Our Relationship With The Earth

In this episode, Marlee unpacks our personal and collective relationship with the Earth! Marlee reflects on how our relationship with the Earth is a mirror for so many other relationships in our lives and the depth of healing available to us when we confront this relationship. Marlee also offers actionable practices to deepen, strengthen, and rebuild your own relationship with the Earth!

Transcript

Welcome to the Shifting with Marlee podcast.

I'm Marlee.

Thank you for joining me wherever you are.

All that I ask of you,

The listener,

Is to have an open mind and an open heart.

And in return,

I offer you myself.

Today,

We're going to have a short but sweet and important conversation about our relationship with the earth,

Both collectively and personally.

My intention with this episode is to bring awareness to this relationship and perhaps offer some new perspectives.

And I hope to plant some seeds and inspire you to give this relationship a little more attention.

Because our relationship with the earth is a lifelong relationship.

It's one of our most important relationships as humans living on this planet.

And it's a relationship that we've been neglecting to some degree for a long,

Long time.

So many of the problems facing our world today are a result of a dysfunctional relationship with the earth.

Climate change,

For example,

Is a direct result of us disregarding the earth,

Over-extracting from the earth,

Not respecting the earth,

And not listening to the earth.

So I truly believe this is such an important topic.

It's something we have to confront and look at.

And our relationship with the earth has to change and evolve if we want to coexist peacefully and build a better world.

I also strongly feel that there is a lot of healing,

Possibility,

Hope,

And opportunity available to us through evaluating our relationship to the earth.

Because our relationship with the earth is actually a mirror for so many other relationships we hold.

As Asia Suler says,

Gaze into the mirrors of the earth and healing will rise to greet you.

Let me explain and provide some examples.

The earth gives us life and sustains us and nourishes us.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with life itself.

We also can't talk about the earth without talking about death.

Everything dies.

It's part of the natural cycle of life.

We see that reflected everywhere in nature.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with death and our own mortality.

And along those lines,

Everything that dies on this earth is recycled,

Repurposed,

Composted,

Transformed,

Turned into food and fuel for more life.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with life beyond death,

The afterlife,

And reincarnation.

Everything on this planet exists in cycles.

For example,

Seasons,

The tides,

The water cycle,

The cycle of life and death,

The sun and the moon,

Day and night.

We ourselves are cyclical beings.

Our bodies are cyclical.

Our energy is cyclical.

Our hormones are cyclical.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with cycles and our own cycles and our body's cycles.

And our bodies are literally made of the earth and its elements and minerals.

We are not only part of the earth,

We are the earth.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with our own bodies and ourselves.

There is rage and turmoil and chaos and unpredictability and destruction in the earth.

Just look at a volcano erupting or a tornado or the ocean during a storm.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with our own rage and anger and inner chaos.

The earth is also our original mother.

The earth gives us life.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with our own mothers.

The earth is our home.

This is literally where we all live.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with home and our home lives and with family.

We are also always communing with the earth.

We live on the earth.

We exist as part of the earth.

We interact with the earth constantly.

There is reciprocal giving and receiving with the earth.

We tend the earth.

We are in community with the earth.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with community.

The earth is full of beauty and color and our capacity to appreciate that beauty in nature is a direct reflection and mirror to our relationship to beauty in our own lives and our ability to see beauty in ourselves and others and in humanity.

The earth is full of complexities and mysteries beyond our current human knowledge.

From the deepest parts of the ocean to the core of the earth to the stars and planets,

We are still discovering our world.

There is so much we don't know.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with the unknown.

Whether we like it or not,

Human time is not the same as earth time.

We are on completely different timescales.

Plastic can take up to 500 years to break down.

The life cycle of a tree can be hundreds of years.

A drop of water can spend over 3,

000 years in the ocean before evaporating into the air.

As Lao Tzu says,

Nature does not hurry,

Yet everything is accomplished.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with time and patience and presence.

And nothing on this earth just disappears or goes away.

Our trash goes in landfills and sits there for hundreds of years or gets burned and enters the atmosphere.

There is no away.

Water is neither created or destroyed.

It is only transformed.

So by confronting our relationship with the earth,

We are forced to confront our relationship with materialism.

The earth is also all about balance.

Nothing on this planet can grow endlessly and exponentially and forever without being checked by its environment and ecosystem.

So by confronting our relationship with the earth,

We are forced to confront our relationship with capitalism.

And similarly,

There is always an exchange of resources and energy in the cycles of the earth.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with money.

The earth is also abundant.

There is air,

Water,

Food,

Sunlight.

There is more than enough resources to support each of us.

There is beauty.

There are flowers.

There are beautiful sunsets and sunrises.

There is abundance all around us if we can shift our perspectives to see it.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with abundance.

And finally,

No matter what we've done to the earth,

After all we've put her through,

She is still here supporting us unconditionally.

So our relationship with the earth is a mirror for our relationship with forgiveness and with love.

I could keep going,

But I think you get the point.

I hope you see now that by working on our relationship with the earth,

We can work on healing and growing in so many other areas of our life.

There is endless potential for growth available to us through this avenue.

And I want to point out as well,

As we repair and rebuild our relationship with the earth,

There are also immense mental,

Physical,

Emotional,

And spiritual benefits that come along with that in case you needed even more motivation.

So now that I've hopefully convinced you of the importance of this relationship,

Let's talk about how we can dive into this and ways we can expand and deepen our relationship with the earth.

I'm going to focus today on our own personal and individual relationships with the earth because that's tangible and actionable.

And since we are all part of the collective and deeply interconnected,

As we each shift our own relationship with the earth,

It will ripple out and the collective will follow.

First,

Ponder and contemplate where you are today with your own relationship with the earth.

Take stock.

Do you spend time in nature?

Do you spend enough time in nature?

Do you think about the earth?

Do you consider the earth?

Do you give thanks to the earth?

Do you give love to the earth?

Do you take time to learn about the earth and how she functions?

Do you appreciate the earth?

Have you sat and contemplated your place on the earth or your part and impact on the earth?

There is no shame,

No guilt,

Absolutely no perfectionism with this.

This is all about accepting where we are,

Being honest about where we are,

Being curious,

Building awareness,

And being willing to change and evolve.

This is also about the desire to build a better world for ourselves and future generations.

So once you've laid this foundation of awareness,

Here are some ideas and practices you can begin incorporating into your life to deepen your relationship with the earth.

And it can be really simple.

You don't have to overcomplicate it.

I'll provide a bunch of ideas.

Take what resonates with you and also make it your own.

Do what feels good to you.

You can try stargazing and moon gazing.

Plant a garden.

Have houseplants.

Hug a tree.

You can simply spend more intentional time in nature,

Walking,

Hiking,

Camping,

Swimming,

Biking,

Running,

Or spend more time just simply being present in nature.

Sit in the woods or in your yard or in a park or next to a brook or river or the ocean and listen to the sounds.

You can also work with the earth by working with herbs and flower essences and tinctures and teas.

Gathering your family,

Friends,

Or community outside more often is also a great way to connect.

Connect with the elements in your senses.

Feel the rain on your skin.

Imagine a body of water.

Sit around a fire.

Fire gaze.

Feel your feet on the ground.

Walk barefoot.

Feel the wind on your face.

Simply doing these things with presence and the intention of connecting with the earth is all it takes.

You can also put a container of water outside during the day and let the water absorb the energy and frequency of the earth and the sun.

And then when you drink that water,

You're connecting with the earth and the sun.

And then on to some more energetic practices.

If you're going through a tough time and you're feeling emotional,

Go sit outside or under a tree and let the earth hold you physically and energetically.

And since the earth is a conscious being herself,

To connect deeper with her it might help to give her a name that resonates with you,

Such as the earth or mother earth or Gaia or Pachamama.

And then talk to her.

Invite her into your days and your life.

Say good morning and good night.

Ask her how she's doing.

Thank her.

Appreciate her beauty.

Revel for a few long moments at the beauty of a flower or snowflake or tree or bird.

Tell her she's beautiful.

Help make her more beautiful by planting native flowers and trees.

Pick up trash when you see it.

Try to reduce your own waste.

Respect her more.

Consider the earth in your decisions as you go about your life.

And I also want to share some energetic practices for giving back to the earth so there's more reciprocity in your relationship.

That means giving thanks to the earth,

Having more gratitude,

Which is a high vibration.

That can look like simply saying thank you or giving thanks to the earth for supporting you and sustaining you.

Or perhaps thanking the earth each day or whenever you remember for your food and water before you eat and drink.

Giving back to the earth can also look like setting the intention of sending loving and healing energy to the earth through your hands or feet or from your heart.

Visualize that energy pouring into the earth.

And if you're a Reiki practitioner or healer,

That can look like sending Reiki energy to the earth or to a specific plant or tree or animal.

Another powerful practice is chanting outside with the intention of sending those vibrations to the earth.

Or singing to the earth is powerful as well.

And that can look like finding your favorite tree and singing to it.

And then I also want to bring up physical offerings.

With pure intentions,

These can be really powerful and really simple.

And what I mean by physical offering is giving the earth or gifting the earth a biodegradable offering,

Which is a physical act of love and gratitude.

And it's powerful because of your intention.

And there's also an energetic exchange that happens when you leave an offering.

Now this can look like fruit or food or pretty stone or feathers or flowers.

Like if you're eating an orange,

Giving a couple segments of the orange to the earth as an offering of love and gratitude.

Or cutting off some of your apple that you're eating and giving that to the earth.

Or if you make some food for yourself,

Gifting some back to the earth.

I like to do this when I'm hiking.

I often bring fruit with me hiking and I'll leave some on the side of the trails as an offering of thanks to the land for letting me hike there.

This can also look like if you're a cacao drinker,

Leaving the last bit of your cup of cacao for the earth.

So pouring the last few sips back outside as an offering.

Whatever feels right to you,

Make it your own.

You can also set up an altar dedicated to the earth,

Either in your home or somewhere outside where you go regularly in devotion to the earth.

A place where you intentionally connect with the earth and offer love and gratitude.

That can be a really beautiful practice as well.

And you can get creative with your altar and make it beautiful.

And then the final practice I want to share with you today is a way to deepen your relationship with the earth and give back to the earth through forgiveness.

Using the Hapana Pona prayer.

You may have heard of this.

It is an ancient ancestral Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness.

It means to make right.

And there is deep healing available through this practice.

It clears negativity,

Cleanses and purifies and lifts the vibration of a situation or relationship.

The prayer is simply,

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

I love you.

You repeat this out loud over and over.

And the way we can use this prayer for our relationship with the earth is to go outside,

Sit down or touch a tree or stand with your bare feet on the ground,

Connecting with the earth and repeat this forgiveness prayer to the earth.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

I love you.

I like to do this practice with the land at my house.

And I also do this practice every time I go hiking and when I'm traveling and every time I visit a new place.

It feels so powerful and so good.

I often get emotional as I'm repeating the prayer to the earth and I always feel a positive shift afterwards.

It feels like I'm clearing away so much density.

And just think about the power of all of us bringing this forgiveness prayer all over the world,

Clearing out years and years of mistreatment of the land and disrespect and neglect.

I can feel the importance of that in my bones.

I hope you'll try it.

It's common to initially feel some resistance.

So if you do try this practice,

Notice what comes up for you.

Okay,

That's a lot.

I'll stop now.

Again,

Take what resonates,

Make it your own,

Have fun with it,

Find what you can be consistent with.

And remember,

It's all about intention.

And with these practices,

We are rebuilding and strengthening our relationship with the earth.

I'll leave you with this.

What do we want our legacy to be?

Do we want our legacy to be one of connection and love and reverence for this earth?

Do we want it to be one where we live in harmony with the earth?

Do we want it to be one where we can appreciate the beauty of the earth and be present with the earth?

The choice is ours.

It's time to decide and course correct.

The earth is waiting for us and she is unconditionally loving and forgiving.

I'll end today with a quote from Wendell Berry.

The earth is what we all have in common.