Awareness is a not just a life practice that relates to self-healing, its also being conscious of our material world and what we consume from it. Consciousness is everywhere and I have been really curious about the connection between becoming aware of the products we use in relation to our values. What we consume whether that be music, social media, clothing, food or cleaning products has an impact on our energy, our health and our lives.
If I were to try and pinpoint what led me to exploring my spirituality I would genuinely say that it began with a documentary I watched on Netflix back in 2011. It shocked me to witness the reality of where our food comes from and considering myself to be an animal lover, the abuse of animals was sickening. But even deciding not to eat meat was not enough because the reality is also that our fruits and vegetables are covered in pesticides, herbicides and toxins that my mind nearly cannot begin to understand how that is even legal.
Back then I pretty much did everything the way my mom did it when I was growing up. From the meals that I cooked, to the cleaning supplies that I bought, the candles and my goodness, the wall plug-ins. In all fairness, I just wanted my house to smell nice and not like dogs. I got together with my husband the same year I watched that documentary and he is so sensitive to anything that is heavily scented so that was also the year that I had to say good-bye to wearing perfume, scented laundry detergent and I felt the saddest about giving up the candles and plug-ins when it came to Christmas time because there is no better smell than that of pine.
Giving up all of those things for the wellbeing of my partner wasn’t that difficult but coming to the realization that a lot of the products that I had been using made me feel very unsettled about how and why those things were basically carcinogens and neurotoxins masked as every day use products.
As a result of motherhood and wanting what was best and healthiest for my children I had to become the first line of defense for what was going to make its way inside of our home. My husband was in the military for the first few years of our marriage and that meant I did all of the shopping and care taking of the home. I had no choice but to begin to do research and educate myself, I joined a local crunchy group and it blew my mind wide open. I didn’t even know what sustainability was or meant and to be honest it was both intimidating and exciting to have so much to learn.
It also can feel like no matter what you do, there is no such thing as conscious consumerism.
That is something we’ll each have to face and approach in the best way we know how. This year in particular aired out the truth about so many companies that we line up to buy what they produce from Starbucks to Victorias Secret, Anthropologie to Whole Foods and Amazon. It gets to feel extremely overwhelming, if its not prison labor oppressing particularly men of color then its fast fashion and the disastrous effects it has on third world countries and the environment. If its organic and grass fed then someone is making a disproportionate amount of profit from that need.
I think where I have felt this the most is the understanding that consumerism really affects the people who are working the hardest, the people who can’t afford to eat organic or buy sustainably made clothing from Bali, its the people who are couponing the very products that will inevitably poison their bodies and that of their families. It’s people like my parents who think that because something is “name brand” then of course it has to be a better quality.
I’d like to believe that my efforts to stop buying clothing at places like Old Navy or making our own coffee at home and “shopping small” are part of those small steps toward a better way of life for all but it has to go further than that. How do we dismantle a system that we also rely upon to live?
I certainly have some ideas and don’t quite have the answers for these questions yet aside from being aware. Our awareness is a significant step, we can’t all go off the grid and start a farm, it may not be your calling and it isn’t mine either. I will be completely transparent when I say that I like designer things and I don’t live a minimalistic lifestyle, my appetite for things certainly feeds this system. Change cannot happen from a space of judging ourselves for our consumption but it can happen from a space of acceptance and then applying our consciousness on how we wish to continue moving forward. Feeling guilty about buying the chain store coffee isn’t going to get us anywhere but self-love certainly does. Denying the areas in which we have privilege doesn’t give more of that privilege to others but we can use that privilege, channel that energy through our own unique means.
Then if we can recognize that we have the ability and awareness to shift where we place our energetic currency, how does that redirection of energy look for you and your lifestyle? This may be a small change in the foods and household products you use, it can be where you buy your clothing from, maybe even thrifting if that is something you are open to. It can also be by channels that don’t require your money like raising awareness within your family and friends, having honest conversations about what we consume and calling in other minds to take a look at the different perspectives and come up with ways we can support each other.
