spiritual, consciousness shift

One of the little girls was over at our apartment and was hungry; in that moment, I struggled with the fact that I have food, usually three times a day.

I remember a friend's story about two little boys. One of them said to the other “We are all One” and the other said “Yes, but why are we wearing different shoes?” Being with that little girl, I struggled with how different our circumstances were. We have very different shoes. I struggled with my own belief that we are all One.

After watching the film "For the Next 7 Generations" about the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers and following a few recent conversations, I'd like to share more here about my spiritual perspective.

I have been reflecting on the oil spill in the Gulf - the tragic impact on communities and ocean, and the call for change strike me as enormous. As I read articles from friends, environmental activists and religious/spiritual leaders alike, I am hearing more and more the resounding message that the spill is a wake up call, urging us to revisit our collective relationship with fossil fuels.
 

When looking at photos of the oil spill in the Gulf, I felt flooded with despair, sadness and hopelessness; the well-being of the Earth, the water, the people and animals are so deeply precious to me.  When I consider the quantity of oil pouring out, I fear sometimes that the gulf between our actions and what we value is too wide.  Yet today, connecting continually with the Earth, I feel more peaceful, calm, trusting.  

by Bonita Ford.  Creative Commons - Attribution, 2010.

I started this blog entry at the request of a friend. We were talking about the roles of "shadow" or "darkness", and "lightness" in bringing about social and personal transformation.

by Bonita Ford.  Creative Commons - Attribution, 2010. 

by Bonita Ford. Creative Commons - Attribution 2010.

Since much of what I write is informed by my personal practice in Nonviolent-Compassionate Communication (NVC), I feel compelled to share about my understanding of NVC and why it is so powerful and enriching for me.

At its simplest, I would describe Nonviolent-Compassionate Communication as a practice where we are trying to connect deeply with another person and trying to find ways to meet both of our needs.  

I was reminded in a workshop I gave last week, called "Inner Peace and Outer Nature", that observation is as much about paying attention to details as it is about opening our attention and allowing information to come in. I think meditation is a great example of effective, thoughtful observation in both permaculture and Nonviolent Communication. In meditation and observation, we focus on one object (an element) or our field of awareness (patterns in a whole system), open our attention and notice whatever is there, all without grasping at a certain solution.