How can we help in the climate emergency?
With all of the devastating and frightening realities of the wildfires sweeping through California my heart feels pulled with many different emotions and called to respond. As I sat this the feelings of grief, fear, helplessness, week what arose is a need to connect ways to act with my practice in nature to support myself as well as our planet.
Experiencing mindfulness in nature practice, we begin to learn to heal ourselves and our own suffering. As our practice deepens with the support of nature, we learn we aren’t separate from nature and are of nature. If we experience health through these practices in nature, we can be inspired to give her voice, help to heal her, and take loving actions to help. These are three steps that I am practicing daily as ways to engage mindfulness with nature to protect our earth- STAND UP, BE KIND, ACT WITH LOVE.
Stand up– Realize that nature- mother earth- is asking us to Stand Up for Her- to speak out loud for Her-
I vow to stand with presence to see and bear witness to the aliveness, the sacredness and our interconnection
Today I stood with a bee. Felt her buzzing presence and know her place in the cycle of my food and life, giving her a home in our garden to grow.
Be kind– Realize that nature is giving, offering herself freely for our well-being and healing, she is asking us to be kind to her- to learn to take care of her differently- with more awareness, heart and intention in our relationship
I vow to love, care for and honor her gifts.
Today I picked up trash on our lawn and walking to work, and offered loving-kindness to those who may not yet know their deep connection and support given freely from our earth.
Act with Love– Realize that acts of love are what nature and all that is within nature is giving to us daily. The air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the sun that vitally helps us thrive, and the water that gives us life- this is love- unconditional- supporting us to be alive. With love we can act and heal the earth- learning to take actions to support loving her back with unconditional regard.
I vow to act with love to protect all of our lives.
Today I chose to share with others the importance to act by choosing to not eat meat- to love all the beings on the planet and love our interdependence and connection enough to make this choice.
Today, where can you stand up, be kind, act with love in your connection to our earth?