Happy Earth Day! I don’t know about you but after the year we’ve had, I appreciate all things Mother Nature more than ever. When we couldn’t do anything but walk or run or bike outside. Or when my family was climbing the walls and we’d simply take a drive to get out of the house for a few hours. When vacations were cancelled so we finally took that backpacking trip we’ve been meaning to take for years. Nature has proven to be a balm to the soul so on this Earth Day consider making a real effort to celebrate her.
I happen to think that the more collective energy we put into appreciating the earth, the more that care and intention will take root in our families, our friends and our communities. And as this last year reminded us – we are all connected. Here are five ways to get into the spirit.
1. Make a commitment to go outside today, tomorrow or this weekend and connect with Nature
Our lives are busy, and our minds are even busier. Even if you already spend time in Nature, your mind’s chatter can take over. If you don’t set a clear intention to connect, you can spend time in nature and miss much of what it has to offer you.
Instead make an effort to sit on the Earth or better yet lay down. It could be in your backyard, under a favorite tree in a park nearby or a grassy field. Close your eyes and allow yourself to ground down into the Earth. Imagine you are a tree with roots that go all the way down to the center of the Earth. Stay here and notice your breath as you allow yourself to relax and feel supported.
2. Plant something
One of the easiest ways to appreciate the miracle of nature is to watch something grow. I had no idea the energy that farmers put into their fields until I started a small garden box and felt the thrill of my pulling out my own food from the garden. Not into veggies? Try planting a favorite flower. Not good at keeping things alive? Try a succulent. Caring for growing things is a great way to feel a part of the seasons and to get into the rhythms of the natural world in a very personal way.
3. Stargaze
There is nothing that makes you feel so small as gazing up in the sky. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It reminds us that this too shall pass, that we are part of a whole universe and that our very existence on our beautiful spinning ball of green and blue is an absolute miracle.
4. Contribute
There are many ways to get involved in preservation and conservation. You can donate to an organization or project that speaks to you or your family. Our family spends a lot of time hiking in our local mountains so we will be volunteering for the Thomas Fire Recovery Project. This is an effort to log and remove invasive plants and grasses so they don’t prevent the more fire resistant native chaparral from taking root.
5. Share
Whatever you decide to do, share what you are up to. It could be with a friend, family member, on social media or on your own platform, if you have one. When you share, you are inviting others in, you are reminding them to contribute to the collective energy of appreciation for this beautiful world, and you are saying I am responsible. When we are all accountable for our actions it makes us more intentional and brings us in alignment with our values.
On this Earth Day consider your commitment, your growth, your connection to something larger than yourself and to others and share how you are moving forward, what may seem like small steps to you, become big changes when enough of us choose to be in positive relationship.
