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I like to use variations of the 5 Senses Meditation or deep breathing to help students enter into our EE space

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Exercises for Embodied Practices & Play (from BTS Center)

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Exercises for Embodied Practices & Play (from BTS Center)

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I try to meditate each day, and use an app called "Insight Timer"--that has tons of guided meditations, courses, workshops, and a nice timer, if you just want to meditate in silence. It's free, but of course, you get more stuff if you pay something.

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Insight Timer - #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

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The best meditation app with the world’s largest FREE library of more than 190k guided meditations, 17k teachers & the world’s most loved meditation Timer.

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More of a resource than a practice... worth sharing

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We're thrilled to introduce Wholemakers, a groundbreaking resource for young adults focused on creation care and integral ecology. Developed for young adults, by young adults, this resource weaves together the latest climate science with insights from the Catholic tradition to equip young adults to be the faithful protagonists of transformation the world needs. This collaborative project is sponsored by Catholic Climate Covenant and Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, with contributions from the Youth and Young Adult Ministries Office within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth and the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center in Seattle, WA.

For more information on Wholemakers, explore the links below.

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Wholemakers: A Journey in Ecological Conversion for Young Adults

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We're thrilled to introduce Wholemakers, a groundbreaking resource for young adults focused on creation care and integral ecology. Developed for young adults, by young adults, this resource weaves together the latest climate science with insights from the Catholic tradition to equip young adults to be the faithful protagonists of transformation the world needs.

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This activity helps people to share their emotions and thoughts about the ecological crisis. If wanted, you can focus explicitly on climate change.

However, you do not need to be a professional therapist to facilitate this activity.

More information and tips about facilitating this kind of work can be found at:

- Coming Back to Life, Joanna Macy & Molly Young Brown (see also their site)

- one emotion word is mentioned at a time
- Instruction for participants: "There is an invisible spectrum line in the room: one end expresses that you feel this emotion in relation to the ecological crisis (or, climate crisis) strongly or very often. The other end expresses that you feel this emotion seldom, not at all, or just vaguely."

- people move into a position according to what they feel like

- pair discussion: why am I where I am along the line? What do I think about this "ecological emotion"?

- facilitated discussion with the whole group, starting from the comments of the participants

- a common sequence that I use: concern - fear - anger - grief - empowerment (or hope).

- if possible, offer a chance to take a break after the activity. If embodied activities, natural settings, or even nature photography and music can be offered, that helps to reorient. At least you can recommend for the participants that they do something of this kind themselves.

- if there is more time, after a break (or the next day) there can be a discussion about the activity.

Things that people have mentioned in their feedback:

- the relief of peer support: "Hey, others have similar emotions, too!"

- increased self-knowledge: "I hadn't given words to my eco-emotions before, and now I noticed what I actually feel"

- increased empathy: "It was good to get to know how others feel." / "I felt compassion for the ecological grief that she had."

- the relief of having a chance to discuss dark emotions: "It is rare to get a chance to discuss eco-anger or eco-guilt."

Instructions to be given at the start:

Emphasize that this is, and needs to be, a safe space.

* confidentiality (subjects of discussions may be shared, but nothing about who said what)

* "Everybody has a right to choose the level of depth (and intimacy) with which they share"

* "There may be critical observations in the joint discussions about some dynamics related to emotions, but we shall not criticize anyone for his or her own emotions. All emotions all permitted to be discussed here, there are no "right or wrong" experiences here."

* "It is allowed to show emotion here: for example, if you feel like crying at some point, it is ok. But it is not the aim of the workshop to "get emotional", and rage or strong anxiety should be avoided. If you start to feel very anxious, let the facilitator know." (Then it is a good idea to let the person have a break, or to direct the discussion into less murky waters; in extreme cases, guide the person to be present here and now, to breathe deep, and say that he or she is safe)

* "At some points, I may interrupt discussions, so that we are able to finish in time"

* "Any questions about the method?"

As I mentioned above, the most common sequence that I use is concern - fear - anger - grief - empowerment (or hope). But I evaluate the situation and may do changes according to what shows up in the session. It is important to start with an ice-breaker (concern is easier than guilt, for example) and to finish with something more uplifting. For most Finns (and, I think, Europeans), anger and grief are very important to address. But, if there is time, it is good to discuss also guilt and related feelings ("feeling to not being able to do enough"). People easily get very involved with this activity, so it is important to watch the time. Sometimes I have had to omit grief and move straight from anger to empowerment.

Here are some observations about grief and guilt:

Certain groups of people have special needs for discussion of particular emotions. There is more context-dependency here than I can describe.

Instructions related to the emotion words

I have underlined some key messages.

- How often or how strongly do you feel concern or worry in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What do you think about ecological worry?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- who do we worry for? It is very common to worry for the future of children, for example.

(For the facilitator: sometimes people project or split their own worry/fear into worry for others, especially children. This doesn't mean that they wouldn't be worried for children, but they may deny their worry and fear regarding themselves.)

- what is (ecological) worry linked with? (Often helplessness; frustration)

- what does worry do to you? Do you feel eco-anxiety?

- How often or how strongly do you feel fear in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What do you fear in relation to the ecological crisis / climate change?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- how is fear different from worry/concern?

- how does fear feel like in your body(mind)?

- how is fear different from anxiety? (sometimes the lines are blurred, especially in relation to global threats, but usually fear is a more concrete reaction to a more clearly felt threat, often leading to either fight, flight or freeze)

- "There can be discerned a scale: worry - fear - anxiety"

- "It is often very cathartic when we are able to discuss our fears openly in daylight, instead of feeling them alone in the dark"

- How often or how strongly do you feel anger in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What kinds of anger have you encountered in relation to ecological issues?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- what different kinds of anger there are (in general)?

What's the difference between frustration, anger, indignation, hate, fury, and rage? (You may pick some of these)

- According to several studies, frustration is one of the most common ecological emotions. Many people feel frustration because environmental politics and climate politics are so slow, and sometimes inefficient. Some people, who would like to deny the problems, feel frustrated about the whole ecological & climate discourse.

- "How have you been raised in relation to anger?"

- "Especially many women report that they have been told as kids and young that they should not show their anger. What possible problems may this cause? Does it have consequences also for ecological emotions?"

- How often or how strongly do you feel grief (or sadness) in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What do you think about ecological grief?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- "What different kinds of ecological grief exist?" (Ranging from mild sadness to powerful, traumatic grief)

- "In industrialized societies, there are often problems about public recognition of grief. Have you experiences of this?"

(There are usually no periods for mourning anymore; special clothing or symbolic signs for grief, such as a black armband, are nearly extinct nowadays, but used to be commonplace)

- If there is time: "What could be done with ecological grief?" (symbolic action or places; discussion with peers; sometimes even grief groups, or lament)

- How often or how strongly do you feel guilt in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What do you think about ecological guilt?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- What do people do with eco-guilt?

- How much eco-guilt is suitable?

- Are there possibilities to receive forgiveness for eco-guilt? Or are we stuck forever in feelings of inadequacy?

- What is the difference between eco-guilt and shame?

- What is the relation between individual guilt and structural problems?

(These are technically two different things, but time limits - and limits related to people's resources to do inner reflection and sharing - usually limit the workshop so that these are combined. The idea is to offer the group a possibility to move forward from dark emotions and towards the light. This usually happens very well, if the facilitation is ok.)

- How often or how strongly do you feel hope or empowerment in relation to ecological issues or climate change? (Please take a position along the spectrum line.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What kind of things bring you hope or empowerment?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- "There are various definitions of hope. Some equate hope with optimism, but these two can be separated. Optimism refers to an estimation of probable success. Hope can be a deep conviction that life has meaning, regardless of whether there is eventual success or not." (Cf. Vaclav Havel on hope.)

- "However, optimism as an attitude to life is a slightly different thing. It is important to separate between pessimism as a life attitude and optimism or pessimism as modes of hoping. It is possible to be a life-affirming person who is currently pessimistic about climate politics, for example."

[- "However, there are also various definition of not-hoping: some people are looking for a calm attitude of not hoping or not despairing."]

- "Sometimes there is a problem of 'negativity bias' and sometimes a kind of 'positivity bias (wishful thinking)'. We should remember that news in media is usually bad news, because of many reasons (the structure and ethos of media, problematic 'fear culture', and so on). There are more good things and signs of hope than what we see in the daily news feed. But there may also be a problem of privilege, of not seeing what one's actions do to ecosystems and other humans. I suggest that we need a kind of 'Binocular vision', a skill of seeing two levels, both good and bad things."

- "There is also a difference between despair and hopelessness. Despair can be a natural emotion: sometimes a person who feels despair is able to act even more ardently. Hopelessness, in the sense of not seeing any way out, can lead to a loss of meaning."

Usually time does not permit to include these emotions, but especially if there is a chance to run two sessions (and relax in between), discussions about these two can be very valuable. Sometimes I have used these words separately and sometimes together: it is best if there is time for both, separately.

- How often or how strongly do you feel joy in relation to

Please take a position along the spectrum line.

(You have to choose between these two, if you do not run two rounds of joy.)

- Please share a couple of thoughts with a person near to you. Why are you where you are along the line? What kind of things have brought or bring you joy?

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

- As eco-psychology and many strands of environmental psychology emphasize, natural environments (or elements of nature in built environments) often strengthen "positive" emotions.

- What is the relation between grief and joy? (being able to feel grief helps also to feel joy)

- Is it ok, or easy, to confess feelings of (ecological) joy among other people? Why / why not?

- How often or how strongly do you feel pride in relation to environmental action?

Please take a position along the spectrum line.

After a couple of minutes of chat, open the floor for comments about topics that people discussed in pairs. Questions that you may ask and points that are good to raise:

(There is usually a much wider difference between participants here than with other eco-emotion words. Many people, including many long-time activists, find it very difficult to feel any pride for their choices and lifestyle, because they suffer from a bad kind of "species shame" and constant feelings of inadequacy. It is important to give space and recognition for various takes on this matter, but also very important to raise the question following questions)

- Why is it often very difficult to show or feel eco-pride?

- What do you think, would it be good or reasonable to feel a certain pride for good things, even if there is always ambivalence? (I strongly suggest so.)

- What different forms of pride there are? Which are good, which are problematic? (Bragging is usually not productive, and there are people who are proud in an elitistic way)

- Some research psychologists claim that eco-pride motivates good behavior better than eco-guilt. What do you think of this?

A possibility: a discussion first in groups of 2-3 and then together: What could be done together so that people would be able to feel more pride and joy in relation to their environmental behavior?
[edit 7th Dec 2022]

- thank the participants for their courage in sharing

- if there are points that need to be raised, mention them (for example, if there was unfinished arguments about eco-guilt, you can point out that this was a theme that there were several opinions of, as is in research, and further elaboration is encouraged)

- recommend holistic activities (for example, running, dancing, spending time in nature, listening to or playing music etc.)

- tell of other options to discuss eco-emotions (such as the Good Grief Network); tell that if somebody feels distressed afterwards, it is good to find a safe discussion partner (I have not heard of people who felt worse after the session than before the session, but of course it is possible that a session like this stirs up many things in a person)

For additional information:
panu.pihkala ( at ) helsinki.fi

"Eco-anxiety and Environmental Education", Panu Pihkala 2020, Sustainability 12:23, https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310149 Climate Anxiety, a report for the Finnish Mental Health Society, Panu Pihkala 2019, https://mieli.fi/en/raportit/climate-anxiety
Mieli maassa? Ympäristötunteet (a book about 79 eco-emotions, in Finnish), Panu Pihkala, Helsinki: Kirjapaja, 2019

"Eco-anxiety, Tragedy, and Hope", Panu Pihkala, Zygon, 2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zygo.12407

Pihkala, P. P. (2017). " Environmental Education After Sustainability: Hope in the Midst of Tragedy ." , Final draft available 7(1), 109-27. Global Discourse
https://doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2017.1300412 here

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This activity helps people to share their emotions and thoughts about the ecological crisis. If wanted, you can focus explicitly on climat...

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When I was a teacher (my favorite grade was 2nd grade), I used a singing bowl to gather the kids and center them.  They LOVED it!  Whoever was the first person to come to the circle in silence, could practice using the singing bowl

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I just am still and quite while outdoors... and use these words to center my still time

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50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference 

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50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference 

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This book provides spiritual direction and practical tools to address causes of climate change, including concrete steps to nurture the planet.

Offerings

scripture readings, reflection questions, stories of congregations confronting climate change, action steps

Best For

clergy and lay leaders, especially Christian

Cost

purchase as a book or e-book

Suggested Uses

Focus on a single chapter and reflect on how you can apply the "things to do" action steps in your life.

Read the sidebars on what congregations are doing and discuss how your congregation may apply those same strategies.

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50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference

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Congregations and individuals looking for spiritual direction and practical tools for addressing the causes of climate change will find both in...

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I like short breathwork to start off conversations. It makes you centered and focused because it brings you into the present.

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Breathwork refers to any breathing exercise or technique. People often perform them to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. During breathwork, you intentionally change your breathing pattern.

Many forms of breathwork therapy involve breathing in a conscious and systematic way. Many people find breathwork promotes deep relaxation or leaves them feeling energized.

People practice breathwork for a variety of reasons. Overall, it's thought to bring about improvements in the emotional state and decrease levels of stress in otherwise healthy people.

People have practiced breathwork to:

aid positive self-development

boost immunity

process emotions, heal emotional pain and trauma

develop life skills

develop or increase self-awareness

enrich creativity

improve personal and professional relationships

increase confidence, self-image, and self-esteem

increase joy and happiness

overcome addictions

reduce stress and anxiety levels

release negative thoughts

Breathwork is used to help to improve a wide range of issues including:

anger issues

anxiety

chronic pain

depression

emotional effects of illness

grief

trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

There are several breathwork approaches. You may want to try out a few different techniques over time to see which type most resonates with you and brings about the best results.

Types of breathwork include:

Many mindfulness apps include instructions for focused breathwork. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)'s Mindful Awareness Research Center provides some free guided recordings for individual practice. They range from a few minutes long to about 15 minutes long.

Here are a few types of breathing exercises that are used in various practices:

Diaphragmatic breathing

You can practice diaphragmatic breathing by breathing while engaging your diaphragm.

Pursed lip breathing

Pursed lip breathing involves breathly slowly and intentionally with your lips pursed.

Box breathing

Box breathing involves a cycle of slowly inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and then holding your breath again for four seconds.

4-7-8 breathing

When breathing in a 4-7-8 pattern, you follow a cycle of inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds.

Alternate nostril breathing

You can try alternate nostril breathing by covering one nostril and alternating each inhale and exhale.

Below, we'll go over three breathwork techniques in detail so that you have an idea of what differently designed programs are like.

Holotropic Breathwork is a therapeutic breathing technique meant to assist you with emotional coping and personal growth. Holotropic Breathwork was established in the 1970s by Dr. Stan Grof and Christina Grof, a husband and wife duo.

Goal: Bring about improvements to your psychological, spiritual, and physical well-being.

What happens during a Holotropic Breathwork session?

Group guidance: Usually sessions are done in a group and facilitated by a certified practitioner.

Controlled breathing: You'll be guided to breathe at a fast rate for a set amount of time in order to bring about altered states of consciousness. This will be done lying down.

Music: Music is a part of holotropic breathwork sessions.

Meditative art and discussion: Afterward you might be guided to draw a mandala and have a discussion about your experience with the group.

The Rebirthing Breathwork technique was developed by Leonard Orr in the United States. The technique is also known as Conscious Energy Breathing (CEB).

CEB proponents consider unprocessed, or repressed, emotions as having a physical impact on the body. This could be caused by trauma or because the emotions were too difficult or painful to deal with at the time.

Detrimental thought or behavior patterns, which refer to how a person has been conditioned to react to events throughout their life, may be contributing factors for unprocessed emotions.

Goal: Use the breathing exercises as a self-healing practice to help people work on blocked emotions and energy.

What happens during a Rebirthing Breathwork session?

Experienced guidance: Practitioners of Rebirthing Breathwork advise that you do a Rebirthing session under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

Circular breathing: You'll relax and use what is known as conscious connected circular breathing. This is where your breaths are continuous with no spaces or retention between breaths.

Emotional and physical response: During this time, you may have an emotional release thought to be triggered by subconscious feelings and thoughts. Practitioners of this type of breathwork believe that bringing the adverse aspects of past trauma to the surface and letting go of them may bring about inner peace and a higher level of consciousness.

The Clarity Breathwork technique was developed by Ashanna Solaris and Dana DeLong (Dharma Devi). It's similar to Rebirthing Breathwork techniques. This practice supports healing and transformation by clearing blocked emotions through the physiological impact of controlling your breathing.

Through this type of breathwork, you practice circular or continuous breathing. With this practice, you may learn to have a greater awareness of the present moment.

Goals: Support healing, have higher energy levels, and experience better mental or creative focus through specific breathing methods.

What happens at a Clarity Breathwork session?

Before a Clarity Breathwork session, you will have an interview or counseling session with a practitioner and set intentions for your sessions. You'll use circular breathing as you're guided through the session. The session will end with a time for sharing.

Breathwork therapy has both benefits and risks. Always talk with a doctor before beginning any breathwork therapy, especially if you have a medical condition or take medications that may be affected by the practice - including whether you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Doctors may recommend that you do not practice breathwork if you have any of the following:

breathing issues

cardiovascular issues

high blood pressure

history of aneurysms

osteoporosis

recent physical injuries or surgeries

severe psychiatric symptoms

vision issues

Breathwork may induce hyperventilation. This can lead to:

clouded vision

cognitive changes

decreased blood flow to the brain

dizziness

heart palpitations

muscle spasms

ringing in the ears

tingling of extremities

Practicing through a guided recording, program, or reputable organization can help you pace yourself and get the most out of your breathwork.

Your experience and process with breathwork will be unique. Talk with a healthcare professional before doing any breathwork therapies. This is especially important if you have any medical conditions or take medications.

Once you decide which type of breathwork you'd like to try, look for a practitioner with whom you can have one or more sessions. You can find a practitioner by looking online or by seeking a personal recommendation from someone you trust.

Carefully note how you react to any breathwork techniques and discontinue the practice if you find that you're experiencing any negative reactions.

Breathwork is a breathing exercise or technique in which you change your breathing pattern.

People typically use breathwork to improve aspects of their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, such as focusing or releasing negative thoughts. It may help provide relief from stress, pain, or feelings of anger.

Doctors may recommend avoiding breathwork if you're pregnant or have certain health conditions.

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Breathwork includes breathing practices and techniques to improve physical or mental well-being. Learn methods, exercises, and things to look out for.

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This film is incredibly powerful and inspiring

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Committee on Spirituality, Multifaith Outreach and Science - American Meteorological Society

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Committee on Spirituality, Multifaith Outreach and Science - American Meteorological Society

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I've been wanting to find a Christain/Catholic faith focused climate scientists and educators group and recently was invited into this group...

I've been looking for support and inspiration more than education and ways to take action groups. I'm not sure this group is what I'm looking for... yet... who knows

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COSMOS is a subcommunity of AMS and non-AMS members committed to incorporating perspectives based on faith, religion, or spirituality. COSMOS favors no single spirituality or faith tradition, consistent with the AMS Code of Conduct. COSMOS is committed to dialog as a means towards mutual understanding and facilitates dialogue and initiatives about environmentalism and related fields. These dialogues are facilitated among AMS, scientific and professional societies, academic, government, public and private sectors, non-profits, and spiritual/faith-based organizations and ministries.

COSMOS Google Group:

Interested in COSMOS? Want to hear updates or share events with the broader community? Have ideas for future COSMOS initiatives and Events? Join the COSMOS Google Group! AMS and Non-AMS members are welcome! You do not have to be a COSMOS Committee Member to be a part of the google group. For more information, contact Carlos Martinez at [email protected] .

Cosmos Activities

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COSMOS is a subcommunity of AMS and non-AMS members committed to incorporating perspectives based on faith, religion, or spirituality. COSMOS favors no single spirituality or faith tradition, consistent with the AMS Code of Conduct. COSMOS is committed to dialog as a means towards mutual understanding and facilitates dialogue and initiatives about environmentalism and related fields.

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Blessed Tomorrow Climate Ambassador Trainings

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Blessed Tomorrow Climate Ambassador Trainings

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Has a pretty good networking platform after the training!

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Blessed Tomorrow Ambassadors Training - Blessed Tomorrow

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Moving Forward: A Guide to Climate Action For Your Congregation and Community that will provide people of faith with the ideas and resources to act.