Biomindfulness and how it can support our holistic health

Sep 5

What is 'biomindfulness' and how can meditation help us to collectively work towards a healthier planet to call home?

Why is it important to give people space to learn things, process information, and potentially change — at their own pace? Andrea Sanders, environmental educator, mindfulness advisor, TEDx speaker, artist, and Instagram influencer, shares her wisdom with us on this episode. Let's dive in.

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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[2:20] What first inspired Andrea's passion for nature.

[3:39] Kaméa: "What did you learn that made you want to dedicate your career to sustainability and conservation?"

[5:33] Andrea explains the connection between meditation and environmental sustainability.

[6:49] Andrea: "We don't see the interconnectedness of things... And when you meditate, you develop that skill to see that better, and it carries over into every part of your life, whether you're teaching environmental education or not."

[8:48] Kaméa: "What's the toughest part about teaching this concept to people?"

[10:24] Andrea shares what she's found to be most effective in inspiring people to create change.

[10:42] Andrea: "There's this tremendous guilt that comes with doing environmental work... And so one of the things I like to give people is the space to learn this. There's no certificate at the end. It's not a competition."

[11:52] How having a 'beginner's mindset' is really helpful when reducing our waste.

[12:57] Andrea: "You don't know the seeds you're planting or people who you're influencing just by going through your day with kindness and grace."

[13:33] One thing Andrea has changed in the past 20 years as she's been teaching.

[15:26] Kaméa: "If you could go back in time, what would you tell the younger, grumpy environmentalist version of yourself?"

[17:55] Andrea: "Be patient. Be compassionate. Be tolerant. Be flexible with people. Try to share your message in a way that you include as many thoughts and minds as possible. Give people space. And tell your story."

[20:10] Andrea discusses her thoughts on how to stay connected with nature even as urbanization grows.

[22:51] Kaméa: "On an individual level, what could a deeper connection with nature do for us?"

[23:49] Andrea: "If we tune into nature more, it develops better mental habits, and that just carries over."

[24:52] What Andrea thinks we need most right now to accelerate toward a healthier planet.

[25:52] One action we can all take to get started on our own biomindfulness journey.

Keep in Touch

Andrea Sanders

Tips

To follow: Cradle to Cradle and @brownenvironmentalist

Words of inspiration: "All my actions, when done with intention, compassion and wisdom will create ripples that are seen and unseen."

Health tip: "Meditate."

Green tip: "Refuse single-use plastics."

Element of hope: "Our growing community."

Words of Wisdom: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." — Edward Everett Hale