“It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society”   -J. Krishnamurti.

 An important part of healing the self is to begin noticing how one is influenced by the culture at large.  Many aspects of our culture are actually symptoms of dis-ease.  In the same way that an individual exhibits imbalance within, the collective population reflects the collective imbalance.  We can see this imbalance in the way that many Americans live their lives, and how the greed and fearful thinking of the collective ego have polluted politics, the planet, and business.  Many people have grown accustomed to living with low levels of fear and anxiety, feeling the pressures of living in this overly consumeristic society.  The commodification of sex, personal image, health, and even happiness, all reflect the underlying pain that motivates many people.  The high rates of obesity, depression, mental illness, and drug addiction all serve as a testament to this phenomenon.

The cultural influence can be very subtle, as we receive the message over and over again that we need to consume products and subscribe to a certain lifestyle in order to find happiness.  The truth is that happiness is an internal state, and that all of the money in the world cannot buy peace of mind.

 Planetary Transformation

Humanity is in the process of making a profound transformation, and we are moving from an era of competition to one of cooperation.  As the health of our planet is threatened, we are beginning to pay more attention to our actions and behaviors.  This is the same for the journey of personal healing.  As a crisis arises in our minds, emotions, and physical body, we begin to pay more attention to what is out of balance within ourselves, taking actions to find balance and harmony once again.

So begin paying greater attention to which parts of your cultural experience are causing you distress and disharmony.  In what ways are you shaping yourself to fulfill cultural expectations.  Examine your wants and desires, investigating where they have originated.  There are many eye opening books and documentaries that help to shed light on how our unconscious mind has been shaped.  The BBC series, “The Century of The Self”, is a great place to start  http://freedocumentaries.org/int.php?filmID=140

Connecting with the Earth

Reconnect and repair your relationship with the natural world.  This may seem like a foreign concept to some.  But if we look at the history of humanity, we can see how detached we have become from our connection to the earth.  We are literally made from the elements of the earth, and we are profoundly connected to the energy of the planet that has long been forgotten.  When we take the time to be in nature, let our feet touch the bare earth, get our hands in the dirt, and feel the stillness and expansiveness of nature, we experience healing.  Turn off your television, computer, and phone for a few hours and go out among the trees, animals, and plants.  Plant a garden, go for a hike.  And when you do, notice the peace and calm that comes over you.  Blessings and Good Health!