Earth Day 2023
I live in Northern California, where record winter rains have ushered in lush spring greenery. The air is extra fresh, the birdsong joyful. Fruit trees are blossoming, and wildflowers are everywhere. Another season of growth has begun.
I have two young grandsons who are completely enthralled by the natural world. They are especially curious about every type of animal—those of land, sea and sky. Outside, they play with unbridled glee, running as fast as they can on the grass, digging holes in the sand, climbing trees. Their delight is contagious, upping my awe of this bountiful, glorious planet.
Tomorrow is Earth Day—a time to focus on the health of the environment and reinvigorate our commitment to protecting it. Every year, the wake-up calls have been getting louder and harder to ignore. One million species are threatened with extinction. There are over 20,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean for every person alive. We’re experiencing longer and more intense heat waves, droughts, and wildfires, extreme rainfall, and unprecedented sea ice loss. Plants and animals have begun to shift their geographic ranges.
It is shocking, but not surprising, that the U.N. recently released a report confirming that our planet is on brink of catastrophic warming. If we don’t take significant action soon, we are rapidly approaching the point of no return.
When I stop to take all this in, I feel terrified. It’s no wonder that so many of us are experiencing eco-anxiety—what the American Psychology Association describes as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations.”
I’ve been trying to channel my eco-anxiety into reducing my environmental impact and doing more to support the Earth’s restoration, but prolonged anxiety is never the best solution. Not only does it feel terrible, it activates our stress hormones, drains our vitality and optimism, narrows our vision, and causes mental and emotional paralysis.
Thankfully, when doing research for this post sent me spiraling into fear, I was wise enough to step away from my laptop, go outside, and listen to a beautiful 20-minute outdoor guided meditation called “Connect with the Natural World.” Led by Katie Dutcher—the wonderful meditation teacher and certified Mindful Outdoor Guide who also created our “Take A Moment” micro-meditation series—the meditation quickly helped me get in sync with the slow, soothing, grounding rhythm of nature. When it was over, it felt as if I’d just returned from a restorative wellness retreat. Miraculous!
Myra (left) with her grandson, Feliciano, and daughter-in-law, Andrea, at the Carmel River, 2021
Part of the magic was how the meditation shifted my energy away from worry, toward love and gratitude. After being suffocated by doomsday thoughts and the panic they spark, it was a huge relief to directly experience the spaciousness, vitality and continuous support of the Earth. Rather than being motivated to protect our planet out of fear, I realized that I could work harder, more joyfully, and more sustainably when inspired by a calm heart full of devotion and appreciation.
Katie recently wrote a lovely blog post about cultivating a spirit of reciprocity with the Earth. She shared her gratitude for the lake close to her apartment that she visits every day to walk, meditate, and connect with the natural world. It’s surrounded by trees and wild blackberry bushes, and filled with birds and other wildlife.
Katie shared that after many years, she began to understand that she does not just enjoy the lake, she’s actually in relationship with the lake, and that healthy relationships are reciprocal—each party wants the other to flourish and offers mutual support. This realization motivated Katie to buy a long-handled “grabber” and make cleaning up the garbage around her beloved lake part of her regular routine.
Great Blue Heron and ice plant at Lake El Estero, by Katie Dutcher
Katie gets much of her inspiration from Robin Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, and a plant ecologist and educator whose vision of environmental stewardship combines scientific facts with Indigenous knowledge gleaned from her lived experience as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In an article called, “Returning the Gift,” Kimmerer wrote, “For much of human’s time on the planet, before the great delusion, we lived in cultures that understood the covenant of reciprocity, that for the Earth to stay in balance, for the gifts to continue to flow, we must give back in equal measure for what we take.”
Kimmerer believes that many of the environmental problems we’re facing today stem from our consumption-driven economy where we’re always asking what more can we take from the Earth, but rarely asking what the Earth needs from us in return. “The laws of thermodynamics have not been suspended on our behalf. Unlimited growth is not possible. In a finite world, we cannot relentlessly take without replenishment.”
On the occasion of Earth Day, Katie and I are happy to share our “Mindful in Nature” resource, which includes two guided meditations (10-minutes and 20-minutes). We hope they help you find peace and contentment, reawaken your awe, and fuel your urge to help protect our beautiful planet, because we all need to be committed partners in the Earth’s renewal.
Check out our complete Mindful in Nature resource that offers Katie's tips for mindfully connecting with the natural world anytime, anywhere, and much more!
