Inner Ecology and Nature Connection: A Personal Practice of Care.
As I sit here beginning to type on my laptop, I notice the beautiful view outside my mom’s window. Today I am in my parents’ home, and while they are away traveling, I get to be here for work and relaxation. I see the greenery including beautiful plants, such as the palms that were planted by my dad, oak trees, and so much more! Right now, as I type, it is windy, and everything outside is in motion. The leaves are fluttering or waving, depending on their length, and the branches are swaying, making a swooshing sound.
There goes a larger gust of wind, and now suddenly, I feel an increase in my heart rate. This feels startling.
My experience with nature comes with mixed emotions, and at this time in my life, just as I enjoy the beauty and the joy and calmness that come with the experience, I am also met with grief, concern, and wonder about where we are in our world. I look at the palms and think about how they are not native which leads me to think about invasive species and how their presence impacts ecosystems, or how these gusts of wind are becoming more intense as we continue to live in this world facing an environmental, climate crisis.
I feel the joy, the love, a feeling of luckiness, and yet also a feeling of sadness, uncertainty, and grief.
I am not writing this blog to talk about the climate crisis itself, but something in me wants to talk about some thoughts I have on eco-consciousness. Perhaps this can be a piece for those who may be interested in exploring a perspective that has to do with climate awareness, connection with nature, gentleness, and self-leadership. Let this be one tiny twig out of the endless branches of information and ideas that are out there.
What I want to share is that climate awareness, connection, and a greener path can begin with your own inner ecology—your own interconnectedness to yourself, parts of yourself such as your feelings, thoughts, sensations, motivations, goals, dreams, fears, and struggles. All of this is interconnected, and all of this is part of the larger picture of you and of the world. We are fractals, like your eyes resembling galaxies and reflecting the world as a whole. I feel that the inner experience is like the unfolding of universes, moving through portal after portal, and exploring the vastness of the inner world that it is endless and that there is always discovery. There is something so beautiful about the unknown: that we may not know what comes next, and yet, with enough trust we can venture forward feeling like this is what we are supposed to do.
I believe that by moving toward our own inner alignment, we move toward the truths of the earth and move towards compassion and relationship with other beings in the world, including the more-than-human world. When curiosity and openness live within us, we can see the world through this curious and open lens, and therefore, we can experience many of the world’s offerings. Something that I cannot deny with this awareness and openness is how absolutely everything is interconnected and how we affect the earth, and the earth affects us simultaneously. I also notice how magical it is to experience this interconnectedness among natural environments. In these experiences, I am reminded of my nature, and being part of this connection.
Inner alignment to me means moving towards a sustainable synchronization with your values, goals, dreams, somatic experience, relationships, and environment. When things feel more in alignment and feel right, we are moving toward ourselves and our truth, and by moving towards ourselves and truth, we may find deeper alignment. And this too, is shifting and ever-evolving and we aren’t always in perfect alignment. What is perfect?
When we are living sustainably on the inside, we aren’t expending so much energy “trying” or “striving.” It’s already there… we are there. And when we have this type of energy, we may have the capacity to focus more beyond ourselves. When we care, and when we have capacity for creativity, wondering, thoughtfulness, we can make conscious decisions that are right for us with the consideration of the impact on others.
I see these conscious decisions as an ever-evolving practice, and I also want to name that there is no picture-perfect way this should look. Everyone’s practice is different. I remember there was a time when I wasn’t even aware of what eco-friendly meant. This practice doesn’t need to be shaming or perfect. It doesn’t need to feel like constant monitoring either. Again, the more aligned we are with our values, the less it feels like a struggle. The more ourselves we are, in our true nature, the more we will notice our interconnected with the world, and the more it matters. The more we are to move freely and naturally in this caring way.
I am reminded of my outing over the weekend to the grocery store. I was standing in line with my husband, and as usual, we were asked, “Do you need any bags today?” My husband and I looked at each other wide eyed, because just a week prior, we reflected on how we stopped using reusable bags for a bit of time, and we wanted to get back into this practice of using our reusable bags. I remember stopping and thinking, Wait, why did I stop using these again? I lovingly held myself accountable, evaluated my values, noticed what had changed, faced difficult realities such as benefiting from convenience that isn’t always eco-conscious, and decided what was needed. In this case, I understood what happened and reminded myself of how important it is for me to reengage with the practice of using reusable bags. I ran out to the car and grabbed them from the trunk.
The point is, it isn’t about being “perfect” or being “green.” It isn’t about ridding ourselves of pleasures in life, the small things that bring us nostalgia, or being rigid. It isn’t about being anyone or anything other than yourself. Sustainability action grows from capacity and not pressure. And I do feel that when I am more myself and more aligned with my values, I am moved to respond in ways that feel healthy for me and for the earth.
-Imuri
