Hello,
And welcome to this 10-day eco-anxiety challenge here on Insight Timer,
A program run in partnership with the not-for-profit search engine Ecosia.
My name is Leila Delia.
I'll be your guide for the next 10 days.
Together with musician Garth Stevenson,
We've created a program intended to help you understand and tackle eco-anxiety through practical advice,
Meditation,
And climate action.
First and foremost,
Congratulations on showing up and acknowledging that wherever you are in the world,
You as an individual can make an impact when it comes to changing the trajectory of our planet.
It's through education and collective action that meaningful change happens.
You might be wondering how you're going to make a difference by opening Insight Timer for the next 10 days.
Not only will we give you tools and tips on climate action to integrate into your daily life,
But thanks to Ecosia,
We will plant a tree in your name on day three,
Day six,
And day 10 of the challenge.
Ecosia will plant native trees for you in biodiversity hotspots,
Which has a tremendous impact on both people and nature.
So just by meditating,
You'll plant trees that help fight the climate crisis by absorbing CO2.
But your trees will also help to restart water cycles,
Fight desertification,
Protect and create wildlife habitat,
And improve soil fertility.
They will help communities take charge of their future since planting trees in and around farms revitalizes soil,
Creates microclimates,
Provides fruits and nuts,
And ultimately leads it to better yields.
Over the next 10 days,
We're going to inform your practice as we guide you and help you use meditation to cope with the concerning,
Stressful,
Or difficult feelings you may have when you think about the consequences of climate crisis.
Our focus here on day one is to explore what eco-anxiety is and the need for obtaining accurate information about the environmental and climate crises.
As news about the global climate has worsened with reports of floods,
Droughts,
And forest fires worldwide,
Many people are reporting feeling upset or very anxious about what the future holds.
These feelings are often referred to as eco-anxiety or climate anxiety.
But these terms actually cover a wider range of different painful feelings.
Some people share that they feel overwhelmed and powerless.
Some report being unable to sleep.
Parents often describe being unable to stop thinking about what may happen to their children.
Young people talk about anger,
Disappointment,
Or outrage they feel towards the older generation,
Lower corporations,
And the government.
Fear,
Guilt,
Shame,
Sadness,
And despair and grief frequently find a place in people's description of eco-anxiety.
Does any of this seem familiar?
It's okay to be upset.
The feelings you have are appropriate.
These feelings are a normal response to receiving disturbing and distressing news.
They show that you understand how serious the problem is.
They don't mean you're overreacting or that there's something wrong with you.
With a bit of help and understanding,
Most people can use these feelings to reflect on their lives and make changes that will help tackle and respond to the climate and biodiversity crises.
As you make these changes,
You should find that you begin moving past the worst of the distress.
As you create a place for yourself as part of the solution and not the problem,
You should find that the disturbing,
Anxious,
Or painful feelings begin to ease.
How can you do this?
Well,
Over the next 10 days,
We're going to give you lots of ideas and support through meditation and guided practice.
And at the end of each day's practice,
We'll suggest one small thing you can do to begin making the changes that our world needs us to make.
An essential and vital first step is to check that your information about climate crisis is accurate.
Some people comfort themselves with the idea that it's not that serious.
They hope that new technologies will sort it out or that it's a problem for the future and not now.
Other people vanish into panic of ideas about disaster,
Believing that the collapse of civilization is just around the corner.
The truth is somewhere in between.
The situation is very,
Very serious,
But the encouraging truth is that there is still a lot that can be done.
Let's do it now.
The bonus is that the society we'll create can have lots of other benefits too,
Like quieter streets,
More space for nature,
And calmer,
More satisfying lives.
That's quite a lot of information to digest on day one.
You might be feeling a little overwhelmed,
Which is totally normal,
Or maybe you're feeling inspired and motivated to take action.
However you're feeling,
Welcome it in and sit with it.
We are here,
Together,
In supportive space.
To end our time together,
I'd like to guide you through a short grounding practice.
Get comfortable and relax your body.
Now take a few deep breaths in,
Inhaling through the nose and releasing through the mouth.
Breathe into this supportive space with your breath.
Let's reflect now.
Think yourself,
Why am I here?
Because I care.
I want a better,
Safer world.
I have reverence and appreciation for the natural world.
Find your own answers over the next few moments.
Ask yourself,
Why am I here?
Let's visualize.
With your eyes closed and your body completely relaxed,
What does a better world,
Environmentally and climate-wise,
Look and feel like to exist in?
What does that better world you have in mind,
Climate-wise and environmental-wise,
Look and feel like to exist in?
Take a few moments here to see this visualization through.
Whatever comes up,
Feel that as being so.
Take a few deep breaths in,
Inhaling through the twitching leaves.
Let's philosophize through these involved ideas and engage them.
You With gratitude We come to a close as we appreciate the supportive safe space We just created and visited through our practice As you continue onward each new day hold this beautiful vision close As you continue onward each new day hold this beautiful vision close Upon finishing day one take a few moments here to set an intention for taking up this challenge What is your intention for taking up this eco anxiety challenge?
You You You Each day of this 10-day challenge has an action step to go with it Today's action step is to check out one or two of the sources we'll suggest to make sure that your information is reliable Before we meet again tomorrow,
I encourage you to visit a trustworthy news source such as skeptical science.
Com or carbon brief.
Org These sources don't hide the truth of climate crisis,
But they also are clear about the solutions that exist Thank you for joining us for day one on day two will guide you into listening to some of the fillings that may come with climate anxiety Thanks again for joining the challenge
