Remember our relationship with our Mother Earth
Repenting, redeeming ourselves and re-planting seeds during lockdown
Have you heard of 'Spiritual Ecology' before?
I attended a 'Spiritual Ecology' workshop a few years ago and looked over my reflections. I found it ever so relevant in this period of history.
Emmanuel, our teacher for the workshop, was a a spiritual ecologist and a Sufi(pronounced Sue-phi) mystic. He defines it as:
“The spiritual response to the ecological crisis in our world.”
~
He elaborates that the 'spiritual' part broadly is about:
The interdependence & living unity of our ecosystem.
Everything is sacred & interconnected.
Our land is older, much wiser than us. We need to acknowledge, pay respect, feel obligated, be humble, be conscious….
Observations/insights:
Emmanuel began the workshop with a story. I find that many speakers begin with formal credentials and quickly begin with the content. He was different.
The introduction then continued with a short period of silence - 'awareness’ of our being on the place we are touching our feet on with the surrounding nature. It was nice…
I also 'felt’ the sincerity of his Indigenous 'Acknowledgement of Country’ statement. It was the first time that I listened to the words deeply:
"I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today."
Why is Spiritual Ecology relevant in the 21st century?
The teacher made us reflect on:
- What does it mean to be human?
- What does it mean to be in relationship with the Earth?
I felt reaffirmed with my convictions of our state of the world - materialism, capitalism, greed etc. Emmanuel was right in his use of the word 'forgotten.’
We have forgotten how to be human. We have been distracted by modern society’s ways.
Spiritual Ecology is a frame to understand the root of the issues… it helps to create lasting change.
Let's break up Spiritual Ecology into some principles:
1. reverence
2. interconnectedness
3. compassion
4. steward
5. service
^ A brief summary of the principles above:
The land owns us.
Who are we? We are small if we think about the scale of Earth and people.
We need a space for connection… presence…
We are 'stewards.’ Instead, our culture portrays the 'it’s all about us’ attitude towards others and the environment.
^ My observations/insights:
Emmanuel mentioned that 'spiritual ecology’ is not 'dogmatic’ and different to 'religion.’ It is centred on 'values’ that we can 'practice.’
He claims that society has coined the word 'spirituality’ to mean different things which foster misunderstandings and different interpretations - “We’ve put these big words in boxes.”
He emphasises on the simplicity of being human - simply by our values.
He reminds us:
“All of us are leaders… we can give service to all…”
Emmanuel let us have an exclusive watch of his film 'Earth Rise.' After watching this, I felt 'less’ of me. I felt that the world, the natural environment, Earth and the universe is bigger than I could comprehend.
It was a bliss feeling.
~
The beauty of 'storytelling’:
Emmanuel showed us this film to portray some of those 'universal values.’ He believes that we are all part of an unfolding journey of different experiences and stories…
Storytelling transcends words… it is accessible to all. It is emotive.
~
Practices to cultivate relationship to the Earth:
Emmanuel noted that there are many different practices in our daily life that we often forget or take it for granted:
- Walking
- Breathing
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Cleaning
Doesn’t this make you reflect on our day-to-day tasks we do? Amazing!
My main take-aways:
- I discovered the 'notion’ between 'me’ and the natural environment(Earth) can be beautifully described as a 'relationship.’ I find this term changes the way I can 'live’ more 'spiritually’ - connecting back to the 'core’ of our values.
“We need to find ways to say thanks to Earth and pay 'reverence’ to it.”
- 'Spirituality’ is reciprocal - The aim is to not only make you 'feel’ alive/better but we also need to 'serve’ others and the Earth.
- 'Spirituality’ as simply being. Many instances during the day, I noted Emmanuel and the people using the word 'feel’ and ’connection.’
For example using and connecting our senses with the ground/Earth, using the collective 'we’ instead of 'I….’
Lastly, I think the 'worldview’ of Spiritual Ecology might be innate in all of us. If we can imagine our early ancestors on Earth, the relationship with them and the land was important. They most probably didn’t need to have a specific phrase or term to describe 'Spiritual Ecology.’ What does that mean for us? Have we really strayed away from our core nature and purpose?
Questions to reflect and sip over some tea with:
How can we all practice being with our Earth during this challenging time?
What does it mean to be a 'citizen’ on Earth?
Can we have a relationship with the 'whole’ Earth?
About the Creator
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~Currently documenting my post-lockdown life:
Part time Mental Health Worker / Part time Artist.
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