fully absorbed in the beauty of the origami module in front of her........... while the train whizzes by.