Could sitting and observing our breath this Earth Day better connect us to the natural world? When I started practicing mindfulness meditation more than 15 years ago, I had no idea that sitting in silence and focusing on my breath would not just offer me insight about my own personal experiences, but also open doors of understanding about connection: our connection with other people, wildlife and with the planet.
Mindfulness—defined as moment-to-moment non-judgmental awareness—can be cultivated through meditation and other ways to recognize what is happening in the present moment in the body, heart, and mind. One common instruction in mindfulness meditation is to sit still and quiet the mind by focusing attention on the sensations of breathing. Concentrating in this way can help to settle the “monkey mind” that swings from thought to thought, busy planning what’s next or ruminating on the past. As the mind settles, we see our physical, mental, and emotional experiences more clearly, and with more access to this information, we can make better decisions, and presumably live happier, more fulfilled lives.
I started meditation in response to the death of my father, in search
of some way to manage the immense grief that I felt. I felt stuck in
grief. With time, however, I learned that I had the capacity to hold all
aspects of my experience of grief with kindness, and by giving it
space, the grief was able to change and flow. I got unstuck.
As my practice deepened, I sensed that I was not just one human being
breathing, but that the Earth was breathing me. I was reminded that I
depend on the earth to breathe, to be alive. The world’s forests and the
ocean’s phytoplankton produce the very oxygen that enables my survival.
The food I eat is harvested from the Earth and is a combination of
plants, sunshine, water, nutrients, and the efforts of many human hands.
The water I drink flows from a river that is fed by rain and purified
using tools that were derived from human ingenuity. And in turn, I
breathe out carbon dioxide that feeds trees and phytoplankton,
recognizing that I am part of a much larger system that’s dependent on
reciprocity. I have a vital role to play in keeping that system in
balance and have set an intention to live lightly and reduce my impact.
Meditation allows me to reflect, with wonder and gratitude, on the
intimate connection I have with this incredible living planet and all
living things.
The connectedness of people and the planet has never been more evident
to me than in the last few months with the surge of the COVID-19 crisis.
The coronavirus has been identified as zoonotic, meaning that it was
transmitted from animals to humans. The risks of such outbreaks have
increased dramatically in recent years as the human population grows and
encroaches on wildlife habitat. Risky wildlife trade also facilitates
the likelihood of animal to human disease transmission. Additionally,
climate fluctuations can affect disease transmission, and with changing
climate patterns resulting from anthropogenic climate change we are
seeing a greater uptick in infectious diseases. How humans are engaging
with nature is having direct effects on public health. When we come up
close with some of the gravest impacts of our actions on people and the
planet – such as what we’re living today with the coronavirus – how do
we not despair?
This is when I come back to my mindfulness practice. When I sit in
meditation, I sometimes experience waves of grief about the damage we’ve
done to nature, or the physical and emotional suffering experienced
across the globe as a result of COVID-19. Much like the grief I
experienced with my father’s passing, with mindfulness I can acknowledge
the grief I feel for the planet and people affected by COVID- 19
without judgment. I also hold it with the understanding that any
damaging actions we’ve taken have stemmed from forgetting our
interconnection with the Earth and all its creatures, human and
otherwise, from the mistaken assumption that we’re isolated and
separate. I can give my grief the space it needs to shift and flow
without getting stuck, and that enables me to access something much
greater.
As I meditate, I turn my attention back to the breath. I breathe in and out, sensing myself both breathing and being breathed, and I’m able to access a deep care for this world that flows naturally from understanding my place in the whole web of life. This care keeps me from despairing about our current situation and motivates me to make different choices to reduce my impact and to protect what I cherish – this incredible living planet and all of life.
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