Shifting Consciousness and Nurturing Life in Liminal Times

With my back to the trees I looked up at an enormous bulldozer, whose job was to harvest the rainforest, wondering, “Who do I think I am?” – when I heard a voice from within, “I am a part of the rainforest, recently emerged into the form of a human protecting my trees.”  These words by John Seed have inspired me to imagine that I too can inhabit my eco-self as I expand my consciousness building resilience to confront our world.

I began to notice our world unraveling in my early 60s when the impacts of climate change, racism, wealth inequality, and other issues became impossible to ignore.  Having grown up in the socio-economic boom and security of the 1950’s, I was confused – until I encountered The Work That Reconnects, rooted in the wisdom and practices developed by Joanna Macy.

To “reconnect” is an ongoing, life-long practice to undo the “cultural marinade” of the industrial growth society, that has trained us to prioritize our individual needs over those of the community – our kinship bonds, safety nets and the web of life  —  “the inescapable network of mutuality” spoken of by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Joanna Macy conceived of the Great Turning as a movement of people turning towards ways of doing, thinking, and being that support the flourishing of life and away from behaviors and ways of doing that can cause harm.

Living through this time of unraveling, I find myself attracted to an activism rooted in regenerative practices that will support future generations. The chaos and destruction that I am witnessing is calling me to deepen my commitment to “shift in consciousness” and to prioritize nurturing life, merging my doing with a deeper sense of who I am – my being.

Our Earth is alive and interconnected. The kinship systems understood by indigenous cultures are now being affirmed by new scientific research. Suzanne Simard describes the underground mycorrhizal fungal networks that support the life of the forest, connecting the plant roots, enabling communication, the exchange of nutrients and the resilience that is needed so that trees can adapt their behaviors, recognize neighbors, remember the past, elicit warnings and cooperate to care for each other!

Like the trees in the forests, we are interconnected beings – dependent upon each other and our Earth to live and to thrive.  My consciousness shifts as I imagine being a part of the human mycorrhizal network, a node in my social web, communicating, caring and sharing with others to create a thriving and just world. As I sit in my garden, I inhale the oxygen that the plants breathe out, and the plants breathe in the carbon dioxide that I breathe out.  We are in partnership – creating the “breath of life” that sustains us both.

I practice breathing in the deep blue of our atmosphere, the gases and life forms that extend into space, remembering that I am made of stardust and placing myself in the ongoingness of time.  Breathing out, I connect with the other beings with whom I share this planet.  I breathe in through the crown of my head, and breathe out through my heart space – sharing my bounty, my blessings, and even my pain – remembering that I am not alone in my pain or confusion, my creativity, generosity or love for this beautiful life that I am experiencing.

Reb Zalman taught that our extended life span demands an expanded consciousness while Joanna Macy gave us the gift of seeing with new eyes how we are interconnected beings within the web of life.  We are blessed by their wisdom and these practices that can help us develop a wider sense of self and bring forth a future that is just and thriving for all beings.

I am Gaia, emerging in the form of Lynne.  What does Earth, my mother being, need me to be and do to honor my roots?