top of page

Healing the Earth and Thinking Beyond our Purchasing Power

Writer's picture: Jackie HeintzmanJackie Heintzman

Updated: Apr 12, 2021

Jackie Heintzman B.Env.Sc.


Living sustainably within a system that is inherently unsustainable can feel overwhelming and daunting. With every plant-based cleaning product you buy, reusable coffee mug you use and the recycling you clean and sort, we are still fighting an uphill battle with corporations and government that ultimately see the environment as a profit they can benefit from. Putting a cost on invaluable services that planet earth provides humans is destined to fail, which is why the future of our environment lays in the connection between us and nature. Deepening our relationship with the earth and all its majesty is at the root of combating this ecological disaster we are finding ourselves in. You’ve likely read all the tips and tricks to live a conscious and mindful lifestyle, but your sustainable actions must go beyond consumerism, as this only perpetuates the failing system we’re embedded into. This article hopes to broaden your horizon on how you think about sustainability, and your role within it.

First and foremost, there is a deep wound within the feminine energy in the world that must be healed to unravel the environmentally degrading system of today. This energy is not just the responsibility of females, it is a responsibility of every human to awaken this nurturing, compassionate and empathetic approach to life that nature desperately needs from us. The world has embraced the divine masculine energy for centuries, viewing the earth’s resources as something to dominate, to take and ultimately destroy with no obvious consequences. The missing feminine energy in this approach has been detrimental to our earth’s fragile ecosystem, which is why your sustainability work must go beyond your consumerist decisions. Arouse that inner goddess within yourself, give light to the wild woman that is within us all. Once we have healed this imbalance within ourselves, we can make way for the feminine energy in our masculine counterparts. By normalizing vulnerability, compassion and empathy in every gender, we make the human race a little gentler, a little more inclusive, that will trickle right down to how we treat our planet. By awakening the inner goddess within the world, the ingrained disrespect of feminine qualities can be dismantled, and we can begin to discuss what a society can look like without stripping the earth of all its glory.

Another important step in your sustainability journey is to get in touch and learn from the Indigenous Peoples that know our home on a much deeper level than we have ever been able to. No matter where you are in the world, it is likely that you are living on stolen land that was once cared and nurtured for in a much more reciprocal and respectful manner.

Indigenous author Robin Kimmerer explains in her book Braiding Sweetgrass that, “in the Western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top – the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of Creation – and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn – we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example.” (Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants)


By learning from our Indigenous ancestors, we are learning how to heal the world. But first, we must lift these communities up, support them in their fight for land back, and make space for them in this society that we’ve deemed more important than theirs. We cannot heal our connection to land without the help of Indigenous Peoples, as their knowledge and relationship with the earth is a powerful force that must be uplifted and respected.

Finally, perhaps the most tangible step in your sustainability journey, is to get outside. Ground your bare feet to the earth, feel the energy and magic that is right at your fingertips. Never forget about this unbreakable bond you have with the earth, your home. When you are feeling overwhelmed with consumerist addictions, fighting manipulation from corporations and battling values with government, get outside and remember that mother nature is still there with all her majesty. She is waiting for us, she is there for us, and she will forgive us. The system we are living within is broken, and with every moment you take to awaken the inner goddess within you, give voice to Indigenous wisdom, and get your toes in the dirt, you are slowly unravelling the disaster we are headed towards. We are capable of so much more than just our purchasing power, so I encourage you to think beyond your consumeristic methods of living a sustainable lifestyle, and don’t forget that “the land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness” (Robin Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass).




About the Author:


Jackie Heintzman

Bachelors of Environmental Studies

jackieheintzman@gmail.com

56 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Receive occasional emails related to wellbeing and be the first to know about upcoming events and programs. Don't worry, we keep our email communication minimal and promise not to spam.

Thanks for submitting!

©2024 MADE WITH LOVE BY DESIRÉE MICHELLE
bottom of page