Did you know that self care and awareness can help the planet? Well, let's read to see how self care can bring awareness to Climate change.

One way to truly care for the Earth is to stop relating Earth as just our environment and instead say that Earth is part of us. Then we can truly show compassion, because the Earth's pain is our pain. Yoga and meditation not only helps your well being but helps the earth around you. Read to find out how yoga and meditation can bring more awareness towards climate change, read inspiring quotes from famous practitioners and grow a perspective of peace and love for our planet.

The way we walk on this earth and how we treat ourselves also impacts how you treat others and what you put out into the world. The way you walk on this Earth is the best way to help the Planet, because it establishes the relationship between you and the Earth. Viewing that the Earth and human beings are one, we are children of Earth, will help human beings take care of the earth. We can make plans, use many techniques and have many arguments about how to take care of Earth but if we don't change our basic relationship with Earth and with our society, then the plans, techniques and the arguments will not be fruitful in the end. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, who has hundreds of thousands of followers around the world practicing his techniques, believes the reason most people are not responding to the threat of global warming, despite overwhelming scientific evidence, is that they are unable to save themselves from their own personal suffering, so how could they worry about Earth's problems. Which is another reason why many politicians deny the problems of this Earth and society. By recognising the ongoing connection of all life, we can go past the idea that we are separate selves and explain our love and compassion in a way that we take action to protect our Earth. In Thich Nhat Hanh's book called Fear, he writes about how people spend most of their lives worrying about getting ill, getting sick and aging, losing belongings they treasure, despite the obvious fact that we all have to leave one day and let that go. When we understand that we are more than our physical body, that we didn't come from nothingness and we will not disappear into nothingness, we are free from fear. Thich Nhat Hanh says, "Fearlessness is not only possible but the ultimate joy." Our fear of not having enough, not being enough makes most people compete against each other and keep demanding more from themselves and their surroundings. But knowing that we all will one day have to leave that behind is when we can be in the present and just nourish our Earth, fulfilling our desire to simply be in connection, instead of worrying about having.

What supports walking on this Earth with compassion, is starting a daily practice of yoga and meditation. Yoga is more than an exercise and practice but a way to strengthen your ability to be in the moment by breathing in and out. Seasoned practitioners believe that ancient traditions and techniques of the yoga world offer an opportunity to better deal with crises such as coronavirus pandemic and environmental issues.

"These practices help to bring us into the present moment and help to connect us to the reality of the situation," said Jenny White, a British shiatsu practitioner who has been meditating for over two decades. Jenny White explains that traditions of yoga and meditation help create an awareness of what is happening in our world and allow us to solve difficult situations and our reactions towards them. "Our body response to big crisis situations, like climate change, and now the pandemic, is often to freeze, be numb and to run away," she said. "The more we can connect with our body responses, the more we can tune into our own personal and collective responsibility to a crisis, whether it's the pandemic or climate change, without going into that trauma response."

"Yogi's believe that all life is connected, that we are all one and should live in harmony with each other," said Alexander Bütow, who runs a yoga and meditation studio in Berlin.

"The problem is that many humans take themselves out of that and create divisions, groups, and start disconnecting - from themselves, from others, from the world around them. Once we stop this disconnect, we can overcome crises together."

You might be wondering; What about the obvious problems that are happening around the world, like global warming, ice melting, lack of recycling, shouldn't that be what causes most of the problems and shouldn't that be what you bring awareness to? Well, yes, but as well as the carbon dioxide pollution of our physical environment, we can speak of the spiritual pollution of our human environment, the toxic and destructive atmosphere we're creating by the way we consume. We need to consume in a way that truly substantiates our peace and happiness. Most of the reasons why we're so destructive and negative with one another and the planet is because we lose ourselves by buying and consuming things we don't need. Most of what we drink, eat, watch, read or listen to, is toxic, polluting our bodies and minds with violence, anger, fear and despair. This leads to negative reactions and impulses which also brings the reason why we can't come together and help the planet. We don't need to consume so much to be happy, in fact we can live very simply. We need to consume in a way that keeps our love and compassion alive. Once we realize that with mindfulness, any moment can become a happy moment, for example like taking one simple breath, giving yourself a moment to stop and contemplate, to admire the beautiful sky above, or fully enjoy the presence of your loved ones, can we be more happy and become more present. Every single one of us needs to reconnect with ourselves, with our loved ones and with the Earth. It is not money, power nor consuming that can make us happy but having love and understanding in our heart is when we can truly care and take notice of the problems around us without being impulsive or numb towards the world around us.

As you can see, self care and awareness is not only a way to help the planet but the basics on how to change the many problems occuring in our world. Walking on this Earth with a known respect and knowing that the Earth is not separate from us is when we can truly empathize with the Earth's pain, help it and establish a new relationship with nature for the future generations. A way to help Earth is by meditating and practicing mindful yoga, being present in the moment and connecting with ourselves and therefore being more aware of our own habits, thinking patterns, unexpressed emotions and surroundings. "When we are more aware of our inner environment, we also have a greater awareness of our external environment." Now that you have read this, research more on how to take care of yourself and one day you can spread awareness on how this is a helpful tool to put a halt on Climate Change. Climate Change is the result of abuse and mistreatment of our Mother earth's natural resources. So, as Earth is part of us and we are Earth, the questions you can meditate on can be: How am I mistreating my body and what can I do today to truly take care of it and respect it?

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Citations

Sister Chan Duc. "Taking Care of Earth, Nourishing Our Love." Plum Village, 20 Sept. 2019, https://plumvillage.org/articles/blog/monastic/taking-care-of-earth-nourishing-our-love/.

"Only Love Can Save Us from Climate Change." Plum Village, 18 Jan. 2020, https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/interviews-with-thich-nhat-hanh/the-guardian-uk-21-january-2013/.

(www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Can Yoga and Meditation Help Us to Connect with Nature?: DW: 08.01.2021." DW.COM, 1 Aug. 2021, https://www.dw.com/en/environment-planet-climate-awareness-mindfulness-animals-plants-yogis-breath/a-56162526.

"Thich Nhat Hanh's Statement on Climate Change for the United Nations." Plum Village, 9 Oct. 2019, https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanhs-statement-on-climate-change-for-unfccc/.

volunteer. "Celebrate Earth Day with Meditation as a Way to Help the Environment." Art Of Living (United States), https://www.artofliving.org/us-en/meditation-as-a-way-to-help-the-environment.