Earth to Society: Women Scientists Exist!!!

A New Dimension of Healing

Healing is on my mind, because of the personal journey I am on, and because as a people I believe we need to heal at many levels. This topic is also taking on a new dimension for me: there is potentially a connection between our own experience in the body, and what could potentially happen with our family, community, surrounding nature and beyond.

I had the opportunity to reflect on this during a global digital gathering with beloved alumni of GTC (Generating Transformative Change), a leadership development community I am joyfully associated with. As participants, we were invited to listen to output of breakout groups that had convened the day before, and then choose which one to be part of. I was attracted to the group called ‘Soma and Planetary Care’, because of what it stood for, and the content generated.

For me, the words ‘Soma and Planetary Care’ refer to the spectrum of care we can practice, from the smallest organism, to us humans, to the whole planet. What follow are elements of conversations that were shared prior to my joining.

Healing Me, Us and the Planet
One question generated in this group was: could cultivating ourselves help us to cultivate the planet? As we seek to heal, embracing our limitations can be liberating, shared one participant, while another agreed that there is a need for humility in recognizing limitations: body and planetary. In this process, another one added, we can let go of anything that doesn’t serve us: mindset, habits and belief systems. And paradoxically the deeper we connect to the self, the deeper we connect to others and the Earth. I found this latter statement to be profound.

The group’s conversation led to the reflection that, as we heal at different levels, we may reintegrate lost wisdom. And this is when we wish to reconnect with our ancestors and indigenous wisdom.

To summarize the above, one participant wisely added: the healing of me; the healing of us; the healing of the planet, are bound together. Indeed, they are all interconnected!

Nature Heals Us through Interconnection

I had the luck of joining the breakout group that continued the conversation mentioned above. With my lovely colleagues we had a dialogue that revolved around the following affirmations:

– We are interconnected, and
– Nature heals us through this connection

We deliberated on how we have lost our connection with nature through a modern capitalist system, where so many elements of life are commoditized. One colleague wisely reflected aloud by saying: ‘The planetary and personal are deeply interlinked and entangled. What we see and experience in our personal lives also reflects global and planetary pain. There’s a grounded reality here, I believe. It’s not just projection, more than projection.’
So, what can we do differently?

Given the yearning of many of us, for healing at different levels, that we are interconnected and long to reconnect to ourselves, to others, our past and nature, what can we do on a daily basis, and what can our contribution to the community be as we experience a new dimension of healing? How can we influence, even though we may feel we are not making a difference?

As we reflected on the above, the following thoughts emerged:

– In our home, we could bring plants indoors, and find ways to heal through the food we eat. These practices can make a difference and could reconnect us to soma, nature and the planet. Bringing back beauty is possible, since there is so much of it around us.
– We can enact connection, and talk about it,
– We don’t know what influence our actions may yield. We matter so much more than we think. We underestimate our power,
– We can influence wherever we are: some may be fanning the fires of disconnection, but some ARE promoting connection, and
– We may use our voice and bring change, especially by sharing ideas of reconnecting to nature and ourselves.

At a personal level, I believe that all I can do is ‘be’: I can work to heal unhealthy patterns inherited from generations back. I feel relieved knowing that my son can observe what I am engaged in, and learn. By the simple act of being and committing to healing, is my way of influencing.

Healing for One, Healing for All
Such dialogues inspired me to create and share a personal intention and declaration to dive deeper into this new dimension of healing, written as follows:

‘My original intention is to have a present future that is filled with wellbeing and vitality, for myself and others. What emerged after my creative process were the words \’living spirituality everyday\’.

I notice nature is having such a healing effect…The energy around me and within will help me heal.

It\’s time to let go of what is not needed – within my body, in the energy in the house, in the community, country and world.

May this be a healing process for all, where we can operate from an open heart.

Every day can have a space for healing. That energy is quiet and powerful. WE are preparing ourselves for what is new to emerge.

We are learning from the past.

May this healing save future generations.’

Amen to that.
I am curious: what healing journey are you on?

Written by: Nadia Waber