31 Questions - my top 5 questions
I love all of these questions. For sure i will return to this list in the future to inspire some blog posts that I write! They really make you think about the nature of our relationship with nature. No pun intended! I must have been a philosopher in another life, because I cannot seem to avoid trying to break things down to their smaller pieces, and then trying to build them back up again. I hope anyone reading doesn’t find my answers too boring. I am so glad to have found this Nat Med community, i think it's full of positivity and love and light and I think all people should be a part of something like this, so that they can learn from others and gain valuable insight about the incredible natural world we share this planet with!
source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/alberta-amazing-attraction-banff-417074/
1 - How did your journey in this path/with this practice began?
I first got interested in natural medicine when i was growing up, because my mother was very spiritually involved in practices like yoga and meditation, and she would talk to us kids about it at home. It started with talking about auras and energetic forces, learning about the nature of being, our interconnectivity with the planet. I developed an interest in nature the more I grew up, and my interest in philosophy, the nature of being and geography grew to the point that I majored in earth sciences at university. There I discovered for the first time my passion for eastern practices like zen through a philosopher called Alan Watts, who’s talks I was fascinated by. I listened to all his lectures and subsequently became increasingly detached to the world that i had been brought up in, now that i was beginning to question everything in it for myself. This was quite a powerful yet equally concerning experience, as my time studying, reading and listening to developing climate change related phenomena were unfolding around the time of the Paris Agreements in 2015. There seemed to be a disconnect between what was being normalized as standards of living in everyday life, and what i was learning about in books and papers. Though i did not know it at the time, this had started a lot of anxiety and worry for me as i wasn’t sure how to deal with this realization. Therefore my only recourse was to first focus on bettering myself, through natural medicine, meditation, traditional practices, and research those people/communities/groups that are actually on the same wavelength and understand what is going on and the responsibility of human beings as a whole for the current situation. I realized the need for self-expression was becoming too big to withhold, so i started blogging on wordpress a couple years ago. Then i discovered blockchain as it was becoming popular, and finally i stumbled upon Hive! Where i found this fantastic awesome community of people that are all on the same level about connecting back with mother nature and questioning the ‘normal’ way of living that is no longer acceptable for many many reasons that have become obvious for a lot of people out there.
3 - What do you think has been your most important learning during your process?
I think my most important lesson during this process has been the clarity of our connectivity to our environment. This had begun as a concept in my mind yet with time and through my own personal experience became a very real reality that was overwhelmingly relevant to everyone, whether they knew it or not. That it was the power of the people, as a whole, rather than as individuals, yet made out of individual actions, that in and of themselves are believed to be isolated, but are not. Our modern culture, our western norms, our consumerist habits, our capitalistic tendencies to willfully ignore environmental integrity, are nothing more than a crying shame. Given the knowledge that we have and are capable of, given the history that we have as a collective of many civilizations who each and every one has its own way of connecting with nature on a spiritual level, and yet has become absolutely detached, not willingly but by force, from the beliefs that once were so central to many traditional ways of life that governed mans more early ways for many thousands or even millions of years. I have learned that though money is a very human construct, and is quite abstract in its nature, it has corrupted the souls of many people who were brought up in societies that idolized its power, and blinded the reality of the damage that it caused. Indeed, this paradigm is not yet past, as the hollow momentum that fuels unequal neoliberal capitalistic growth, has come very close to redefining our relationship with nature on a fundamental level. One which, it is doubtful that if we do cross it, it may be very difficult to undo what has been done, due to the severity of the damage to the systems that are too often taken for granted by us, who’s stakeholder shares was never included on the balance sheets of billions of companies who despite this, continue to abuse their self-defined privileges. Ignoring the fact that they operate within a closed loop reciprocal environment, only that the cumulative effect of the market is one that we can see on one level, but that creates repercussions for the planet on a different level, on that it is much slower to react, but reacts nonetheless. In a world where the miracle of life is seldom represented in the actions of individuals, as the normal environment does not adapt to the whims of the environment, but to the whims of profit and bottom lines. I must admit that this is a very sobering lesson and one that for myself and i am sure many others has caused a lot of anxiety. This is because the problem is ongoing and the situation is getting worse. However, we can choose to focus on what is in our power to change. That is to gain knowledge, to share knowledge and to apply it to our own lives as well as those of others. To follow our instinct, our hearts and our gut feelings about what is right and what is wrong, to vote and lobby in our local countries for the most responsible representatives. And to stay as close to the earth as possible, in spirit and in action.
4 - Share some thoughts on how this path/practice could be beneficial for the community
I think this is a great question. In the end of the day, we are who we are for very distinct reasons. History exists for a reason, and our past is not merely a figment of our imagination as much as the fabric of our existence. Our foundation comprises the sum total of all the decisions that have been made before us. By everyone who has lived on this planet before. Once again the theme of a closed loop environment comes up. But with respect to community benefits of the path of natural medicine; nothing could be more important. It is in actuality the truest sense of the word value that can be imagined. The trial and error of countless generations passed, crystallising its pearls of knowledge that only seldom occur, and always used to get passed on to the next generation. Despite this, today there is a growing divide between what our ancestors knew about the natural world, and today where science and technology have overshadowed the wisdom of traditional knowledge. We are, as Graham Hancock would say, “a species with amnesia”, because although we are the only species on Earth that has the ability of cognitive recollection (memory), more often than not in the present era does natural medicine consist of the more niche and less important counterpart to contemporary medicine. Not only this, but there is a vast wealth of knowledge that has been lost, to the broken telephone line that is corrupted by bias and dogma, that has so often seeked to mute any and all adversaries that oppose its cause. Despite this, there is in my opinion, a growing interest, as is exemplified by this lovely community that i am delighted to be a part of, yet wish i would contribute more in, of the healing energies of the natural world that all humans should have the ability to reconnect to at any given moment, no matter their location. I believe that culture, in its very essence, is priceless, and moreso it contains wisdom and knowledge the likes of which other cultures could surely benefit from, if only they had the will to be open minded enough to give and take freely, as equals. Yet perhaps this is a pessimistic view, and i do not consider myself a pessimist but rather a realistic optimist, because of opportunities today that present themselves in life beyond the call of self-expression and into the world of entrepreneurship and collaboration and community centered on the common beliefs of sustainability at its core, with environmental integration on every level of society, perhaps only a dream, but very much a necessary one given the state of things. I think what i am trying to say is i do believe community is important, and if we can find ways to share information freely, without reservations of who or what, but purely information given with the sole intention to educate and inform, help grow and adapt what already exists, but make it better suited to the changing needs of our environment.
6 - What happened in your life that made you think "i HAVE to change my pattern" - what was that point of break?
This was for me on a personal level when I had gotten in the habit of smoking, by making friends in the wrong groups at school. As a teenager it is easy to get carried away and as i have an addictive personality i tend to get attached to things quite easily. For me the turning point was when I realized that smoking was starting to damage my own health. Which then made me completely turn my life around by going vegan eating healthy and exercising more as well as trying to make new friends. However i soon realized that in an age of technology it is actually quite hard to make real friends online and as life goes on and people change it is not always the case that your friends stay close to you, especially when you are moving around different countries. By travelling I began to notice the things that unite humans in their similarity goes beyond just physical similarities, but in their cultures they communicate the same ideas, the same principles and the same core values, wherever you go. That what makes us human is that we all have the ability to love another and to be loved in turn, and to give freely of positive energy as much as we are inclined to give. Because the limit stops at the edge of our inclination. It is just that, a matter of choice. And the knowledge to choose to do the right thing in any given moment is a responsibility the weight of which has unfortunately become more burdensome with the passage of time. As we see today in the news, there are countless tensions and frictions between political regimes and popular opinion in powerful countries that are not quite aligned with the long term vision and goals that one would assume from observing major world trends over the past recent years. Actually, it would seem like things are starting to get out of control, at some level. Therefore there is a greater incentive to change, and also more need for it, which intern would theoretically lead one to assume that, drastic creative action is needed and that the more ideas one can get, the better, because there is a lot of change to be had.
13 - Why isn't all medicine natural if everything comes from nature?
A great question. I think that because everything comes from nature in some way or another, all medicine can be considered natural in one sense. However science and pharmaceutical medicine has managed to develop the ability to extract pure substances from nature, often eliminating it from its original environment or form. I think that everything is the way it is in nature for a reason, and that as soon as we start playing around with it, we are unknowingly breaking some patterns that have taken millions of years to evolve. The wisdom and knowledge of evolution is in my mind obviously much wiser than that of man. And we cannot simply assume things with our own interests in mind, as often this may lead to the opposite, and we will end up hurting ourselves in the process. Therefore, our of faith in the natural world and the intelligence that underlines it, we should definitely do everything in our power not to perturb the natural hierarchy. Because if we do, we are breaking a chain that is much more valuable than we think, even if we believe we are not a part of that chain, when actually we are. A chain is linked together, and the strength of the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So, if we will continue to cure illness with medicines that are too extreme for the situation like antibiotics, without taking into consideration the position of bacteria in the bigger picture, not only in our bodies but also as a central part of life on earth, we may be taking evolution for a ride where it wasn’t necessarily meant to go. In any case, i have seen many documentaries about natural medicine on Youtube, and it goes without saying that the indiginous people living as close to nature as possible have very low levels of illness. This may be because they are more active, have stronger immune systems, or use natural medicines derived from their knowledge of the plant kingdom, or maybe all of the above. There are pros and cons to any way of life, that is for sure, but why must we sacrifice one for the other? Wouldn't it be best to identify the best of each world, and find a way to make it available for all? Who knows, but even in an age of the internet, I still feel that there is so much disconnection. Between people, between nature and humans, between culture and practice. I hope we will find a way to connect on a more meaningful level.
In any case it is a great feeling to write down what you feel and share it with others. Expression is a beautiful part of being human and a great way to get to know oneself and one another through serendipity. With that said, I look forward to reading other people's posts about his great topic this week! And i hope you enjoyed reading this!
Peace and love,
Namaste
dizzybee
Wow, sounds like you grew up in a great household to give you a good start on your spiritual journey! I didn't know you did earth sciences - what a great thing to study!
Eco anxiety is definitely real - and I so appreciate people like you who are so passionate about informing people through your writing.
It's kinda a common path, isn't it - to have a love of nature, learn about environmental systems and spirituality, and then realise it's all the same thing!
We live in strange and indeed amnesiac times! But it's so heartening being amongst like minded people on HIVE and hopefull there are may more like us in the world. It's funny that we are so connected online, but so disconnected in life - it's a tension I think many of us 'natural medicine' folk try to reconcile. Certainly stepping away from our screens and into nature has it's benefits, but still, so much knowledge and connection happens through technology too. I too hope we can reconcile these two seemingly opposing forces.
Really loved this intelligent and clearly passionate response - thankyou so much!
Thank you so much Riverflows. I do also feel that it is a common path nowadays. Falling in love with nature has become a side-effect of eco-anxiety that is so widespread today. I do beleive this will be in the longterm a positive transfomational force. Perhaps some of those who succumbed to anxiety will find it in themselves to create and transform their lives into a positive force for the good of the planet and humanity. Indeed, there is much being done towards healing the planet that cannot be ignored, i wish only that there could be some level of higher level synchronisity between cultures and socio-economic groups. All the best :)
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I like your perceptive @dizzybee! And you bought such clarity to the importance of our connection to nature which we are a part of and the reverence for the wisdom and knowledge that has come down through generations!
Hopefully with sharing and passing on our knowledge we can keep it alive and not have more be lost to future generations.
Thank-you for sharing your story and thoughts and letting us get to know you a little better!