"Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift." Robin Wall Kimmerer
Mindful Nature Connection experiences are a powerful way to experience a foundational teaching common to all Indigenous cultures across the globe - we humans and the "more than human world" are deeply interconnected and interdependent.
Environmental and climate action groups, outdoor educators and many others are using the mindful nature connection practices as a way of helping people deepen their felt sense of "kinship" to "all our relatives" - the plants, animals, the waters, the soil, etc. This shift in perspective can inspire more individual and collective action to protect and care for our earth-mates. We tend to care for what we love.
Because the demands of environmental activism can be overwhelming and exhausting, it can be particularly beneficial for activists to take time to step away and nurture their own well-being. Not only is this time for self care an act of self-compassion, it can help activists to be more grounded in the values that originally brought them to this work. Ultimately, they can be a valuable practice for in reducing burnout.
What is the impact of the attitude that we bring to our work? Does nurturing our own calm centre help us create a more peaceful tomorrow? Thomas Merton seemed to think so.
“There is a pervasive form of modern violence to which the idealist…most easily succumbs: activism and over-work. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence.
To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence.
The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his (or her) work… It destroys the fruitfulness of his (or her ) work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”