tag:www.naturalawakenings.com,2005:/categories/inspiration?page=5Inspiration Inspiration | Natural Awakenings Magazine Page 5Healthy Living Healthy Planet2022-01-01T20:59:04-05:00urn:uuid:403098f5-12c1-4d69-9634-db1da328cb7b2021-06-16T15:52:32-04:002022-01-01T20:59:04-05:00The Power of Playfulness2021-06-30 09:30:00 -0400Marlaina Donato<p>Mirth has been a memory for most of us this past year; something that we need now more than ever. White-knuckle survival and transition can drain neurotransmitters, those chemical messengers vital for strong immunity and good mental health. Taking a vacation from seriousness just might be what the doctor ordered.</p><p>As kids, we rarely turned down an opportunity to roll in the grass, laugh ourselves into bellyaches or catch a wave of spontaneous fun. With the advent of adulthood, pouring a drink or going on a shopping spree often becomes a knee-jerk relaxation strategy, leaving the option for nourishing play in the distant past. </p><p>Recent research shows what kids and kittens already know: Snippets of playtime are good for the soul and provide benefits like reduced depression, stronger emotional resilience and higher productivity on the job. A <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827102155.htm" target="_blank">study</a><span> by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in Germany, published last year in the journal <i>Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being</i> suggests that even serious, poker-faced humans can train themselves to be more playful. </span></p><p>Postponing levity accomplishes nothing and doesn’t solve today’s problems, yet we may find it almost impossible to grab downtime without guilt gnawing away at our joy. Try making a to-do list that is solely dedicated to pure, inner-child-approved, illogical fun. Some activities to consider penciling into the calendar:</p><ul><li>Roll around the floor with the dog or play hide-and-go-seek with the kids.</li><li>Host an adult sleepover; stay up late watching a scary movie or one made for a younger audience.</li><li>Make ink blots with watercolors or play with air-dry clay or easy-to-make salt dough. </li><li>Grab some crayons and adult-designed coloring books.</li><li>Blow bubbles in the backyard or during a morning shower.</li><li>Go out for low- or sugar-free ice cream or gluten-free pizza.</li><li>Fly a kite or find shapes and faces in passing clouds.</li><li>Roll in the leaves or down a grassy hill with that special someone.</li><li>Bounce a ball during work breaks.</li><li>Belt out karaoke songs and delight in being off-key.</li><li>Play charades or a favorite childhood game.</li><li>Have a staring contest.</li></ul><p>Having some fun doesn’t break the bank, and the only requirement is to check self-consciousness at the door. “Wasting” time is being free, and that is worth its weight in gold.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="http://autumnembersmusic.com/" target="_blank"><i>Marlaina Donato</i></a><i> is the author of several books and a composer of healing and inspiring music.</i></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:9b2d77d5-3db7-4bca-af3c-071492b3ef492021-05-19T13:31:59-04:002022-01-01T20:56:31-05:00Simple Acts Can Change the World2021-05-28 09:30:00 -0400Julie Peterson<p>It’s easy to feel small and helpless in a world full of big problems, but there are simple, daily actions we can take to change it for the better.</p><p><b>Be the change. </b>If the park needs more shade, ask permission to plant a tree. If there is trash on the sidewalk, pick it up. An eyesore building could be a community art project. The possibilities are endless. Sometimes the very things that we complain about can be turned into action items, improving conditions for everyone. Fix something. </p><p><b>Choose gratitude.</b><span><b> </b>It’s difficult to miss the news as it </span>pops up on phones, computers and TV.<b> </b>But<b> </b>media outlets<b> </b>can<b> </b>offer a repetitive loop of negativity and conflict. When exposed to this for hours, it can erode faith in humanity and hope for the future. To prevent feeling a sense of soul-crushing doom, we must tune out of the constant chatter. Select 30 minutes every other day to read news. We will become more positive if we spend the former news time listening to music or writing in a gratitude journal. Appreciate the good.</p><p><b>Find compassion.</b><span><b> </b>When there is no </span>shortage of road rage, angry customers and political divisiveness, don’t engage. We never know what another person has gone through in life or earlier that day. Don’t be a judge; be a vector to peace. Let the driver merge, let others be right, let our buttons get pushed without escalating the situation. Loving kindness for others involves wishing them health, happiness and safety. It doesn’t need to be outwardly expressed; it can be an internal thought. Respect everyone. </p><p><b>Be kind.</b><span><b> </b>Perhaps there is someone that would appreciate a meal or help with chores. Offer time without expectation of a reward. Random acts of kindness can be done anonymously: pay the toll for the next car, deliver a care package, donate supplies to a local nonprofit or simply smile at strangers. Give freely. </span></p><p>Every time we fix, appreciate, respect and give with a genuine heart, there is a ripple effect. Everyone we touch feels better. Moving forward, these people likely will be kinder to others. Envision each genuine act pouring forth like a wave of light, gathering momentum as others add their light. Imagine it can wash over the Earth, touching everyone. We can make a difference. Start now.</p><p><br></p><p><i>Julie Peterson is a </i><a href="https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/" target="_blank"><i>Random Acts of Kindness activist</i></a><i>,</i><i> an assistant to the Wisconsin Kindness Angel and an advisor for Kindness Bank, a nonprofit invested in improving community health and well-being. </i></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d407dbd4-8fc1-4a10-9d64-9e23f61df8e62021-04-22T17:13:14-04:002022-01-01T20:54:59-05:00Three Steps for Facing Difficult Emotions2021-04-30 09:30:00 -0400Shauna Shapiro<p>All of us can feel the impact of these uncertain and challenging times on our hearts and in our nervous systems. While there are parts of the situation that we cannot control, that does not mean we are powerless. When we’re up against change, uncertainty and stress, resilience is the key to navigate life and emerge with more happiness and satisfaction. We can cultivate resilience through the practices of <a href="/article_tags/mindfulness" target="_blank">mindfulness</a> and compassion. Here are three key steps to finding greater clarity, calm and well-being.</p><p><b><i>Naming our emotions.</i></b><b><i> </i></b>The first step is to bring mindfulness to whatever we are feeling and simply name it. Research shows that acknowledging and naming our emotions allows the body to physiologically calm down. It is helpful to remember that our emotions are here for a reason, metaphorically serving as a smoke alarm to let us know about an impending fire. Ignoring or repressing our emotions can lead to bigger problems, but mindfulness teaches us a different way to manage difficult emotions—acknowledge them and name what we feel—“name it to tame it”. When we name an emotion, it puts the brakes on our reactivity, down-regulates the nervous system and allows us to see clearly.</p><p><b><i>Welcoming our emotions. </i></b><span>The second step is to learn to welcome difficult emotions. Emotions have a limited time span, typically lasting for only 30 to 90 seconds.<b><i> </i></b>They arise, do their dance and pass away, like waves in the ocean. When we remember that this painful feeling will not last forever, it becomes more manageable. Through practice, we can learn to welcome all our emotions with an attitude of kindness and curiosity. This involves becoming interested in the emotion and the felt experience in the body. For example, we may feel sadness as a tightening in the throat or fear as a contraction in the belly. All emotions have their signature in the body.</span></p><p><b><i>Compassion for ourselves and others.</i></b><span><b> </b>The final step to managing difficult emotions is to cultivate compassion. Self-compassion involves treating ourselves as we would a dear friend that is suffering.<b> </b>The willingness to face the pain in ourselves and in life takes great courage. As we practice self-compassion, we learn not only to grow from our own struggles and sorrows, but to connect with the sufferings and sorrows of others. We realize that we are not alone in our fear and overwhelm, and become aware of the many others right now that are also afraid. As we recognize our common humanity, our isolation begins to lessen and we understand that we are all in this together.</span></p><p><i></i><br></p><p><a href="https://drshaunashapiro.com/" target="_blank"><i>Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D.</i></a><span><i>, is an internationally</i> <i>recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion whose most recent book is </i>Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire the Brain for Calm Clarity and Joy. </span></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:9a564a9c-df99-477f-ae26-fa808863474c2021-03-22T15:13:45-04:002021-08-26T17:01:54-04:00Create a Nurturing Nest2021-03-31 09:30:00 -0400Marlaina Donato<p>More than being a roof over our heads, home is where we live, love and heal. This past year, we all have been reminded of the importance of having a refuge; a place that shelters not only our physical beings, but our souls, too. With ongoing pandemic restrictions, we have more time on our hands, and with this comes a blessed opportunity to catch up with our bliss. Living space should be inspired space.</p><p>Creating a haven doesn’t require remodeling the kitchen or buying new <a href="/2019/10/31/288290/antiques-rising-discovering-the-green-in-brown-furniture" target="_blank">furniture</a>, only distilling new joy from the mundane. Adding a luxurious throw to a sofa or putting books to read in a pretty basket by an easy chair invites us to tend to the much-neglected inner life. Putting cut flowers at the bedside or turning a chair toward the sunlight says, “Yes” to life and renewal. Playing uplifting, infectious <a href="/article_tags/music" target="_blank">music</a><span> on laundry day rouses an element of fun. Practicing easy principles of <i>feng shui</i>—the art of placement—can get previously stagnant energy moving. Repositioning furniture for optimal flow and creating more open space are simple actions that can lighten heavy thoughts or memories. Home is a harbor of habit, and breaking out of the usual routine can be transformative. Here are some activities to try.</span></p><p>• Reserve an evening every week for an old-fashioned “Sunday supper” by candlelight or have a rainy-day indoor picnic on the floor in the living room.</p><p>• Add one item per day for a month to a bag intended for a local thrift store and then follow through by dropping it off.</p><p>• Tidy the desk every other day and keep it uncluttered.</p><p>• Hang new art prints, photos or paintings to set a new mood. Consider bright splashes of color—a set of red cups, a turquoise pillow or sunny yellow bathroom towels.</p><p>• Bring the seasons in; hang a garland of faux ivy, roses or autumn leaves over the showerhead. </p><p>• Buy or adopt low-maintenance indoor plants like philodendrons and snake plants for a spot of lovely green, even in deep winter.</p><p>In a world that fosters a “grass is always greener on the other side” mentality, cultivating soul-nourishment is a sure way to turn the humblest space into a castle.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="http://autumnembersmusic.com/" target="_blank"><i>Marlaina Donato</i></a><span><i> is the author of </i>Spiritual Famine in the Age of Plenty: Baby Steps to Bliss<i>.</i></span></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:69b57696-e5a9-4e96-9eb3-7a0cfc2e11ab2021-02-22T11:32:14-05:002021-05-28T11:33:24-04:00Healing from Grief: Four Ways to Find Peace2021-02-26 09:30:00 -0500Jasmin Jenkins<p>When I was 13, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. At 15, I was at her graveside, navigating my first experience with the other side of love: loss. Ten years later, my beloved and only brother died tragically as a result of PTSD and untreated addiction. In a word: suicide. Where my mom’s death silenced me, my brother’s death pushed me into a deep pursuit of healing.</p><p>In the nine years since then, I have committed to discovering the light side of grief, to identifying and embracing the invitations that lay within its deep layers. What I’ve come to learn is that grieving is actually a renewal state—a cycle of releasing and reconnecting. The tears and sadness are, quite literally, just a more fluid connection to love. These are the four invitations I’ve found within the grief:</p><p><i><b>1. </b></i><i><b>The invitation to pause</b></i></p><p>When someone we love dies, our whole world changes in an instant and forever. And with this disruption, there is an opportunity for sacred inquiry that arrives as we pause and honor the absence of our loved one: the impressions they made on our lives, what we will miss about them, how we will continue to celebrate their lives and what their story taught us.</p><p><i><b>2. </b></i><i><b>Th</b></i><i><b>e invitation to connect with our breath</b></i></p><p>With the intensity of emotions surrounding loss, breath can serve as our anchor. Simply remembering to close our eyes and breathe allows us to stay grounded in our body, mind and spirit. In the TED talk “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lb5L-VEm34" target="_blank">Breathe to Heal,</a>” Max Strom explains how certain patterns of breathing can actually change how we feel.</p><p><i><b>3. </b></i><i><b>The</b></i><i><b> invitation to feel</b></i></p><p>Elizabeth Kübler–Ross taught us about the <a href="https://www.ekrfoundation.org/5-stages-of-grief/5-stages-grief/" target="_blank">five stages of grief</a>, but since everyone’s story and process is so unique, there is ultimately no linear order of the stages. If an emotion arises, allow for it. Feelings, after all, are just information about the state of our heart. The more we can give ourselves permission to be with where we are in our grief, the more at peace we will be in our process.</p><p><i><b>4. </b></i><i><b>The </b></i><i><b>invitation to heal</b></i></p><p>Healing is a verb requiring action and commitment. We have to allow for the pain to heal, also remembering that in doing so, we must keep our hearts open. We have to ask for help when healing, because most of us can’t heal in isolation. Therapists who specialize in grief, <a href="https://clairebidwellsmith.com/" target="_blank">online grief courses</a>, bodywork and support groups can help us move forward.</p><p>Zen Buddhism reminds us that the obstacle is the path. By exploring these invitations, we arrive at the truth that grief is actually a sacred pathway into a deeper connection within our hearts.</p><p><i></i><br></p><p><i>Jasmin Jenkins is a Los Angeles-based integrative grief guide and the founder of </i><a href="https://www.wefallup.com/" target="_blank">Fall Up</a><i>, which supports people navigating the spectrum of grief.</i></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:96cb4b20-8013-4cd0-b2e7-32996288533d2021-01-18T15:23:22-05:002023-02-28T17:45:43-05:00Becoming Heart-Minded2021-01-29 09:30:00 -0500Sarah Blondin<div>We already know what it feels like to be in our hearts. Although we may feel disconnected from it and at times doubt ourselves, most often all we need to do to awaken it is to become still and quiet, and it will do the rest. When we draw our attention inward and focus on our heart center, it will calm and reassure us, often instantly.<br><br></div><div>This may sound too good to be true, but this is exactly what happens when we invite and allow it. When we inhabit the heart, we awaken to our aliveness. We spontaneously arrive like a bolt of lightning in the present moment and all of our arguments against ourselves and life go quiet. Goodness pushes up through the chaos of our internal world and we feel lit from within by a light we had no idea was there.<br><br></div><div>At any time, no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we can touch this place in ourselves and activate the benefits of the heart space. Try practicing now by placing a hand on your heart, breathe in and notice how this small act sends a message to soften and disarm. It is that simple. It’s about shifting and moving ourselves into this place of love and acceptance, allowing ourselves to be infused with the consciousness of our heart.<br><br></div><div>If we look within, most of us can identify a vision we have, an image of who we want to become, an enhanced version of ourselves—something like You 2.0. This image is often kinder, more loving, openhearted, accepting, inspired and creative; it’s often less self-conscious and more gallant. This self doesn’t succumb to fear, anger or hardship and rises above everything with ease. This vision we have in our mind’s eye is the best representation of our heart-minded selves. It is the call of our heart.<br><br></div><div>When we see this version as our potential rather than a reminder of our shortcomings, we can use it as a way—a tool—to help us move in the direction of our light. Take time throughout the day to bow our head and take three conscious breaths into our heart. Let its current feed us. Remember we are wise. We are soft. We are brave. Let all other noise stop. Re-enter the kingdom of our heart.</div><div><br></div><div><br><a href="https://www.sarahblondin.com/" target="_blank"><i>Sarah Blondin</i></a><i> is among the top three popular meditation teachers on InsightTimer, and the author of </i>Heart Minded: How to Hold Yourself and Others in Love.</div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:505bfe46-e386-431b-ba27-af4adbdd164f2020-12-17T11:51:12-05:002021-09-29T21:36:33-04:00House Blessings for Clearing and Protecting Spaces2020-12-30 09:30:00 -0500Marlaina Donato<div>Moving into a house, office or any new space prompts us to envision bright days ahead filled with hope and joy. Perhaps this is why, from first-century Christians praying to dissuade evil influences to the Mayans smudging herbs to welcome positive energy, the act of blessing a house is such a time-honored tradition.<br><br></div><div> Whether held in private or with a group of kindred souls, with or without religious elements, blessing a new dwelling takes the concept of housewarming to a sacred level. A house blessing can temper the hair-pulling stresses of a move and be a wonderful way to restore harmony after life gives us a jolt, be it a job loss, a broken relationship, a loved one’s passing or an illness. Simple gestures of intention, sprinkled with some beauty, enable us to claim our space and sow a new beginning.<br><br></div><div> Arranging seasonal blooms in jewel-toned vases, scattering fresh rose petals over the threshold or misting the air with ethereal scents consecrates what might otherwise seem mundane. Singing a favorite song, whispering a spontaneous prayer or reciting a Buddhist chant during the flurry of unpacking invites calm and attracts benevolent influences. Pungent smudges of dried, white sage, sweetgrass, pine or lilac flowers help dissolve unpleasant memories and energetic imprints from the past.<br><br></div><div> Honoring the four elements of earth, air, fire and water can create balance and celebrate ancient customs. Adding one or more essential oils to a spray bottle filled with distilled water or culinary rose water is an easy way to mist the air and the space inside drawers, closets and cupboards before filling or refilling them. Hanging fresh evergreens, leafy branches or tufts of blossoms over doorways evokes what 10th-century mystic and healer Hildegard of Bingen called <i>veriditas</i>—the greening energy of the Earth. Employing a crystal or Tibetan singing bowl, beating a shamanic drum or playing an instrument in select rooms can charge the atmosphere with fiery hope. Opening windows, even briefly during cooler seasons, invites in the fresh air of possibility.<br><br></div><div> Stepping into a new life—or revitalizing an existing one—is one of the most beautiful acts of caring for soul and self. Blessing our spaces is also an expression of gratitude, something that can make any life wonderful.</div><div><br><br></div><div><a href="http://autumnembersmusic.com/" target="_blank"><i>Marlaina Donato</i></a><i> is an author and recording artist.</i></div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:6a6d70c6-23c1-460c-85dd-6afaf7473fe32020-11-10T13:50:39-05:002021-09-30T10:04:10-04:00A New Story for the World: Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet2020-11-27 09:30:00 -0500Linda Sechrist<div>The most familiar form of human activity and the most natural way to describe what happens in our lives is through telling stories. Toddlers listen to stories that have contained the same archetypal characters acting out similar plots for millennia. In literature, folktales and myths all over the world, stories serve the purpose of providing life instructions and answering humanity’s fundamental questions about the nature of existence, such as who we are, where we came from, the definition of our purpose and the nature of our reality.<br><br></div><div>In the 1980s, author and cultural historian <a href="http://thomasberry.org/" target="_blank">Thomas Berry</a> declared that humanity needed a new story that is less destructive and dysfunctional. Berry filled lecture halls, telling attendees, “We are in trouble now because we don’t have a good story. The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, isn’t functioning properly. What once sustained us, shaped our emotional attitude, provided us with life purpose, energized action, consecrated suffering, integrated knowledge and guided education is no longer serving humanity.” As we are discovering globally through hard experience, the old stories of rugged individualism and conquering and dominating the natural world have run their course with grim results.<br><br></div><div>In the last four decades, fragments of a new story have been slowly emerging. Because it isn’t deemed worthy of mainstream media, the public is left in the dark about new, life-instructing stories capable of altering human civilization in positive ways. Were these story fragments woven together in an anthology, chapters on climate, economy, religion, environment, science, politics, medicine, education, conscious evolution and community would constitute a useful account of ideas and concepts capable of bringing about a brighter future for humanity and the planet. These possibilities would surely capture readers’ imaginations.</div><div><br></div><h3>New Climate Story<br><br></h3><div>In <i>Climate: A New Story</i>, writer and activist <a href="https://charleseisenstein.org/" target="_blank">Charles Eisenstein</a> suggests that we need a new story that makes possible the more beautiful world our hearts know is achievable. The story, which he believes is attainable, calls for people, governments and organizations to embrace a partnership paradigm to protect, restore, regenerate and repair damages to our planet’s natural world, which we call the environment. Using indigenous wisdom, organizations such as the <a href="https://www.pachamama.org/" target="_blank">Pachamama Alliance</a> and <a href="https://bioneers.org/" target="_blank">Bioneers</a> are helping individuals worldwide to recognize that humanity is here to be in service to life. Creating the right conditions for revitalizing life is the opposite of our collective story that views the natural world only as a resource.<br><br></div><div>Eisenstein’s ideas for regenerative agriculture match those described in <a href="http://www.paulhawken.com/" target="_blank">environmentalist Paul Hawken’s</a> <a href="https://drawdown.org/the-book" target="_blank"><i>Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming</i></a>. In October, <a href="https://www.drawdownga.org/" target="_blank">Drawdown Georgia</a> became the first state-centered effort to crowd-solve for climate change, with solutions tailored to Georgia’s unique natural, economic and social resources.</div><div><br></div><h3>New Science Story<br><br></h3><div><a href="http://www.sahtouris.com/#1_0,0," target="_blank">Evolution biologist Elisabet Sahtouris</a>’ stories about science shine a light on the broader perspective of life and science gained from studying multiple worldviews. A scholar of ancient sciences, Sahtouris reminds us that the original purpose of science was to find guidance for human affairs by studying nature. During a recent conversation with Ubiquity University founder Jim Garrison in the online <a href="https://humanityrising.solutions/" target="_blank">Humanity Rising’s Global Solutions Summit</a>, she says, “We have acted in opposition and made ecology subservient to our economy, using ecology as a set of resources for human economics. When we make our economy fit into nature’s economy, which we call ecology, we’ll have ecosophy, the ‘wisdom of the Earth itself’ that occurs when a man knows how to listen with love.”<br><br><div class="image-with-caption image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/775927/fill/700x0/interconnectedness-common-sharing.jpg?timestamp=1605038855"><div class="small"><p>preiscilla dupreez/Unsplash.com</p></div></div><p> </p><div>Sahtouris teaches corporations about ecosophy’s new view of a conscious universe and a living Earth in which we are co-creators. This, she believes, takes humans out of fatalistic victimhood so that we can become consciously active agents of our destiny. Lifting the fog of our self-image as consumers of stuff gives humans the rights and responsibilities to live out our full co-creative humanity.</div><div><br></div><h3>A Global Commons Sharing Solutions<br><br></h3><div>Through the daily sharing of stories with keynote speakers and panel discussions, Garrison increases the momentum of the Humanity Rising movement, which includes Ubiquity University students, program participants and more than 400 organizations that come together as a “global commons” to take counsel and share what they are developing for their own networks.<br><br></div><div>Humanity Rising was launched to try to leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increase our resilience to future challenges. This new form of real-life competency education delivered in TED Talk-style presentations, moderated dialogues, working groups, blogs, ongoing conversations, group discussions and other interactions provides participants a wide scope of possibilities and activities for working together for global solutions.</div><div><br></div><h3>Economics Story<br><br></h3><div>If British <a href="https://www.kateraworth.com/" target="_blank">economist Kate Raworth</a> writes a follow-up to her bestselling book <i>Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist</i>, she’ll certainly add a case study of her consulting work in Amsterdam, where her donut model is now embraced as the starting point for public policy decisions. Amsterdam is the world’s first city to make a commitment to Raworth’s concepts: “Out with the global attachment to economic growth and laws of supply and demand, and in with … what it means for countries, cities and people to thrive in balance with the planet,” as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/amsterdam-doughnut-model-mend-post-coronavirus-economy" target="_blank">reported in <i>The Guardian</i></a>. The simple central premise of Raworth’s alternative to growth economics is that the goal of economic activity should be to meet the core needs of all within the means of the planet.</div><div><br></div><h3>Interconnectedness<br><br></h3><div><a href="https://www.robertatkinson.net/" target="_blank">Author Robert Atkinson’s</a> contribution to the new story is his understanding of the underlying unity in all religions and all humanity, expressed throughout his book <i>The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness</i>. “Nature is an embodiment of the divine, and the whole Earth is sacred. Its vast resources are our common heritage entrusted to us,” he says. “Humanity is one family. Having passed through the stage of childhood, humanity is now struggling to leave behind its adolescent ways while taking on new patterns of thought and action in approaching its maturity. Accepting the oneness of humanity as a biological fact, a social necessity and a spiritual reality will lead us further along our journey toward lasting peace.”</div><br><div class="image-with-caption image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/775925/fill/700x0/undivided-wholeness-interconnected.jpg?timestamp=1605038678"><div class="small"><p>hugo/AdobeStock.com</p></div></div></div><div><br>Atkinson believes global harmony is inevitable when we exercise our obligation to independently investigate reality and stop blindly and uncritically following various traditions, movements and opinions. He says, “I consider this as one of the main sources of world conflict.”</div><div><br></div><h3>Undivided Wholeness<br><br></h3><div>In a world engulfed by fragmentation, the film <a href="https://www.infinitepotential.com/the-film/" target="_blank"><i>Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm</i></a> is a healing balm with the potential to overturn our ideas about the world and ourselves. “The core work of David Bohm, considered one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, is our essential interconnectedness and undivided wholeness from which we get a sense of our own interconnectivity,” says producer and director Paul Howard. “This realization makes it logical to start taking better care of ourselves, each other and planet Earth.”<br><br></div><div>Howard notes, “David was interested in the nature of thought and consciousness. Realizing that he wanted to develop full expression of his interests, he explored wider domains and investigated different worldviews with sages, philosophers and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama, who called David his ‘science guru’. A lifelong concern with social and political change led him to develop the Bohm Dialogue, a form of communication aiming to break through our collective modes of habitual thought. He also spent time with indigenous people, searching for a new form of language in which to express his ideas in a more process-oriented way.”</div><div><br></div><h3>Indigenous Wisdom<br><br></h3><div>While the early church developed and grew in numbers by assimilating the wisdom of the world about it, including paganism, it neglected to assimilate the intuitive ways in that indigenous people knew the natural world, how it functioned and how intimately they were integrated with it.<br><br><div class="image-main"><div class="image-with-caption image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/775924/fill/700x0/indigenous-wisdom.jpg?timestamp=1605038586"><div class="small"><p>hugo/AdobeStock.com</p></div></div><p> </p></div></div><div>Tribes around the globe have ancient extinction stories that foretold the crises we are collectively experiencing, as well as potential outcomes and possible solutions. In <a href="https://sacredinstructions.life/" target="_blank"><i>Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change</i></a>, <a href="/2020/10/30/332892/sherri-mitchell-on-indigenous-wisdom-for-our-times" target="_blank">Sherri Mitchell</a> (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset) tells the story of the Mohawk Seventh Generation Prophecy. “The Onkwehonwe, or real people, rise up and demand their wisdom and way of life be respected and that the natural way of the Earth and way of life be fully restored. Teachings on the indigenous way of life are being sought after, and all that remains is that we work together to restore the Earth to a state of balance and good health,” she says.</div><div><br></div><h3>Medicine and Community<br><br></h3><div>Thousands of people are gathering in online intentional communities associated with personal growth, healing and spiritual awakening. Jennifer Phelps, M.D., owner and director of Phelps MD Integrative Medicine, in Redding, Connecticut, practices mind-body medicine and is a faculty member of the <a href="https://cmbm.org/" target="_blank">Center for Mind-Body Medicine</a>, in Washington, D.C. A trained facilitator of small groups, she has been teaching trauma and stress healing via Zoom calls during the pandemic.</div><div><br>Initially, Phelps was concerned about how the levels of intimacy, trust and vulnerability necessary for individuals to develop a sense of cohesiveness and bonding could be formed via computer screens. By using the center’s model of self-care, self-awareness and mutual support that has its roots in indigenous culture, she felt her concern dissipate as group members began to bond quickly. “Our guidelines call for no cross-talking and no interrupting. Confidentiality is sacred. I’m a facilitator and a participant, which most models don’t allow,” says Phelps. She speculates that the success of online bonding might be due to participants feeling safer in their homes with a little extra anonymity, noting, “Not being face-to-face seems to allow people to share more freely. These weird times are creating a commonality and a sense of community connection.”<br><br></div><h3>Conscious Choice<br><br></h3><div><a href="https://leahlamb.com/" target="_blank">Leah Lamb</a>, a sacred storyteller in Topanga, California, defines her role as a seer far beyond the present moment. In Lamb’s online classes with her storytelling community, she loves sharing quotes by other storytellers such as <a href="http://rebeccasolnit.net/" target="_blank">Rebecca Solnit</a>, “We think we tell stories; but stories often tell us … Too often stories saddle us, and they ride us and whip us onward and tell us what to do and we do it without questioning. The task of learning to be free is to learn to hear them; to question them, to pause and hear silence, to name them and then become a storyteller of your own story.”</div><div><br>“In our role of storyteller, we can’t be without understanding that we tell stories about how we are in the world as much as stories tell us how to be in world. Identify and notice your stories, then understand how they are running you, so you can consciously choose your place in them,” advises Lamb, who encourages her students to discover the genius of their own calling.</div><div><br>These are only some chapters in the new story that calls for each of us to be aware of the stories we live by, as well as those we tell ourselves and others. It also begs us to ask what is our role in the new story.</div><div><br><br></div><div><a href="https://lindasechrist.com/" target="_blank"><i>Linda Sechrist</i></a><i> is a senior staff writer for </i>Natural Awakenings.</div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0831870b-0d1f-4d8d-a1c6-147bfc2bd94d2020-11-19T15:42:30-05:002021-12-31T00:13:56-05:00Fresh Rituals for a New Year2020-11-27 09:30:00 -0500Rachael Oppy<div>The end of one year and the beginning of another marks a hopeful transition that many of us choose to celebrate with fireworks and glitzy parties. Here are several New Year’s rituals to help us connect more deeply to our loved ones, to ourselves and to a richer sense of purpose as we embrace the promise of 2021. <br><br></div><div><b>Reevaluate the past year.</b> While many people focus only on what lies ahead on New Year’s Day, consider taking a therapeutic and spiritual look at the past 12 months, evaluating personal accomplishments and deviations from goals and aspirations. Take note of lessons learned and challenges faced, as well as the top 10 highlights of the year.<br><br></div><div><b>Declutter.</b> In Italy, people throw things out of their windows on New Year’s Eve; getting rid of items that are no longer of service is just as important as welcoming the new. In that spirit, this is a good time to gather clothing, books and other items collecting dust and donate them to a local charity where they may be useful to someone else. <br><br></div><div><b>Formally invite prosperity.</b> Many cultures around the world celebrate New Year’s Day with rituals that are meant to ward off bad luck and attract good fortune. Some of them espouse throwing money over the threshold the first time someone enters their home after the new year has begun. Here’s a modern twist: Gather the family together and bless a few coins or paper bills, either through prayer or as a statement of hope and anticipation. Then, donate the money to charity as a way to spiritually pay it forward.<br><br></div><div><b>Spend New Year’s Eve in meditation.</b> Quiet meditation or prayer is a great way to usher in a sense of peace and harmony. Make sure the session begins before midnight and extends into the new year. This can be done at home alone, with friends or at a local meet-up group, yoga center or spiritual organization.<br><br></div><div><b>Place special emphasis on the first 12 days.</b> For many people, the first 12 days of a new year represent each of the 12 months to come. To set a positive course for 2021, spend each of those days exhibiting aspirations for the coming year, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen to manifest an interest in being more charitable, or reading a book about immigrants to become more culturally sensitive.<br><br><br></div><div><i>Adapted from an Arcadia Publishing contribution. </i></div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:02af3e2f-f6f6-48a1-aeb9-9fc14291f0f72020-10-27T17:37:39-04:002023-02-28T17:52:38-05:00Giving Thanks: Meditation on Gratitude and Joy2020-10-30 09:30:00 -0400Jack Kornfield<div>I offer this meditation that opens our hearts to gratitude and joy this holiday season.</div><div><br></div><div>Let yourself sit quietly and at ease. Allow your body to be relaxed and open, your breath natural, your heart easy. Begin the practice of gratitude by feeling how that, year after year, you have cared for your own life. Now let yourself begin to acknowledge all that has supported you in this care:</div><div><br></div><div><i>With gratitude, I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day.</i></div><div><br></div><div><i>With gratitude, I remember the care and labor of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me.</i></div><div><br></div><i>I offer my gratitude for the safety and well-being I have been given.</i><br><i>I offer my gratitude for the blessing of this Earth I have been given.</i><br><i>I offer my gratitude for the measure of health I have been given.</i><br><i>I offer my gratitude for the family and friends I have been given.</i><br><i>I offer my gratitude for the community I have been given.</i><br><i>I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons I have been given.</i><br><div><i>I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given.</i></div><div><br></div><div>Just as we are grateful for our blessings, so we can be grateful for the blessings of others.</div><div><br></div><div>Continue to breathe gently. Bring to mind someone you care about; someone it is easy to rejoice for. Picture them and feel the natural joy you have for their well-being, for their happiness and success. With each breath, offer them your grateful, heartfelt wishes:</div><div><br></div><i>May you be joyful.</i><br><i>May your happiness increase.</i><br><i>May you not be separated from great happiness.</i><br><div><i>May your good fortune and the causes for your joy and happiness increase.</i></div><div><br></div><div>Sense the sympathetic joy and caring in each phrase. When you feel some degree of natural gratitude for the happiness of this loved one, extend this practice to another person you care about. Recite the same simple phrases that express your heart’s intention.</div><div><br></div>Then, gradually open the meditation to include neutral people, difficult people and even enemies, until you extend sympathetic joy to all beings everywhere, young and old, near and far.<br><div><br></div><div>Practice dwelling in joy until the deliberate effort of practice drops away and the intentions of joy blend into the natural joy of your own wise heart.</div><div><br></div><br><i><a href="https://jackkornfield.com/" target="_blank">Jack Kornfield</a> is a bestselling author, Buddhist practitioner and a key teacher in introducing and spreading mindfulness practices in the West. For more information about his teachings, podcasts and books, visit <a href="https://jackkornfield.com/" target="_blank">JackKornfield.com</a>. </i><br><br><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>