Respecting our environment
Today I paid a visit to one of my favourite grocery stores “The National” in Westmount Village. Like many of the stores these days, they are requesting customers to either bring their own bags or buy one from the store. I did not have a bag with me so I asked them to supply me with one. I was given a lovely solid plastic reusable bag with a big green sign across it that said “Respect the Environment”. Later in the day I was walking along the street and I saw a woman wearing a t shirt with the words “Respect Above Else” boldly written across her chest. Ok, I thought, the universe is clearly getting my attention and so the topic of my musing today.
There are many who believe, and I am one of them, that our relationship with the earth and how we see our connection to this beautiful planet which we inhabit is very much a reflection of how we treat ourselves. We don’t have to go far to consider the ways that pollution, disrespecting and trashing the precious resources that we have been gifted is affecting all of us. For example, we all know that without water we cannot survive yet for many years we have ignored this truth, allowing these waters to be poisoned and harmed by our reckless behaviour. Yes, we are waking up to all this and, for sure, there is much we can do to reverse the damage but it can only happen if we hold “water” in its highest regard truly valuing the role it plays in our lives. It also requires us to place Nature as a more important commodity than money.
In my work, I see the way I can contribute to this honouring of nature and the environment is by holding the space for others to come back to a right relationship with themselves. Basically, to love and honour ourselves for the beautiful creation that we are. This in turn will translate naturally into how we treat others and our natural habitat. After all, when we hold ourselves in the highest regard, we care what we put into our bodies, how we spend our precious time and energy and what thoughts and beliefs we hold about ourselves. Our feelings are met with love rather than something to be ignored, rejected or dumped on others. We now know that the ways we respond to different situations can affect our health and wellbeing more than we have previously thought.
Consider the work of Lynne McTaggert who wrote the book “The Intention Experiment”. There is much evidence that holding a heartfelt intention can do much to facilitate healing. Contrary it is thought that when we worry or live in fear we are likely to be creating an inner environment of stress and contraction. We have many tools at our disposal to create more ease and harmony within and most involve relaxing the mind and connecting with our feelings so something more spacious can emerge; breathwork, meditation, journaling, tapping, bodywork can facilitate this process just to name a few.
Caring about our emotional ecology is good for all. Our job is to take these simple truths and apply them to our lives.
Much love, everyone!
Vivianne
