This Wellness Wednesday is a particularly important one for us, as it is also the day we spend caring for and raising awareness around the planet Earth and Mother Nature herself!
April 22, 1970: The Very First Earth Day
Earth Day’s beginnings were not a beautiful sight. Sounds of agony and war stricken communities screaming were the backdrop for the cacophony of long standing societal foundations crumbling to the ground. In short, we were a nation of fear, anger, and we were taking it all out on not just each other, but the world we lived in. Pollution from rapidly increasing industry, litter from plastic, shiny packaging of consumerism, and plummeting populations in the animal kingdom were being hushed as global news covered the devastation of disease and violence.
One man-- Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin senator, dared to shake up the world in a whole new way. He wanted to shift the focus from what we could not control, to what we could control: how we cared for the space around us.
After Nelson’s team of 85 national correspondents gathered hundreds of supporters all focused on this radical new perspective, April 22, 1970, was the day they all came together in their cities to demonstrate and passionately share their knowledge with each person they encountered. Since then, the legend of Earth Day has been awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom and has touched every country across the planet!
Today, Earth Day is seen as a philanthropic, environmental, and even societal day of celebration to encourage others to speak, share, and change the conversations we make about the planet. New systems of recycling, composting and reducing emissions are all just a few of the important cornerstones to this legendary day.
This week, for Wellness Wednesday, we’re gifting you the ways that Earth Day can become a healthy, sustainable, and exciting time for you and your loved ones:
This may sound silly, but the planet has been giving us gifts and treasures since the beginning of time, and they are crystals, dirt, and water. Without water, there would be no life on Earth. Dirt provides enriched matter that we can grow food and cultivate insects with that begin the food chain. Crystals are powerful, concentrated forms of energetic love and time that anyone can benefit from.
Spend time in nature; go for a hike and bring seeds to feed to birds and squirrels-- give back to Mother Nature.
If you happen to find litter as you’re walking, simply take it in a small bag and throw it out after your hike is completed. This is a simple act of gratitude, and yet it is not done enough!
Crystal grids are simple, or elaborate, forms of artistry that promote healing and balancing in the body. Borrow or gather healing crystals to form a unique design anywhere in your home (or outside), and savor the results. Each crystal has its own strengths; by aligning them into an artistic grid, you are maximizing their strengths while creating a brand new source of healing energy! Clear quartz, rhodizite, citrine, and amethyst are commonly used healing crystals, but are not the only ones you can use!
Pro tip: Any design, so long as it has a center point, works for a crystal grid. You are not limited by a particular placement.
Start New Life: Plant The Seed
This is a literal meaning here, so find some seeds and plant a new source of energy and oxygen for the planet! Whether you have space for an entire garden, a window sill planter, or even just a single pot, everyone can grow beautiful plants in their home.
Where to start? From difficult to doable:
Green Thumb: Itching to start that garden? Simply portion out a few squares for easy vegetables, such as carrots and lettuce, to begin with. After your first “harvest,” add a new crop to the garden to enjoy!
Newbie Gardener: Herb gardens are easy to start, and simple to keep up. As an added bonus, that first cilantro or parsley you chop for a salad will make you swear off of grocery store herbs forever!
Small Space Plants: Purchasing a lemon? Make it organic or from a farmer’s market. Save your lemon seeds, dry them out, and plant into a small pot. As they sprout, the fresh lemon scent in your kitchen will be absolutely heavenly.
Easy Mode Plants: Start with a succulent; these robust plants need minimal watering and do not wilt easily. Once your succulent is growing and thriving, feel free to move up the scale and bring more plants into your life!
Have an Interview With Earth.
It’s impossible to sit down with our planet and have a conversation to see how we can take better care of it, but we can learn from the resources around us!
Have your “interview with Earth” by visiting the library! Find one aspect of Earth that you wish you knew more about: geology, biology, the animal kingdom, weather patterns, black holes, tectonic plates, or anything that is of interest to you. Find a book, magazine, or article that discusses this topic and take note of what you learn.
When we take the time to get curious, reading and listening for the answers to what interests us, we can make decisions from an informed place at all times. This is especially important when it comes to making choices that impact the environment and the planet.
Plus, you never know what you’ll learn when you do a bit of free research!
When you can preserve even 10% of what Earth Day provides each year in each day, who knows what we can accomplish! Simple healthy swaps-- walking instead of driving, buying products without packaging, not buying plastic water bottles-- all add up to an incredible change in how we care for the planet Earth. It’s up to each of us to support the legacy that Gaylord Nelson began over 45 years ago. How will you celebrate Earth Day healthfully this week?
Share your stories with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtags #rylwellnesswednesday and #roswellyogalife! What topics would you like to see covered next on Wellness Wednesday?