Our connection to the wonders of nature is part of who we are, and yet that connection often feels like an uneasy one. While we lived mostly indoors during global COVID-19 lockdowns, many of us realized how much we treasure the awe-kindling beauty of the natural world, whether in our own garden or deep in the forest. We are not separate from nature, as Sebene Selassie says—we are one with it.
Yet, at the same time, these feelings of awe and connection may be tinged with more than a little fear and grief. With record-breaking storms, floods, and heatwaves, not only is this beautiful planet earth sending out an SOS, but humans and other living beings are suffering too. If your heart has been aching for all these impacts of climate change, you’re not alone.
Mindfulness teachers like Selassie remind us that the lighthouse in this storm of disruption is found in our innate connection to the earth. At any time, we can turn toward these challenging thoughts and emotions and choose to respond with kindness—kindness that extends to yourself, to other people, to the global home we share.
You might start with these ways you can ease the…
