The Work That Reconnects is the name for the work that has been developed by Joanna Macy, the profound American activist who has merged Buddhist philosophy and systems theory into an integrated form of healing and activism. The premise is a simple one, although the implications are far-reaching. The idea is that by engaging in practices which help us reconnect to our feelings, to our bodies and to the Earth, we can more meaningfully participate in the 'Great Turning' - the shift from an industrial society to a sustainable one.
Yesterday as part of honouring Earth Hour at school, I led the students through some of these practices - including a meditation, a creative visualization with seven generations back and seven generations forward, a gratitude circle and a 'boddhisatva check-in." The best part? The vast majority of students loved it, and allowed other dimensions of their intelligence - particularly their emotional and intuitive intelligence - to be come forward during the activities.
I have been fortunate to participate in Jeannette McCullough's skilled facilitation of this work here in Toronto for adults. Through my own immersion in work like this, I have become more passionately convinced that young people need more opportunities to connect with themselves, one another, and the Earth in simple and profound ways like this. We used little to no electricity during these activities, and there was a palpable level of engaged focus in the class.
The best proof? The student who piped up at the end of our time to say, "Hey Maria - did you notice that none of us were misbehaving during these activities? We should do this more often!"
REMEMBERING THE ANCIENT DEER: Reflections on an Evolving Consciousness
