During the pandemic, most of us were forced to slow down in fear and isolation. But what happens when we CHOOSE to slow down in love and community? That was the invitation at the European Ecovillage Gathering 2024!
At the beginning, I felt some resentment. It manifested as boredom. “Why are they speaking soooo slowly? Do they think we’re retarded? They are treating us like children. This is taking sooooo long! Can we PLLLEEZ cut to the chase?”. As I started to relax into the present moment, felt my body, made myself comfortable, I began to appreciate and enjoy the slow rhythm. The same voice that used to annoy me, became soothing and relaxing. Slowing down allowed me to feel, perceive and enjoy the subtle energies that get bypassed in the fast pace of life. It was like a veil being lifted. Interlinks and connections became visible.
“Rooted (indigenous) people will never hurt the land!” Aida Shibli shared in one of her profound workshops. “Land (Nature) is life. The antidote to aggression is rooted-ness”. A lightbulb lit up in my head! Of course! Un-rooted people are like dismembered organs, desperately searching for a body in order to feel whole. They instinctively realize that indigenous people have something they lack. So they steal, plunder and ransack resources left and right only to realize that their hunger is insatiable. The problem was never the lack of resources. The problem has always been their lack of roots. What is not integrated, is exaggerated. In their process of trying to feel whole, they wreak havoc and uproot other groups. And so goes the cycle of violence.
What if, instead, we (re)discover and/or (re)create our roots? What if we reestablish our connection to Nature? Our Mother? The Source? What if we grow our own roots instead of stealing resources? Roots can never be appropriated.
How do I grow my own roots? It’s as simple as learning about the ecosystem around me. The flora and fauna. What trees and plants grow here? How can I make them thrive? Where does my water come from and where does it go? What happens to it in between? Who lives in my neighborhood besides humans? How can I manifest peaceful coexistence for all beings? How can I serve LIFE?
Sadly our modern city life is completely severed from the source, from Nature. Most cities, even their green landscapes, are dead. We sacrificed Life, health, connections and abundance for the illusions of safety, control, convenience and “looking good”. Only to realize that, in reality, we became sick, colonized, dismembered slaves to a death machine.
Indigenous people who live with and off the land know how to serve Life. We all are/were indigenous. I invite us, me and you, to go back to our roots. Who are my ancestors? What was their life like? What were their daily rituals? Tap into their wisdom. I only need to look so far as my own body. It knows. It carries the memories and keeps the score. We all started as tiny little specks in our maternal grandmother’s body. I invite us to tap into our indigenous wisdom. Let’s remember who we are beyond doing and beyond constructed identities. Let’s stop pretending that our way of life is sustainable. Let’s slow down and ask “What do we do after we stop pretending? How can we serve all LIFE?”
Many people all over the world are heeding the call. Creating a world founded on collaboration, cooperation, coexistence and harmony with all living things. The Ecovillage Gathering was a conference for those shifting from the culture of fear and scarcity to that of love and abundance! Living, studying, sharing and researching how to live in harmony with Nature and each other. I had the great pleasure and honor of teaching 2 workshops at the annual European Ecovillage Gathering 2024 held in Ängsbacka community in Sweden; “4 Practices 4 Healthy Relationships” and “Egyptian Bellydance“. They were both full and were received with a lot of gratitude, appreciation and love. People were finishing my sentences and validating the concepts I was introducing. I left my beautiful soul tribe with a full heart.
Dougald Hine invited us to share the hard earned lessons and experiences: “An intentional community is like a circle of people looking inwards. It’s time to let go of the hands, turn around, hold hands again while looking outwards”.
We can’t wait any more. As Nigerian born Bayo Akomolafe said:
“The time is very urgent – we must slow down.”
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Unconditional Love 