Resolving Ecological Angst

This meditation is for those who have moved through an ecological disaster or are feeling the weight of environmental degradation and climate change. Let's practice together. Heal together and support all of our parts, so we can better serve and steer this listing ship.

Transcript

Have you been feeling the weight of the world lately?

Like the storms are getting bigger,

The air is changing,

The oceans are depleting,

And that your culture,

Along with others,

Have a lot to do with it?

In 2007,

I was living in California near Malibu,

And I experienced a fire there that burned over 8,

500 acres.

At the time I was a guide,

And so I remember helicopters buzzing overhead and airplanes dropping,

Fire retardant,

And there was a particular moment that felt quite peaky,

Where at one point I realized the fire was moving in the direction that we were hiking,

And there was a point where I was at the very top of a ridge and I got to peer down into Malibu,

And as I looked down,

I could see the fire moving up the ridge that we were standing on,

And it was clear to me that a multitude of homes were going up into flame,

And then one of the homes that was closer,

That was really clearly in sight,

I could see flame moving up the hill,

And I watched this house just erupt into flame.

It was completely engulfed within less than a minute,

It seemed.

And I really clearly remember the feeling of being powerless against this force,

And there was most certainly a sense of fear and concern.

That fire in 2007 was the precursor to another fire in 2018,

Which was an order of magnitude larger.

And then I was living in New Zealand for the bushfires in Australia,

Another several magnitudes larger in scale,

And now more recently chatting with family living in the north of New Zealand with the flooding that seems to continue to arrive.

So if you are feeling these days in time,

Then this meditation is for you.

Firstly,

I just want to acknowledge that the feelings that we may be sharing are absolutely justified and appropriate to the magnitude of the obstacle.

And so whether it's fear,

Anxiety,

Rage,

Or grief,

Or anything in between,

Know that these emotions are showing up to help to guide our attention and to help us to create intention.

So this meditation is a space for that kind of healing and for creating appropriate action.

You might want to start just by noticing what it is that you do feel.

Elizabeth Ross's five stages of grief include the following.

Denial,

Typically the first stage where the mind looks for a reality,

Anything other than but what it is.

Often followed,

But not necessarily followed by anger.

A sense of bargaining.

Sometimes our parts will tend to try to create a deal with the situation with something greater than ourselves in a hope to change what is.

Followed often by depression,

A sense of hopelessness or helplessness,

And finally,

Acceptance.

You might notice that you're in a particular stage of this process,

And it's also helpful to know that sometimes we move back and forth across these different stages of emotion,

And all of that is really a part of the process and welcome here.

So go ahead and find a comfortable place to sit.

You might prefer to do this outdoors,

Perhaps in nature or in a park.

But sitting indoors is perfectly fine.

Cross-legged or in a chair,

Just allow your eyes to close down.

Acknowledge for a moment that you are creating some space to feel that we are interested in and curious to learn from the parts of us that have been feeling these emotions in response to our surroundings.

Allow your breath to expand in such a way that you start to feel a little more.

Notice any places in the body where there is sensation.

And let your attention just get to know what it is that you're feeling in this moment.

Perhaps there are multiple points in the body where there is something felt.

I'd like you to choose one of the most prominent or obvious emotions or parts of you that is feeling something,

And we'll just take a little bit of time to get to know it.

And you might begin just by asking this part of you what it is that it's concerned with.

Do it in such a way that you just kind of ask and then allow space for an answer.

Let's just ask this part,

Why it is that it feels that this topic requires such a strong reaction?

Again just asking and opening space for an answer.

And then you might ask,

What it is that it feels would happen to you or to others or to this earth if it didn't feel what it felt?

And then if that part felt like it could trust you with an answer,

Then just show it some appreciation for it showing up and for it drawing your attention to these important topics.

When you show it some gratitude,

Just notice how it responds.

You may have a part of yourself that wishes you just didn't have to feel all of this.

It seems like perhaps some people walk around and they're completely oblivious,

And yet I find it really valuable to notice what my life would be like without any grief.

What would I be like if I'd never experienced any loss,

Any heartache,

Any sort of hardship?

It turns out that grief and loss are how we find depth in life.

They are the creators of compassion.

So without having lost,

Without having been through this process,

You would lack some level of compassion and the ability to support others and connect others and to appreciate and have gratitude for these moments as they pass.

So I want you to reflect for a moment on the nature of impermanence,

That nothing in your life stays the same except that which does.

But for now,

Noticing that which changes.

The shapes of the mountains change.

The temperature of the sun changes.

Eventually it's said that our sun will expand and become a red giant.

And maybe a couple of billion years from now,

It will actually engulf the entire planet and everything that we know as Earth will no longer exist.

It's helpful just to put into perspective the all-encompassing effects of impermanence.

And next from that foundation,

I'd like you to potentially shift your position a little bit.

I'd like you to see if you can get in touch with the Earth in a more meaningful way.

So this could mean as little as coming down onto the ground in a kneeling position and bowing yourself forwards.

This might mean just sitting on the Earth,

If that's what's comfortable.

But if your body allows it,

Come down into a position on the hands and knees,

Sit back and allow your forehead to rest down onto the Earth.

Allow your hands to touch down onto the Earth.

Allow the fullness of your body just to be supported and held.

And then just taking a moment here to connect with the Earth and everything that it symbolizes for you.

Perhaps an extension of yourself or a great mother,

A great provider.

Allow yourself just to connect with,

In a felt sense,

With all that the Earth is.

The energy field itself of the entire planet and of the cosmos that we sit within.

And as you connect here,

Allow yourself to release any expectations.

And as you release expectation,

Begin to summon any sorrows,

Any burdens,

Any worries that you've been carrying.

And see if you can surrender them down to the Earth.

Trusting in the Earth's capacity to hold and transmute and transform all that we will ever experience.

Knowing that ultimately the Earth will receive you.

And if you don't already feel infinitely connected,

It will once again receive you back into the web of life.

Just creating a sense of gratitude here and awe in the midst of any grief that is here with us for this incredible moment,

Just to be in connection.

It can be easy to overlook the beauty that still exists in the world.

It existed before we were here,

And it will exist after we're gone.

So here,

Breathe hand in hand with gratitude and with grief.

Feeling into the finiteness,

The preciousness,

The sense of wonder of nature,

Its resilience.

And its ability to self-write,

To regenerate,

Not even as a burden,

But just as a natural way that the entirety of everything that we know in form here functions.

Slowly unfolding,

Always self-writing,

Pulsing,

Living,

Evolving existence.

And lastly,

Let's just take a moment together to cultivate compassion and loving-kindness to yourself,

For being brave enough to move through all that this life brings.

And to all beings who share this planet with you,

Those who share your views,

Your values,

And even those who don't.

Let's share for a moment in some spoken words,

Connecting for a moment with all sentient beings on the planet,

And just repeating after me internally,

May you all be well,

May you all be happy,

May you all be peaceful,

And may you all be loved.

All right,

My friends,

It's time to move again.

So if you're in a kneeling position,

You can make your way up and come to another comfortable position just to shift the energy a bit.

And I want to finish here with a little bit of a post-process.

What we know about grief is that it's valuable,

That it creates depth,

And that it's best processed in community.

So if you are feeling alone out there,

Find your tribe.

There are resources available,

There are always local groups that get together to process grief,

And you may even find community in just sharing your feelings,

Your emotions,

Your fears with those that are closest to you,

Your family,

Your friends.

And lastly,

I want to invite you into relationship with one of the superpowers of moving through some of life's most difficult moments.

It is known that there is an equal and opposite potential to the challenges and to the obstacles that we move through in life.

This is called post-traumatic growth.

But it's really just the idea that action is empowering.

So what is it that you would like to do today in response to what you're feeling,

In response to what you're observing in your environment?

How would you like to create change?

So the invitation is to,

In the next few minutes,

To open the eyes and perhaps to grab a sheet of paper and take some time to journal.

If you were to work with and to engage with this process in some way,

And these things can be small,

From ceremonies of letting go or gathering with others and beginning to create a plan of action.

Things that seem impossible,

Impervious,

Can in fact be massively changed through action.

We are ultimately the ones in control.

We are the people and this is the time.

So thank you so much for joining me today.

I hope you enjoyed your meditation and I look forward to seeing you out in this grand world.

Lots of love.

Reviews

Thank you for creating this comforting meditation. I didn't realize how much grief I was holding. I feel such release