If you have been feeling a sense of overwhelm, fear, anxiety, loss, paralysis, and grief for some time... in light of ecological crisis, destruction of the natural world, and especially amidst Coronavirus pandemic, you are not alone. This grounding yet inspiring conversation is for you.
We are speaking with Ayana Young, host of the For The Wild podcast, an anthology of the Anthropocene; focused on land based protection, co-liberation and intersectional storytelling rooted in a paradigm shift from human supremacy towards deep ecology.
In this heart-felt interview, we talk about the transformative power of collective and personal grief as a portal, the importance of letting grief in collectively in this time, and the insights we are beginning to glean from COVID-19. Ayana reminds us of the critical importance of community resiliency, local systems, and connection to Place that is rooted in love.
Ayana shares how she faces grief, guilt, and shame in her own life, including supportive touchstones and practices, and how her work and conversations with great minds on her podcast have shaped and informed her own evolution.
Ayana also shares about her land restoration projects, including the "1 Million Redwoods" project, where she is working to preserve and propagate the biodiversity of the old growth Redwood forest.
Ayana’s deeply rooted commitment to wild nature is apparent in the way she navigates this discussion with a grounded sense of curiosity, connectedness and aliveness that has seeded in me a sense of hope.
Hear Ayana’s invitation to listeners during the challenging times of Coronavirus and beyond, and her prayer for the collective.
Show Notes
In this episode, we discuss:
Collective grief: how it has been building and woven within the web of climate change, recent ecological destruction, & now Coronavirus
The mirroring of degeneration between human health and Mother Earth’s health
The connection between guilt and grief active in Ayana’s experience, and how she invites the experience of guilt as a guide
The importance of slowing down in urgent times
How grief is informative and why we need to be present for it
Desensitization as a barrier to transformation
The currency of attention and its role in experiencing grief
Why happiness is not Ayana’s personal goal in life
The way Ayana deals with grief, and why she wants to be fully present for it
The many gifts that grief brings on individual and collective levels, including the transmutation into passion and action
The ways Ayana sees Coronavirus impacting our reality
The critical importance of community resiliency, local systems, and connection to Place that is rooted in love
Ayana’s land restoration projects, including the "1 Million Redwoods" project, where she is working to preserve and propagate the biodiversity of the old growth Redwood forest
The power of slowing down, saying No, and rest
What we can glean from seeing the Earth’s resiliency in action during coronavirus
What can be birthed out of this crisis that would serve our world
Why Ayana created For The Wild and how she has been shaped by her work
The most supportive touchstones or practices for her amidst climate change and COVID-19
The industrial complex within the field of restoration work and Ayana’s call for integrity and harm reduction
Remembering how to live as humans again and the false devaluation of manual labor
Ayana’s vow + commitment to the trees
Ayana’s invitation to listeners during the challenging times of Coronavirus and beyond, and her prayer for the collective
QUOTES
“We’ve been living on this earth as humans much longer than we’ve been living as industrialized humans.” ~ Ayana Young
“We have to fall in love, and we have to be committed and devoted, so when we see those things being lost, the grief gets awakened (and maybe guilt and shame). We can move that into passion, action, devotion, commitment, focus... if we can do that with stillness, slowness, and real intention, that would be such a good recipe for how to be with what is happening right now.” ~ Ayana Young
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Connect With Ayana Young
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Resources
FTW Episode with Dr. BAYO AKOMOLAFE on Slowing Down in Urgent Times /155
WORK WITH VENESSA
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