Yogita is an engineer and a wildlife conservation researcher. She has been practicing Heartfulness meditation since 2015.

Yogita Karpate

<h4>YOGITA KARPATE explores ecosystem restoration and ecological resilience, and how an integrated perspective opens up a more enlightened approach to creating policies for humanity coexisting with all the other species that share planet Earth with us.</h4><hr>I have been intrigued by the idea of ecological restoration since I came to know that the United Nations declared 2021-2030 the <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/">“Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.”</a> It relates to my research on Ecological Resilience. Therefore, I thought it was a great opportunity to rethink the causes of ecosystem degradation, how they relate to ecological resilience, how it impacts our lives, if restoration is realistic, and what we can do about it?I’ll start with what we are missing. Many people think that natural landscapes are all forests. Since people are now more conscious about their responsibility toward conservation, communities and governments are investing in the afforestation of degraded lands. As a result, lands that historically never had trees are also being converted to forests. Using non-endemic trees for afforestation has given rise to another ecological threat, “biological invasion,” which has been a hot topic among ecologists for many years. Forests are undoubtedly important, but so are other ecosystems.This is a good time to remind ourselves of the definition of an ecosystem. I like the definition on the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/">National Geographic Society’s website</a>: “An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life.”Ecosystems range from lush dense rainforest to sparsely vegetated savannah, from freshwater streams to vast expanses of ocean, from rocky arid regions to deserts, and from rustic villages to densely populated urban areas.Ecosystems sometimes naturally exist in combination, for example, a forest-grassland ecosystem where forests and grasslands coexist in a mosaic pattern.&nbsp;Each ecosystem has intrinsic ecological value and is home to a variety of plants, shrubs, trees, grasses, animals, birds, and diverse human communities.&nbsp;Ecosystems also impact our lives. Ecosystem Services are the link between nature and humans. <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">The International Union of Conservation of Nature </a><a href="https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services">defines</a> them as “the benefits people derive from ecosystems.” The services provided by forests are often described, but less attention is given to the services provided by other ecosystems. For example, grasslands are an “Open Natural Ecosystem (ONE),” having a great potential for carbon storage. Scientists<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/"> say</a> that grasslands sequester carbon below ground, protecting the carbon from wildfires.&nbsp;Terrestrial ecosystems have been victim to changes in land-use practices. Marine and freshwater realms have been subjected to unregulated fishing, oil spills, and chemical pollution. ONEs are threatened by overgrazing, agriculture, plantations, and human settlement. After the announcement of the <a href="https://www.bonnchallenge.org/">“Bonn Challenge”</a> in 2020, <a href="https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes">afforestation of grasslands is being done in the name of climate change mitigation.</a> Unfortunately, policymakers have missed giving ONEs the importance they deserve. Forest-grassland ecosystems are being threatened by the invasion of non-native fast-growing species, and climate change. The same is happening to other ecosystems, where the absence of policies for restoration and conservation is catalyzing their degradation.All ecosystems have a natural capacity to heal themselves up to a certain threshold. Once this threshold is crossed, the health of the ecosystem is not retrievable. The ability of an <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-journey-of-conservation-and-hope" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecosystem</a> to bounce back to its original state after being subjected to external disturbance is a measure of its “resilience.” Restoration of ecosystems can only help when the system is resilient.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Think_ecosystem2_83bd1adb8f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:59:33.837Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr><h4>The ability of an ecosystem&nbsp; to bounce back to its original state after&nbsp; being subjected to external disturbance&nbsp; is a measure of its “resilience.”&nbsp; Restoration of ecosystems can only help&nbsp; when the system is resilient.&nbsp;</h4><hr>According to the United Nations, “Ecosystem restoration means assisting the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.”&nbsp;Active restoration on land can be done by planting, and enhancing soil nutrient properties, and in water by regulating fishing, and controlling water pollution. It can also be done passively by removing human-induced pressures and letting ecosystems heal on their own. When done scientifically, restoration won’t just heal our planet but will also help the economy to thrive. The United Nations goes as far as saying that the <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration">economic benefits of ecosystem restoration</a> are nine times the cost of investment.&nbsp;Although we understand the urgency of ecological restoration, unscientific restoration is not sustainable. It may also lead to larger problems such as disease, biological invasions, and loss of biodiversity. Scientists propose developing a holistic framework based on cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability of restoration work.How can we actively participate in restoration? Many of us feel clueless but I believe we can do much more than just offer occasional financial contributions. Contribution to ecosystem restoration shouldn’t be limited to planting trees or cleaning lakes, which again become occasional activities, especially in urban areas.&nbsp; From increasing mining in ecologically sensitive areas to wildlife hunting, and extraction of non-timber forest products, drivers of ecosystem degradation point toward the rising demands created from urban areas.The most effective contribution we can make is to become more conscious about our lifestyle. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1">Research</a> says that ecosystem health is closely linked with human health and therefore science-backed restoration is critical to the survival of humans. Being conscious about our well-being will not only reduce the load on our pockets but will also heal the planet.To conclude, I would like to revisit what we are missing from the lens of conservation science. Wildlife conservation can be approached in two ways: one is the utilitarian approach, which focuses on how nature conservation benefits us, and the other is the coexistence approach, which talks about the simultaneous existence of species. The former approaches restoration to enhance ecosystem services, whereas the latter focuses on minimizing negative interactions between species. Both approaches are effective and scientific. It is we who decide which way to approach ecosystem restoration.This reminds me of an informal interaction I had with an elephant biologist, who asked me “Why should we conserve elephants in our neighborhood forests?” My answer back then, as a newbie in the field, was, “Because wide-ranging animals help the conservation of larger patches of natural habitats.” He disagreeably accepted my analytical opinion with a smile and said, “Because it’s their intrinsic right to live in the forest, which is their home.” I couldn’t agree with him more.&nbsp;References<a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/">https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/</a><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/">https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/</a><a href="https://www.iucn.org/">https://www.iucn.org/</a><a href="https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services">https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/">https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/</a><a href="https://www.bonnchallenge.org/">https://www.bonnchallenge.org/</a><a href="https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes">https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes</a><a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration">https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration</a><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1#auth-Martin_F_-Breed">Breed</a>, M.F. et al., 2021. Ecosystem Restoration: A Public Health Intervention, EcoHealth ,18: 269-271. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1</a><a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Perring%2C+Michael+P">Perring</a>, M.P. et al., 2015. Advances in restoration ecology: rising to the challenges of the coming decades, Ecosphere,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00121.1">https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00121.1</a>

Think ecosystem

Yogrishi Swami Ramdev is an Indian Yoga Guru known for his work in Ayurveda, Ashtanga Yoga, agriculture and business. He co-founded Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd. with his colleague Balkrishna. He has also campaigned assiduously against government corruption. From 2003, Aastha TV has featured his programs in their morning Yoga slots and he has since become instrumental in Yoga’s surge of popularity around the world. He walks the talk, living a simple life, eating only sattvik foods and sleeping on the floor. Despite being such a successful businessman, he owns no shares in his company. He is an inspiration to many.

YOGRISHI-SWAMI-RAMDEV.jpg

YOGRISHI SWAMI RAMDEV

<h4>In January 2020, YOGRISHI SWAMI RAMDEV visited Kanha Shanti Vanam to celebrate 75 years of the Heartfulness organizations, along with Daaji and 100,000 practitioners from around the world. Here, ELIZABETH DENLEY interviews him about what he is doing for youth in the field of education.</h4><hr>Q: Namaste Swamiji Maharaj. I am delighted to interview you today. With education in mind, what would you like to offer young people, and what does Yoga have to offer the youth of today?YSR: The youth today have three main challenges:To maintain a fit body, without which we cannot fully achieve all that we set out to do. Our body has to support us. A fit body doesn’t just mean a healthy body, it means improving our physical capacity to its fullest.The second challenge for youth is to work very hard on the development of their mind and emotions, and ensure they are going in the right direction. This can be accomplished through Ashtanga Yoga and Heartfulness practices.Ashtanga Yoga doesn’t only promote a fit body, but through its eight steps it also promotes regulation of the senses, the brain, our emotions, actions, total behavior and character – essentially our entire life cycle is affected. We stand to gain all-rounded development through Ashtanga Yoga, so that our thoughts and our nature will be transformed.There are so many obstacles in life which have to be surmounted to bring about inclusive and sustainable growth. In economics and politics we use two terms very often – overall and balanced growth which is permanent, inclusive, sustainable, non-violent, and full of justice, for our overall development. This can be realized through Ashtanga Yoga and the Heartfulness system, by fully regulating our body, mind, thoughts, emotions, and our very nature.Life is like a seed: there are two types of seeds, bad ones and good ones. The bad ones must be squashed, and the good ones must be allowed to blossom. This is what we mean by purification.Q: Tell us about your education syllabus. What are you offering the youth of India with this syllabus?YSR: We have developed the syllabus for students up to Year 12. It includes different levels of Yoga practice, and we already have government accreditation. Behind the development of this syllabus is a single goal – that the culture of Yoga is imbibed by children in childhood and in a way that they can relate to, including physical activity. There’s some confusion that Yoga is only about physical activity, but what is Yoga? Doing each and every action of our life, whatever it is, with purity, with perfection – this is Yoga. Meditation is different. Everything is not meditation, but there is meditation in everything – in your studies, your actions and thoughts, in everything you do. So, there is meditativeness in everything. But to meditate is different – it is that which you do by yourself. There is Yoga related to meditation, which is a solitary practice, and Yoga related to conducting your daily life immersed in a meditative state.Q: So you also include the character work of Yama and Niyama.YSR: Yes, they are included. Ashtanga Yoga is not merely one thing, not only exercise, not only meditation, not only breathing exercises, not only spiritual things. In Ashtanga Yoga the eight steps are complete Yoga practice. This is what we want to highlight.For students’ internal development, Yoga is absolutely crucial.Finally, I would like to say that here, with the Heartfulness practices, there is a silent revolution happening – a revolution that will influence the spiritual life of the individual, of the country and of the whole world. This is a massive work in progress for this century.<hr>With the Heartfulness practices, there is a silent revolution happening&nbsp; – a revolution that will influence the spiritual life of the individual,&nbsp; of the country and of the whole world.&nbsp; This is a massive work in progress for this century.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interviewed by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4><hr>

A silent revolution

Yves is a homeopathic doctor, who is also writing a novel and involved in theatre. He regularly presents conferences on the themes of meditation and spirituality, building bridges between meditation and various social groups and their particular issues. His artistic nature is very much in tune with the joy of the heart, which he is always willing to share with everyone in his role as a Heartfulness trainer.

yves.jpg

Yves Benhamou

Zach is a multi-disciplinary physician of internal medicine, endocrinology, and hospice care, and founder of Farmer’s Footprint. He is also an educator and thought leader on the microbiome, as it relates to human health, soil health, food systems and a regenerative future.

Zach-bush-150x150-1.jpg

Zach Bush

<hr><h4>DR. ZACH BUSH is a renowned, multi-disciplinary physician and educator on the microbiome as it relates to human health, the environment and our interconnected future. Here he extends this worldview into the spiritual realm and the field of consciousness, so as to co-create a sustainable and regenerative future for all of us, and understand the role of humanity in the greater scheme of things.</h4><hr>Spirituality is one difficult topic to tackle as a human being, let alone try to be some sort of leader in it. I’ve never looked to my own experience or knowledge base to think of myself as a leader in any sort of spiritual content. I never really dove into spirituality thinking that this was going to be an area of focus for me. It’s just percolated up through the rest of my experience and pursuits.The deeper I’ve gotten into science, medical and otherwise, the more I find that the template of nature itself speaks to some greater design, some deep fundamental truths that are echoed from the most microscopic to the most macroscopic things we see us, from the tiny viruses that would inhabit a body to the universe itself. The scale is truly extraordinary. And in recent years, the scientific literature has introduced us to The Universal Scalability Law. That law shows that the mathematical scale between the universe itself and the tiniest particles we’ve ever measured in physics – the tiniest being the vibration of the electromagnetic field in a vacuum, called Planck’s constant – is laid in half, cut in half in its dimensions by human biology.What do I mean by that? Extraordinarily, we sit at the center point mathematically between the tiniest thing and the largest thing that has ever been witnessed by humans in the universe. Somehow, we sit at the center point, the event horizon, the center point of the universe, which means that as we look through telescopes out through the billions of stars that would make up our galaxy, and then past that to the billions of galaxies that would make up the universe, that telescope expands to the very edges of the universe. You would have to turn that telescope around into your hand or into your chest, and then look just as deep into that physical space to find the exact same depth, the exact same complexity and scale.We sit at the center point of the vast universe within and the vast universe without. It must not be an accident. We have the ability to observe both, to be witness to both the grandeur within and the grandeur without. And for that reason, I think we’re called into relationship with nature, not to demand something of it, not to control it, but to simply be a grateful and loving witness to miraculous nature, without and within.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">We sit at the center point of the vast universe within and the vast universe without. It must not be an accident. We have the ability to observe both, to be witness to both the grandeur within and the grandeur without.</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;The spirituality I’ve come to really embrace is one of understanding of singularity and diversity, this extraordinary truth that it is only in our own self-identity that we can find our role and our relationship, in that singularity, to the entire universe without and within.We stand at a powerful place in mathematical scale. We stand at a tipping point between the grandiose and the minuscule. We can manifest the very intention of life, which is nature around us and within us. I want human consciousness to rise, so that as we improve our understanding of human health and push the boundaries of longevity and reverse the chronic disease epidemics around us, we don’t continue to participate in speed, the demise of our species, and the destruction of our planet.The rise of consciousness needs to be such that we don’t just improve human health, but come to understand our human relationship to the universe at large, inside and outside of us. I’m excited for us to have dialogues towards this end, in the medical environment, the scientific world, and most of all, perhaps, in the consumer world.&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality2_1_8ad06f8c3b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T09:34:10.314Z" alt="spirituality">&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">The spirituality I’ve come to really embrace is one of understanding of singularity and diversity, this extraordinary truth that it is only in our own self-identity that we can find our role and our relationship, in that singularity, to the entire universe without and within.</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;As consumers, each of us can see this world differently as we come to see our role. You did not show up by accident. Seven billion souls have leapt into these bodies at this moment in human history. We find ourselves to be at the tipping point, with maybe 60 or 70 years left of human life on Earth. That’s an extraordinarily bizarre and terrifying fact. And yet I look at my children and I see the purpose and passion within them. My son is an engineer, brilliant in his excitement at co-creating in the universe. My daughter, so expressive in her creative capacity as a performer, and she is in New York City now enjoying this incredible culture of creative arts. I see both of them and I have hope. Souls are still jumping into bodies with great purpose, and a sense of joy, and a sense of hope for the future.I have trust in the wisdom and expectation of those souls that somehow, within the next couple of decades, humanity’s consciousness rises. And thus we can become the very pinnacle of transformation on this planet; so that we can be part of that solution-based transformation to co-create with Mother Earth for a sustainable and regenerative future for mankind.We need to debunk the fear and guilt of spirituality that’s been built into our religious constructs, and really come to see that we are all on one small blue dot in this vast expanse of vacuum space of the universe. We are singular here, we’re singular in our homes, and in our opportunity to live in a healthy, cooperative environment with the rest of humanity, such that we participate with the greater ecosystem in nature to manifest the face of what we might call God, we might call spirituality, or we might call the Universe. We can be a part of that in a healthy and synergistic fashion.I’m excited to continue to engage with all of you, so please get back to us through the social media environments, not just to reach me but to reach all of us who would be drawn to an environment like this. Be inspired to think collectively together in a new fashion so that we overcome the fear and guilt and the psychosis of our political structures, our social structures, our religious structures, and really start to understand humanity and its proper position in the universe itself.<hr><a href="https://zachbushmd.com/">www.zachbushmd.com</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zachbushmd">https://www.instagram.com/zachbushmd</a><hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by DR. ZACH BUSH</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Spirituality

<h4>
DR. ZACH BUSH
 inspires us with hope for the future, and the paradigm shift that is
 happening right now. He reminds us to focus on beauty, and our
 capacity to hold the light.
</h4>

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<h4>
The whole is in every fractal. Each tear holds the world.

</h4>

<p
id="h-humanity-has-yet-to-discover-how-to-program-the-quantum-chips-that-are-emerging-when-we-start-programming-the-first-quantum-computer-i-believe-what-we-re-going-to-reveal-is-that-each-of-us-is-a-supercomputer-where-every-single-atom-in-each-of-our-molecules-holds-access-to-an-extreme-knowledge-field"
>
Humanity has yet to discover how to program the quantum chips that are
emerging. When we start programming the first quantum computer, I
believe what we’re going to reveal is that each of us is a
supercomputer, where every single atom in each of our molecules holds
access to an extreme knowledge field.


<h4>
We are all quantum beings …
</h4>


Every millionth of a second, our bodies make billions of calculations
that decide who we are today. With an endless number of possibilities in
which our bodies can manifest, you may wonder: how does it express the
vibration of an energy field that we call a soul? It does so by
projecting a hologram as our physical reality.


<h4>
The only solid things in existence right now are light waves that
 become a particle state for a moment.
</h4>


Light energy turns a wave into a particle, which gives us the impression
of solidity. Your body may seem solid, but it is actually a particle
expression of a light force within you.



For example, quantum intelligence within a piece of wood may express a
wood table in Your physical experience, when in fact, it’s just light
energy. There’s nothing wood about the atomic structure, but there’s a
macro experience of wood as the collective vibration remembers a tree.



Look carefully around you and truly take in this spectacular hologram we
are living in. Know that it can project an unlimited number of possible
realities; appreciate that the reality you see never appears in perfect
symmetry – the beauty is in the asymmetric experience.



Notice how not a single cloud in nature is ever symmetric. Rather, the
beauty of the sky is the infinite number of patterns and apparent
asymmetry. It’s that ultrastructure that makes it so beautiful, and
whatever looks most asymmetric is actually obeying a more macro version
of balance. In the physics world, this is expressed in Chaos Theory.


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<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
If we make a conscious effort to elevate beauty in our work
 and our relationships, we can focus on doing our highest work
 and witnessing, with pleasure, the fabric of reality.
</h5>

<hr />

<h4>
Even the most chaotic system, a waterfall, is perfectly
 asymmetrical
</h4>


The water molecules tumbling over rocks, falling down hundreds of feet,
crashing into a pool below never fall in the same spot twice. Yet, in
that absolute state of chaos, a mathematician can always find macro
patterns that form in perfect coherence. To the naked eye, we often
can’t see these patterns because of the limitations of our visual
perspective, but they are there.



Though it seems so chaotic right now, this hologram we live in is truly
an impermanent expression of beauty. As human beings, our highest
function is to witness that beauty and foster a version of it that
portrays the most magnificent things we can imagine. If we make a
conscious effort to elevate that beauty in our work and our
relationships, we don’t need to be afraid of humanity as a destructive
force. We can instead focus on doing our highest work and witnessing,
with pleasure, the fabric of reality. Beauty.



Find reassurance when you look around at our world right now and see
chaos. The chaos of humanity is necessary. Collectively, it may seem
that we are expressing a low vibrational state, but if we look to Chaos
Theory, we know there’s an ultra pattern within it. It’s speaking to
something of our true nature that’s going to emerge in a beautiful
paradigm shift in our awareness and in our capacity to hold light
energy.


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Reprinted with permission from the author: <a href="https://zachbushmd.com/blog-november-2021/"
 >https://zachbushmd.com/blog-november-2021/</a
>



Website:
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 >ZachBushMD.com</a
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Life around us is a hologram

<div class="post-single-content">

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 This is how DR.
 ZACH BUSH deconstructs his sense of self. It could just be the medicine you need, too.
 </h4>



 <hr class="vertical-space1">



 <h4 >Where do people find you?</h4>



 I’ve been getting this question at the end of every podcast. They are looking to get mention of websites and
 social media connection points, and usually I answer appropriately, but recently the question hit me
 differently, and I thought it was a metaphysical inquiry.



 <h4 >So, where does one find me? Where do I find me?&nbsp;</h4>



 Initially I thought, “you want to find me, go dig a hole.” Once the confusion in the answer washed away, I could
 see the layers of the response and just how accurate it is.



 Dig a hole and you will discover that by removing a shovel full of soil you create space; both literally and
 figuratively. When we dig out the dirt from our minds, spirits, and bodies, we create space. In this space many
 new things can be brought out of the potential energy that lies within.



 In the cosmos, everything leaps out of the void: this vacuum of space which is filled with the electromagnetic
 field that emanates from all the stars in the universe. The black hole absorbs this massive energy and
 translates all that raw energy into matter which spirals out to create a new galaxy. My life is the same. The
 more I empty myself, the more beauty is birthed into physical form. And the more beauty there is, the more love
 there is.



 <h4 class="text-center">I am a generative machine as I dig that hole more
 completely.</h4>



 This is where I’m most at home. It’s where all the lessons I’ve carried and learned from began, and it is the
 ever-flowing source of inspiration and medicine for a busy mind. Go dig a hole – it’s where I retreat to slow
 down and deconstruct the ego.&nbsp;



 A single sprout is all I need to witness and remember the simple, yet profound, connection between self and soil.
 We are each of the Earth and are here to be stewards of her vital pursuit of regeneration. Deep within that
 exists peace if we can recognize our role, not as producers or consumers, but stewards of life, peace, health,
 and connection.&nbsp;



 So go dig a hole today and find that part of you you’ve been missing.



 In reverence,


<img alt="zach_bush_md_signature_dark"
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Where do people find you?

The potential within

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ZACH BUSH, MD, explores Nature’s role in our regenerative future, the fact that we can no longer see ourselves as separate from Nature, and what we can become when we accept that we are of this Earth.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/living_natural_law2_83c85efaca.webp" alt="living-natural-law2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_living_natural_law2_83c85efaca.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_living_natural_law2_83c85efaca.webp 607w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/living_natural_law2_83c85efaca.webp 607w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;It’s time we found a new mirror to look into.&nbsp;The only one I’ve found globally that works for every person of every socioeconomic class, every race, and every creed&nbsp;is Nature.Nature is the only place where we will be seen for the beauty we can be, rather than the trauma we’ve lived.Nature is unchanging in her capacity to birth and create by our attitude and our awareness of her. She’s constantly asking us back into a relationship so that the playfulness of creativity and creation can flow through our own kindness.We have so much opportunity to become something we have not been before. But to get there,&nbsp;it’s time to come to terms with the fact that we are all of this Earth.We are a transmutation of the elements of the soils, the air, and the waters of this Earth. They self-organized within the wombs of our mothers to become the humans we are.&nbsp;If we come to terms with the fact that we are never separate from the Nature within us and the Nature around us, we may finally look into the correct mirror to see the beauty and potential of ourselves.The Earth is not yearning for us to look to her. I believe that Nature is yearning to see herself in us. If she had no care for that, we would probably not exist. But we are here, the most sentient and intelligent beings that have been brought forth from the soils of the Earth, from the microbiome that lives within us and around us, from the shared intelligence of thousands of species that collaborate. We are here to create the information stream in our minds that will create the opportunity for curiosity, and the creativity that comes out of that curiosity, and the productivity that will be aligned and productive within the constructs of Nature.We are the living natural law. We are the system of biology iterated again and again on this planet until we appear. It is in our abstract belief that we are separate from this source of life, within this Earth. And so, we have become destructive and extractive of the elements of nature.May we remember to be seen by this Earth so that we might recalibrate, retune, and become the humankind we are capable of being.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/living_natural_law3_40be320d6e.webp" alt="living-natural-law3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_living_natural_law3_40be320d6e.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_living_natural_law3_40be320d6e.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/living_natural_law3_40be320d6e.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Nature is the only place where we will be seen for the beauty we can be,&nbsp; rather than the trauma we’ve lived.</h4><hr>It is my hope that we all remember to send prayers to the children, the mothers and fathers, and the grandparents of every nation that is at war today. We can offer a collective prayer that the pattern will be broken, that forgiveness will become a language that is shared among nations, that is taught in the hearts of our children before they have the opportunity to learn the hate of our past. I hope that we pray into the Nature around us until we can see ourselves for the beauty that we can become.&nbsp;May we become that humankind.I’m honored to be alive now with each of you. We are here collectively to ask the deepest questions, to find the deepest answers, to discover our capacity for transformation, transmutation, and creativity within the Nature that we live.May you be blessed and remember every day, every year; Nature always remembers us. Blessings on you and those you love. May forgiveness be the new language in your hearts and minds toward one another and toward the world around you.This is our regenerative future.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>

The living natural law

Zachari is a Canadian artist working mainly in drawing, ceramics and installation practices. His work has been exhibited widely, in group and solo exhibitions around the world. Logan has also attended residencies and worked in collaboration with many other artists.

Zachari-Logan.jpg

Zachari Logan

<hr><h3>AN ART ESSAY</h3><hr><h4>ZACHARI LOGAN is interviewed by VANESSA PATEL about his art, the influences that have informed his approach, the relationship between the human body and the land, and the beauty of slowing down and contemplating the world at a different pace.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down2_700x494_5d7c3af631.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:18:26.486Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Hello Zachari, thank you for your time. I noticed that your exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum is in a space dedicated to contemplation and meditation.ZL: Yes, a lot of my work is a mixture of figuration and landscape. My belief surrounding the body and land is that they are one and the same. I have a desire to slow the viewers down, because we interact with so many media that speed up our brains, and don’t always foster contemplation or critical thinking.Recently I was in New York and saw the Hans Holbein exhibition at the Morgan Library. I was in the room with people who were just quietly staring at objects for ten minutes or longer. Sharing moments within that type of space is phenomenal because our brains work in a different way.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down3_700x562_1009516802.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:20:40.715Z" alt=""><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down4_9259afb6d8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:21:37.362Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Yes, instead of being bombarded constantly, something emerges from within. The work you are showing right now at the Peabody, “Remembrance,” is a lot about life and death.ZL: I gravitate to the contemplation of my own mortality in my work. The Jurrien Timmer Gallery at the Peabody is a space of contemplation, which gave me a great opportunity to do some new works that had a specific focus on the past couple of years. Some were done in immediate response to the pandemic, and later became a conversation that touched on our perception of time, the contemplation of loss, and the remarkable change and potential as we’re emerging from what ever this is.Q: I have been enjoying your nature drawings, and also some of your pen and ink drawings. They have such an old-world feel, the detailing is beautiful, and the visualization process is almost like contemplation for you. What has informed your work?ZL: The art historical reference point was really important. For example, I worked on a series of very large self-portraits, referencing the scale and the construction of the neoclassicists. I’d been thinking about figuration of the male body, so I started with my own body, while making references to historical tropes and styles. In 2009 I had an exhibition in Paris, and it was the first time I’d seen a lot of the historical work I was referencing; works like The Raft of Medusa, and the paintings of David and Delacroix. I’ve made it a part of my practice to do residencies, and to do research and work from collections. It’s how I’ve come across most of the works that are referenced in my visual language.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down5_58c7f51559.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:23:00.526Z" alt=""><hr>My body is always the catalyst. Regardless of whether or not it is visually present, I think about things in relation to my body, which I address in terms of mortality.Also, I see no separation between our bodies and the land. What we do to ourselves, we do to the land, and vice versa. So, with something like the pandemic, it probably happened because of encroachment in places that we don’t need to be. In a lot of ways, I think it comes down to human greed.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down6_b3b161e8ae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:24:03.343Z" alt=""><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down7_700x683_19f5c3768d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:25:01.595Z" alt=""><hr>Another big influence was my upbringing in an isolated area of Canada as a Roman Catholic. A lot of Western art is linked to the Catholic narrative, with male bodies in different forms of torture and transcendence. A lot of 20th century Canadian art was very British or European, transposed to a North American context, and that was what I knew.Q: This is what informed you, and along the way you have discovered new things. At the Peabody, part of your work has been making murals. How was that?ZL: I had a lot of time to think and rethink projects during the pandemic. I wanted to do work that would disappear after an exhibition, just sink into the wall. The mural artworks are literally sanded down (they’re graphite drawings) and painted over. Traces of them will always remain in the wall, which is a lovely notion. I call them Nomenclature 1, 2, 3, and 4, and I definitely wanted to do one for this exhibition. It’s simply a gesture about time, about how we’re here then we’re not.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down10_b0c0563744.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:26:49.131Z" alt=""><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down8_aa65bae2af.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:27:52.213Z" alt=""><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down9_fb5c7941a0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:28:44.396Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Coming to your installations, you made one in porcelain and encouraged people to touch it. That is very unusual for an artist in a public space.ZL: People have a desire to touch things. They get to be in dialogue with the artist, to experience the same thing, even in a slight way. One of the aspects that personally drew me to ceramics, and the specific clay that I work with, is the feel of it. It almost feels like bone, and the color looks like bone matter. Again, it all comes back to the body. “Fountain 1” is really like a pile of bones. Every time I show it, there are more flowers. It changes with every installation.The Fountain installation came out of seeing how monuments were changed by human interaction, and how they changed each person who visited them. The first monument I visited was the grave of Oscar Wilde, which is in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. It was a very cold wintry day, and there were brown, green, and red mosses on everything. As I approached the grave, I thought it was covered with red moss, but as I got closer I realized it was lipstick. People had been kissing the grave. I thought, “What a beautiful, beautiful thing. This monument has been changed in a subtle but physical way.” It really affected me.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down11_64c847ba16.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:29:43.552Z" alt=""><hr>I had another experience in Vienna at the Stephansdom, the city cathedral. As you walk through the door, you’re invited to touch a small piece of limestone. There’s a hand imprint in the limestone from people having touched the stone in the same spot for 900 years. That continual very simple gesture over time created a beautiful impact.My thinking about a monument isn’t that you visit it once, but that you visit it at different times in your life. You’re always changing, so you’re going to have a different experience each time.Q: So far you’ve explored painting, ceramics, murals, installations, illustrations, poetry. What’s next, Zachari?ZL: I’m not sure. I have a few projects coming up, and the expansive space of my new studio will definitely affect what I do. We’ll see what happens.Q: It’s been lovely chatting with you.ZL: I thank you so much.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down12_8a793384f0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:30:37.372Z" alt=""><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/let_art_slow_down13_6960cc9d55.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:31:30.126Z" alt=""><hr><hr><h4>Artworks by ZACHARI LOGAN</h4><hr>

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Yogita Karpate

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Zach Bush

Zachari Logan