Transforming our day to day routine with the Coronavirus pandemic has forced an enormous cultural slowing. Slowing our travel around the world, slowing our movement throughout our communities, slowing our consumption of goods in one weeks time. This experience of slowing is an incredible opportunity to experience ourselves in an entirely new way and hopefully, transform us for the better.
As the Earth shifts seasons right before our eyes, we have the opportunity to observe life force emerging. Today in Colorado, the brown, quiet and still somewhat frozen ground gives way to the tremendous ambition of the crocus and daffodils. While otherwise quiet and patiently waiting, they have come to recognize that the moment to be seized is now.
It is no surprise that with growing human populations and the decreasing health of our ecosystem that a pandemic is here. Anytime a biological system outgrows its resources, natures checks and balances will intervene. When we consider that the Earths biodiversity has been diminishing at an unprecedented rate and the resources to sustain human activity have been stressed exponentially, the evidence that we cannot continue to exist in the manner that we have been doing is perfectly clear.
The efforts to change what often seems like a runaway train of our society toward a healthier balance for humans and the planet can feel impossible. Many people choose not to act, because the overwhelming effort to change can feel too great. Existing as one small person in a world of unfathomable complexity with todays problems creates a compelling feeling to simply enjoy another season of (...insert your favorite entertainment option...) and wait until tomorrow to see what happens.
Change is now upon us. The threat of the coronavirus transmission this season has slowed our daily activities in such a dramatic way, that many must now find ways to spend the time each day! The good news is that vitality, health and balance are and always have been right at our fingertips when we take the time to seek them.
We come from nature, and nature is within us. All biological systems have an inner impulse to grow and to thrive. When we slow down to notice simple day to day things, it can substantially benefit life. Tuning in to our bodies needs is the first step to achieving health and balance in our lives. Listening deeply not just to the desires we feel, but also to the aversions, the discomfort, the unrest within us is key to our well being. Just as the Earth is struggling with maintaining balance in life rhythms, so too are the vast majority of humans.
It is said in many systems of thought that change is inevitably more difficult to create when a system is moving forward in an unrelenting, progressing way. As the gears of society turn into a faster and larger producing machine the opportunity to shift its direction may be impossible. However, it is in the pause of life's unfolding, the space between the breath and the transitions of the worlds systems that we have tremendous opportunity to re-orient how the movement will resume.
Take this time to not only listen within, but also to listen to the Earth around you. Wherever you can access nature, connect with this powerful source of life. Pause to relish the sunbeam through the window. Walk through your neighborhoods and notice any sense of emerging life. Giving time and attention to this observation in nature activates a part of us that is innocent, creative and contains the power of life's persistent desire to grow and transform.
It is said in Chinese medicine that the most valuable thing a human being can do is to recognize our unique role between heaven and Earth and then to shower our love, appreciation and admiration upon the living things of this planet. To truly be a steward of the Earth, caring for the life forms in our midst may be the most rewarding part of anyones life. If we can re-calibrate our experiences to give more to the life around us rather than leaving mountains of waste and pollution for the future to deal with then we have done right by this lifetime we have been given.
As we venture into unknown territory in the coming months, I implore you to consider, what is the direction of growth you wish for in your life? What is the world that you want to return to? How would you design your daily routine or seasonal rhythm if it could come from within?
Please enjoy this visit at our farm, and an opportunity to connect with nature. For more like this, please visit my new online school, https://hart-healing-arts.teachable.com/