Sustainability vs. Regeneration
With Earth day being this month (potentially my favorite holiday) I would like to share with readers my perspective on sustainability. The more I learn about sustainability, the more I feel that we should not only be striving to live sustainably, but regeneratively. The definition of sustainable is “avoidance of the depletion of resources in order to maintain balance; the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.” My question is, why should we settle for just maintaining the level at which we are currently? If we wish to experience fruitfulness, it is important to recognize the abundance that is all around us. If we work together we can contribute to the regeneration, the renewal, the restoration, of not only ourselves but of our planet.
Polluting our Internal & External Environment
I’m sure many would agree that there is a decline in the health of our planet, as well as the health of the collective of people residing on it. It has become more and more normal to pollute our internal environment with artificial ingredients and processed foods. Not only that, but we are also polluting our external environment with tons of plastic waste. So much so that there are areas in our world where there are said to be “trash islands”!
“The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed” — Mahatma Gandhi
Climate Change
Global warming can be a controversial subject, but there is no denying that there is a lot of evidence that points to climate change around the world due to our unsustainable lifestyles. Nowadays, there is a unconsciousness amongst our collective where we rely on many things for convenience. We would rather take the unsustainable “short cut”. We’ve been conditioned to go to the grocery store, shop for all of our food (most of it wrapped in plastic or other unnatural, non-eco friendly material) and use plastic bags. To us this is all normal, oftentimes we don’t think twice about it. It’s just the way it is.
What if…
What if this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be? Most of us have become so dependent upon this system and the convenience of the world we live in today. We have formed a great disconnection from not only our food, but from each other and our planet. Think about how much more gratitude you may feel for the food on your plate if you worked hard to grow that food from a seed to the moment you harvested it. Not only might you feel more connected to your food, you may feel a deeper connection to the Earth and all of the elements, being able to observe the way this natural cycle of life works.
Interrelationship
I believe that there is a direct correlation between the connection that we feel to ourselves and the connection that we feel to the Earth. I have experienced this for myself. Oftentimes when feeling disconnected form my Self and my body, I spend time in nature and say that I found myself again in the woods. Being able to observe the symbiotic relationship in nature reflects back the interconnectedness that is within each of us, the interconnectedness of our entire universe.
Making Conscious Choices
Now, I’m not suggesting that you release all of these “conveniences” and stop driving a car, stop going to the grocery store, and quit online shopping. Unfortunately, this is the world that we are living in and the way technology is evolving. What I am suggesting is that you be more mindful of the way you move throughout your life. Stop and think about how the choices you make not only affect you, but how they might affect others and our ecosystem. If we all consciously chose to make small changes it would lead to a BIG outcome.
Here are some suggestions…
- Start a garden
- Spend more time outside connecting to nature… the more you to the more mindful you may be of how your choices are impacting the environment
- Educate yourself on how we as a collective can work together to create a regenerative culture
- Eat more plant-based foods instead of processed/packaged foods
- Spread the word! Educate your peers on ways they can contribute to the renewal of our planet.
Why are we striving for just living sustainably when there are future generations depending on the foundation that we are laying? That is why I feel that it makes more sense to aim for regeneration.
If you are looking to develop a deeper connection to yourself and the world around you, contact amiley@ampersandintegrative.com to learn how yoga, breathwork, and meditation may be helpful tools in achieving this goal.
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