Happy Earth Day – April 22 2022
The meditation below is adapted from one in my book, Growing Mindful. It seems like a good offering on this Earth Day 2022.
Our Human-Centric Culture
Western culture’s human-centric view of the world emphasizes separateness from the web of life. That view has created many of our modern problems. Humans are viewed as the best of creation. The rest of the world exists to serve them in some way. Our language helps shape this world view. Think about the term “natural capital”. When we label the green world in this way, it becomes something to use up for personal gain rather than our actual life support system. Even if we intellectually know that we are part of the natural world, our cultural bias is toward separateness and human-centeredness.
Shifting Our Awareness on Earth Day
In this meditation we shift our perspective from being the center of all things to being a part of the collective action in the garden. Attention to the collective nature of reality can increase compassion and our ability to make healthy decisions for ourselves, others, and the planet.
Begin by sitting or standing in a garden or other outdoor place and centering yourself. Take time to be present to your surroundings. Next, notice new growth, colors, and movement. When you are ready, use your imagination to shift your awareness away from your center. Imagine you are looking down from above or looking from across the garden as a disinterested observer. And simply take note of what is happening.
Observing and Knowing
Scan the area to take in plants and other living organisms. Depending on where you live, there may be birds, bees, butterflies, squirrels, and other critters visible to your eye. Notice that your human form is just one organism sharing space with others in this garden.
As you observe, know that energy is being exchanged and transformed in many different ways. Mammals are breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Trees and other green plants are reversing that cycle. Water is moving through plants and animals, evaporating or condensing depending on the time of day. In the soil countless organisms are engaging in constructing or deconstructing the soil. Each organism has its own part to play and its own agenda. But the whole picture is interrelated and interdependent. Hold awareness of this diverse interrelated community for as long as possible.
What did you discover?
When ready to shift your awareness back to your own unique human perspective, you may want to write or draw any discoveries you made. What insights did you have? How difficult was it to imagine a different world view? And how challenging was it to see yourself as simply a part of this larger circle?
However you spend this Earth Day, I hope you take some time to appreciate and hold in your awareness the unique and life-giving gifts of our beautiful home planet.
