ATEEKA´s SUSTAINABILITY STORY

I arrived our Planet Earth in 1970 . . . in a middle upper class sprawling suburban area outside of Denver, Colorado in the US.  First daughter to two well-intentioned young parents, I was born into an age of fast food, single-use plastics and growing consumerism.    In a way, a very abundant childhood . . . given all the modern things that every little girl wanted . . . Barbies, Saturday lunches at Burger King and even a mini-television for my own room.   These were the signs of success in this era, and sustainability was not a concern in the community where I grew up.  We all felt that we had more than enough.   

So, given my background, it has been such an interesting “coming of age”  over the last 20 years, to become more aware of our interconnectedness with Mother Earth . . . and find ways that we can help care for our ONLY planet, our home, and also ourselves.

One thing that has been VITAL for me in awakening to a sustainable way of living has been becoming more aware how I care for, move and breathe in my very own body.  This very body of mine . . . a breathing being . . . so connected and a reflection of to the health of our Mother Earth.

For over 25 years, I have been a yoga and somatic movement teacher and women’s health advocate.  The more structured and alignment based way that I practiced yoga in my 20s has changed gradually, yet profoundly, over the years.  Now in my 51st year, I feel deeply connected to a sustainable yoga approach that has emerged from within me . . . that I call “yogaSOMATICS.”   It is a feminine, soft, slow and inner contact expression of movement.  Literally, yoga from the inside out.

While I also feel it really important to take sustainability actions in my “outer world”, such as recycling, not using single-use plastics, eliminating fossil fuel travel as much as possible, composting and living close to nature, YogaSOMATICS is my ultimate expression of sustainability from inside out.   

YogaSOMATICS is an experiential practice of getting to know oneself through life movements, here on Earth, here in a body, here with thoughts and emotions, here relating with each other.  Here as-we-are.

Somatic movement is sensed and shaped from within, without dependency on an outside form or authority.  Yoga is ‘union’ or that which reunites us with wholeness, that which has never been separate.    YogaSOMATICS, a return to the knowing of wholeness, through one’s own life movement, in a first-person relational experience.

YogaSOMATICS honors one’s own natural rhythms, steadily developing deepening confidence in the body and mind’s inherent capacity to balance and heal itself. 

It is a dedication to knowing myself through movement that has inspired me to take sustainable action in the world.  The more I can respect and care for my own system, the more it makes sense to take care of the planet that supports, sustains and nourishes us.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOR ME?

To me, a very important quality of sustainable living is “giving attention” . . . giving care . . . listening and responding . . . to the world around me.  It is being both soft and receptive to sense what is needed in each moment - yet also being willing to take action towards those needs.   I feel that sustainability begins with LISTENING.   

First, being able to listen to my body each day.  What is this body communicating to me today?   How is my energy level?  Do I have pain or good sensations in my body?  Is there inflammation? Do I have new needs for rest, different foods, exercise?  

I don’t assume that each day will be the same for this body in which I live.  The physical body, much like our Mother Earth, is cyclical and always responding to its environment.  Sustainability is being able to listen and respond to these changing cues.

Secondly,  being able to listen and give attention to my emotions.  What is moving there under the surface on an emotional level?  What are my dreams communicating to me?     My emotional life, much like the waters of our planet Earth needs to circulate and move to be naturally cleansed and sustain relationships.

To bring attention to this present moment - as it is - and respond to that is sustainability to me.  And of course, this also includes the actions and choices I take in the world around me.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

The bigger question is often - does how I need/want to respond “fit” into the way my lifestyle is now?  And how can I make gentle, gradual changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle.  One day at a time. I feel it is very important to take it slow, one step at a time, give good care to ourselves and not be too hard on ourselves when we cannot “convert” to full sustainability all at once.   

HOW DID I AWAKEN TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE VISION?

My sustainability journey has really been ignited by my yoga and meditation practice.  The softer listening practice of yogaSOMATICS showed me (and continues to do so) how to LISTEN.   When I LISTEN, the answers are more clear.   

In my early 20’s, I suffered 3 years of severe eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulemia.  After I began to eat healthy again and get back in touch with my body’s organic processes, it still took 10 more years to fully heal the cellular damage that occurred from this self-destructive behaviour to body. 

HEALING TAKES TIME

This was my first awakening to “taking care” and “giving care” to myself.   I recognized that for a living organism to thrive, she must be nourished, cleansed, rested, moved and have circulation of energy.   And I also recognized that HEALING TAKES TIME.

This continues to inspire me to remember that also our good efforts towards a sustainable life in the world will take time.  It takes time . . . but we begin NOW.  We will make mistakes.  We will learn new ways.  We will have jumps ahead and we will have setbacks as we step into new ways of living WITH Mother Earth, rather than ON Earth.

This is so much an “as above-so below” awareness for me.  And THAT is what continues to inspire me to take the extra steps (that I did not learn as a child) towards sustainable living.

I make sure that I have TIME and SPACE for my practice everyday - in the way it needs to be each day.  I dedicate to REST. I dedicate to time in NATURE.

Time in nature is a gift for me.   My husband Ola and I have a shared direction in sustainable living and we have chosen to live mostly off-the-grid.  Our primary home is in the forest of Norway - far suburbs and cities, where we can have peace and quiet with a dog and some lovely free range chickens.  

We also have a second little space - a sustainable living project in Sardegna, Italy . . . called OLIVANANDA, where we explore with living sustainably in a rural olive garden.  We harvest our own olive oil and grow our own vegetables with the help from friends who come from around Europe to share in this vision.    Friends live and care for the garden when are not there. . . and this also inspires us towards shared living spaces.  At the moment of this writing, we are looking for a new custodian of this special property, as I am going through simplifications processes more and more.

Free, Clean Drinking Water is a Human Right

Important for us in both places is to have access to free, clean drinking water from the Earth.  We have access to remote (but public) untreated mineral water springs in both homes.  Free, clean drinking water from the Earth is truly a gift - and something we wish to help sustain and protect for all humans.

WHAT ARE SOME STEPS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY THAT I SUGGEST FOR OTHERS?

I so warmly suggest that every woman (and man!) find a sustainable, healing movement practice to dedicate to.  One that you LOVE to do and makes you feel good.  One that helps you to connect with and FEEL your body’s needs and wishes.   This could be yoga, taichi, qi gong, swimming, walking, hiking.   I really feel that movement and embodiment practices are a great font of awareness for widen the circle of our sustainability awareness.   

A MESSAGE TO INSPIRE OTHERS TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

Healing takes time.   We cannot do it alone.  We need each other and at the same time, we need time for ourselves alone to reflect.  Be kind to yourself.  Let yourself make mistakes and let yourself explore new solutions.   And find the moment for some MOVEMENT that you LOVE and helps you to connect with yourself everyday.

Here is a little poem that I wrote that illustrates the impact of our choices from within - out to the world:

The way I was birthed and taught shapes the way I BREATHE.

I wish for all new human beings to be born and raised in safe, loving and non-violent ways.

The way I BREATHE shapes the way I move.

I wish for all human beings to have space and fresh air to breathe freely.

The way I MOVE shapes the way I meet the world.

I wish for all human beings to have the freedom to move in their own natural rhythm 

with ease and free of pain.

The way I MEET THE WORLD shapes the way I meet myself.

I wish for all human beings to have nurturing and peaceful relating with others.

The way I MEET MYSELF is the fertile field for growth, healing and change.

I wish to meet myself with loving-kindness and non-judgement, 

for it is through this,

that I can open to grow.

(Ateeka 2019)