EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

AN ELDER SPEAKS ON THE VITAL NEED FOR A CHANGE IN OUR VALUES

A Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy, Faithkeeper Oren Lyons of the Turtle Clan speaks on the state of our world, the danger in our current values and priorities, and the need for change. His message: We have a responsibility to the future of the earth that sustains us and the generations who come after us.

NIXIWAKA YAWANAWÁ EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CONNECTION TO NATURE

Nixiwaka of the Yawanawá tribe of Acre, Brazil is part of a conjunction of people that defend the Amazon rainforest, the “lungs” of our planet, from rampant deforestation. Many indigenous people have lost their lives in this fight, yet they continue to strive against the ignorant forces of greed and exploitation that consume the life-giving rainforest. This boldness of spirit comes from a deep understanding of the importance of preserving and protecting the natural world as fundamental to the sustainability of our lives. The Yawanawán perspective is a valuable one to consider.

THE MOST CONCISE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF INTERCONNECTION I’VE FOUND TO DATE

Wearing many hats and accomplishing several feats along the way, Tom Chi now dedicates himself to tackling human development issues, and has an impressive understanding of both our all-encompassing interconnectivity and what it requires of us in the longview. It’s always nice to hear a positive, intelligent voice expound on the healthy potential of our technologies. If you enjoy this TED^x talk, check out Tom’s lecture on making ecological regeneration a technological imperative.

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER: SOCIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION AS OPPORTUNITY

For over 30 years, Dr. Bruce Perry has been a researcher, clinician, and teacher in the fields of neuroscience and children’s mental health. He has served as an advisor to the CDC, and currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, Texas. Here he discusses “relational poverty” and its dire consequences on our children, our adults, and our communities. Did you know that a 30% decrease in empathy was measured among college students between 2006 and 2016? Dr. Perry explains why empathy matters, how it can fail to develop in an individual, the physical risks of failing to develop empathy, and what we can do as a society to improve our empathy levels.

WISDOM FROM THE DAGARA OF WEST AFRICA ON THE SUBJECT OF FEELING

Dagara wisdom-keeper Sobonfu Somé was a healer, teacher, and author from West Africa who dedicated herself to teaching the wisdom, rituals, and practices of the Dagara to westerners. Her name, Sobonfu, means “keeper of rituals”. She was the wife of West African Elder Malidoma Somé, PhD. Here she shares valuable wisdom on the subject of emotions and feeling, and their importance to the health of our being.

RELATIONAL WELFARE: A VITAL KEY IN HEALING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

Social worker Hilary Cottam gives a vital critique of the systems designed to assist struggling families, exposing their failings and inadequacies, and presents an alternative approach based on what she calls “relational welfare”. It’s simple and obvious: without healthy human relationships, we cannot have healthy families and communities. Truly helping a family in crisis requires an awareness of the value and importance of relationships, and a willingness to put in the time and effort to develop supportive relationships with those in need. Cottam’s observations and the solutions she presents are definitely worth fifteen minutes of your time.

DR. SHEFALI KINDLY PUNCHES YOUR SOUL AND SHOUTS, “WAKE UP!”

I think this is probably my favorite Dr. Shefali Tsabary video on the internet. Adept at cutting through illusion and exposing our essence, Dr. Shefali is like a spiritual surgeon of the highest calibre. I have great respect for her work and her bold, unapologetic voice because she speaks deep truth clearly and logically. We need such voices in the world, especially from our women.

As an aside, for those who have embarked on the tough journey of shadow work, I consider Dr. Shefali an excellent example of someone who has done their shadow work and achieved the healthy self-acceptance that follows. This level of self-acceptance produces the courage required to see the shadows of others clearly, without either judging or enabling the illusions therein, a valuable skill for any healer.

A CELL BIOLOGIST ON THE POWER OF CONSCIOUSNESS

If the thought of Iain McNay and Bruce Lipton conversing in the same room makes you giddy, we’ll probably get along just fine. If it doesn’t, maybe you don’t know who Bruce Lipton is.

Dr. Bruce Lipton is a cell biologist, lecturer, and author who was on the leading edge of our unfolding understanding of epigenetics. Originally censored by the university he was making his discoveries in due to the radical implications of his findings, he gave up his tenured position to pursue his truth. He spoke to those who could hear him at the time: spiritual communities. Today, epigenetics is a respected field of study that is changing the way we relate to the world around us.

Here, McNay and Lipton have a powerful conversation on the subject of consciousness. Are you curious to know how consciousness relates to epigenetics? Then you should definitely listen in on their conversation.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE ART OF LISTENING, A DEAF PERCUSSIONIST IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHER

Evelyn Glennie’s dedication to “teaching the world to listen” results in lessons that go beyond listening, into the essence of what we are and how we perceive the world around us.

OUR CULTURAL REACTIONS TO THOSE WHO DON’T FIT “THE STANDARD”, AND THE VALUE OF LIVING WITHOUT SHAME

We’ve been taught that there is a margin within the vast spectrum of life that constitutes what is “acceptable” or “normal”, and the rest of the spectrum on either side of it is wrong, and therefore shameful or bad. It’s vital that we ask ourselves, “Is this perspective healthy? Is it even true?” All of what we are is simply what we are. Our reactions to it constitute the health of our connectivity as a species. When we lack empathy and inclusiveness on a cultural level, we manifest toxicity and pain, the very kind of seeds which were planted into Whitney Thore as a little girl. Whitney’s journey from shame to self-acceptance is empowering and inspiring, and I highly recommend her Ted^x talk. Can you see past the programming into the heart of our shared reality?

OUR SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE PLANET WE’RE ON

John Trudell was a courageous soul who paid a devastating price for his outspoken opposition to the oppression of indigenous people and the exploitation of the natural world by the governing powers that took over the indigenous territories of North America. The price was the lives of his pregnant wife, their three children, and his mother-in-law. Though admitting that the loss of his loved ones drove him mad, he continued to speak his truth boldly until the end of his life. His sobering message touches the deep well of spirit within us all, and calls us to come home to ourselves again, before it’s too late.