11 Practices for Building An Earth-Honoring Life
Every year when Earth Day rolls around I honestly get a little bit pissed off. I know this is contradictory and potentially “uncool” as an environmentalist, but the idea of having a “day” for the Earth just seems such a blatant representation of our destructive, colonial, capitalistic, anti-Earth culture.
When respect and reciprocity for something are woven into your everyday life, your culture, your economy, your relationships, you don’t need a day to remind you to pay attention to that thing. Earth Day just seems like remind me how far away we are from living in Earth-honoring ways. It feels like a paternalistic handout from the colonial, white supremacist, capitalist system that's meant to placate people rather than inspire the radical collective action we actually need. Major side-eye.
Our vision for Joyality has always been to support and inspire people to integrate Earth-honoring practices into their everyday lives in order to truly transform the way we live, work, relate and co-create change. Our goal is one of long-term, large-scale change through fractal interwoven systems of transformation. That does not happen in a day.
Here are 11 ideas for ways to celebrate and honor the Earth on Earth Day and every other day of our lives in hopes of moving a bit closer to that vision of a just, regenerative and vibrant world.
Learn about the Indigenous people of the land you live on.
Who are the Indigenous peoples whose land you live on? How did they live before colonization? How do they live now? What is their native language? What are their current challenges and needs? How can you support their sovereignty and liberation in your daily life? Remember to listen to what they say/ask for rather than coming up with your own ideas.
Start a compost pile.
This is a great way to not only reduce your contribution to the landfill, but also to build soil which is critical to human and planetary health. Perhaps you even share the idea with your neighbors and set up a community compost pile. Composting helps us reconnect with the life/death/life cycle and can become a beautiful metaphorical and physical reminder that new life always grows from what is dying.
Go plastic-free.
You can start with a commitment to no single-use plastic for Earth Week, or go for a whole month. See how it goes, what shifts in you and your rituals/routines? What's challenging about it? What do you love? Plastic is toxic to human and ecological health and there are so many wonderful alternatives. You can also get our #plasticfree guide to help you get started!
Support your local economy.
Whenever you can, choose to “buy local” and support diversely owned small businesses run by local people. Is there a farmers or growers market where you can buy produce or products? Can someone in your local community fix or repair stuff? Are there things you can share or swap with neighbors and friends? Small local businesses are more likely to re-invest their revenue in the local community, and shortening the distance things have to travel to us reduces emissions and interrupts harmful global supply chains.
Explore the Earth-honoring traditions of your ancestors.
We all come from cultures and peoples who lived with deep reverence, respect and reciprocity for Earth and nature's cycles. What were those traditions in your lineage? Why and how were they stopped? Are there ways you can honor those practices through your own daily rituals? This can be a powerful way to reconnect with your personal history of connection to the Earth as well as avoid cultural appropriation of others’ sacred traditions and practices.
Set up a personal reparations plan.
Racism and white supremacy are global systems that uphold and perpetuate the climate crisis. We cannot separate our social and cultural crises from our ecological ones, either in causes or solutions. Setting up a personal reparations plan can be a way to honor the Earth through individual action to support those at the forefront of climate affects and climate action. Consider giving monthly to local or national organizations, or directly to BIPOC people.
Plant something.
Even if it's just a single pot, the ritual of tending to non-human beings, getting soil on your skin, and connecting with the pace at which nature germinates, grows and blooms can be deeply transformative and ripple out into other aspects of our lives. Maybe you even have room for a garden! Growing your own food, even if it’s just a little bit, can be a very empowering practice.
Get clear about your vision for the future.
What world do you want to live in? What world do you want your children and their children and their children to live in? What does this world look like, smell like, sound like, taste like, feel like? How are you living? How are others living? What is the economy like? How do politics and social systems work? Allow your imagination to run wild, setting “logic” aside and opening to a vision of your ideal world. Write it down, or draw it or create some representation of it that you can return to to reconnect and feel your vision.
Choose one thing from your vision and start living it now.
Pick one thing that came to you clearly in your vision about how you are living in your ideal world and start living it right now. Pick something that brings you joy and excitement when you think about it. What aspects of this ideal world can you bring to life right now? Notice how this changes your sense of empowerment and agency. Does it ripple out into other areas of your life?
Have a conversation about your feelings about the state of the world.
Take some time to talk with a loved one about the deeper emotions you have about the state of the world. Emotions like grief, rage, fear and helplessness are often not given space or social acceptance in our over-culture, and therefore can stew under the surface paralyzing us and blocking our ability to take empowered action for change. Staying silent about these feelings can also make us feel like we’re alone, isolated, and therefore even more helpless. Notice how it feels to bridge this topic with another person, and how your emotions shift afterwards. While it can be uncomfortable, you may be surprised by the relief and sense of connection you feel afterwards.
Create a daily ritual to show gratitude to the Earth.
How do you want to show the Earth your love and appreciation for giving, supporting and recycling life in all its forms? This may be very personal and can also be incredibly simple. Perhaps a moment of thanks as you drink your morning glass of water, pouring the first sip of your tea or coffee into the Earth, singing a song, or placing your bare feet and hands on the ground. Whatever feels genuine to you, practice showing Earth your gratitude each day.
Our lives and selves are made up of the small, often seemingly insignificant, things we do each day. It can be easy to want to focus on big, dramatic, sweeping changes and those certainly have their place and time. Yet making small shifts is often a much more powerful, and approachable way to create the change we want to see. We hope these rituals support you to create big transformation through small shifts.