Inna, a friend of Robina’s in the community, led us through some work called Deep Ecology.
It is really almost impossible to explain, as it is quite experiential. We went through community building exercises and got to share things about the hardships we have seen and felt, as well as share the joys of our lifetimes, what gives us spirit and life.
The point of the workshop was to give us time to feel intensely. So often we hear devastating or overwhelming news and can’t comprehend just how big it is, so our emotions get stuffed down deep inside and we don’t allow time to cry and talk about it with one another. Lots of emotions came up for everybody on the course, and we were able to work through them together and come out feeling a little bit more resolved. It truly gave us the chance to be glued together as a family, and I hope to cherish the close friends that I’ve made for the rest of my life.
Joanna Macy is the mother of this work, and one of her mantras is “How dare you be discouraged by anything so trivial like personal failure?” She encourages everyone to seek the individual passion for creating change within themselves, and within the world.
Lots of what I shared is far too intimate to ever post on the internet or discuss with anyone who I don’t know personally. I do want to share a small piece of journaling I did after the long and emotional session. It’s not fine-tuned or perfect because I let the words just vomit on the paper, and I want to leave them like that, a sprawl of my ideas and thoughts rushing onto the paper without judgement.
“Within these challenging, painful realities, my task is to remain hopeful. I must nourish and care for my spirit. I will search to find the brightest lights amongst the darkness. When I find these shining lights, I will support them with all of the energy from soul and channel my passion into strengthening their glow. I will work to make more of these lights, will start the fire in the hearts that have gone cold. I will use my spark and wisdom to ignite hope in them too. I will remain optimistic by balancing out the negative news with the seeking of positive, discovering all of the good that is happening here and now, and seek to create a better future. I will use my desire and determination to develop regenerative projects. I will find new ways to nurture myself, my community, and my home planet. I will work to aid or broken systems, using the principles of ecology, my own ethics and values, and love.”
Most of the course participants stayed after the workshop and journaled, pens scribbling across the paper with speed and motivation. It brought warm tears of healing down the sides of my cheeks to see so many people from all over the world excited about the possibilities for the future. We may live in a commodity-dependent, destructive and disconnected culture, but we have the power to deconstruct these social norms, and it lies within the hearts of all of us. If anyone is feeling lost in life, or just curious about the concept of deep ecology, I strongly suggest looking into it. I plan to further dive into this work as I believe it has much potential for reconnecting people with their inner selves, and has the capability to break down the walls that hold us back.