You may have read the headline, and come up at a loss as to what regenerative living is. Sure, there’s regenerative architecture, regenerative design, and lately, regenerative fashion (well, farming) — but what is regenerative living?
Well, Whitney Bauck, a sustainability writer for Fashionista writes that regenerative agriculture “assumes that some things have already been so damaged that they need to be built up before we get by with merely sustaining them” — specifically in terms of soil health.
Regenerative living doesn’t assume you’re “so damaged” — we won’t either — but it is about returning to our roots, and healing ourselves from the ground up. Or as Holly Rose, an earth activist and agroecology soil advocate, writes on her website: “Regeneration at its root, restores.”
Author Dr Erin McMorrow wrote for mindbodygreen that “As we remember our connection to the soil and our souls, we remember our innate power, and as we do that we can heal our energetic body systems.”
And what energetic body systems are we healing? Dr McMorrow outlined several ways within her book, which include sleep, food, giving and service, and nature. Rose told The Prairie Collective that there are multiple steps to living a regenerative lifestyle, the final of which is “taking action”.
If you’re a bit lost, don’t worry — we’re here to break it down into actionable steps for you, with the help of these two women.
Sleep
“Fundamental nourishment” is what Dr McMorrow refers to sleep as and she advises that you get “plentiful, restful” sleep. According to her, “replenishing sleep is an act of revolution”, especially as live in a culture that promotes endless productivity — leaving us stressed, and burnt out.
Blackmores emphasises that Australia’s don’t realise there are “natural” ways to fall asleep, and has provided ten tips to fall asleep.
Food
As Dr McMorrow writes, “Imagine the billions of miraculous interactions in nature that result in the single apple, potato, or leaf of lettuce! The sun shining down with all its infinite love. The poetry and flowing wisdom of the water cycle.”
In reality, a lot of us don’t stop and think of that, let alone where our food even came from. Usually, food is scoffed down quickly as we move onto another task on our endless list. One way to combat this? Mindful eating.
Giving and Service
“Little warms the human heart as much as giving,” says Dr McMorrow. And it’s true — volunteering can impact your sense of purpose and wellbeing. The health benefits of it are truly endless, and they have a positive impact on those benefiting from the service provided.
Holly Rose speaks as to how regenerative living is about giving back more than you take, and volunteering is a way to successfully do so.
Nature
Walking through a park can decrease your stress; a regular dose of nature can benefit your mental health; becoming a plant parent can decrease loneliness. More than this, we need to remember that we ourselves are a part of nature, according to Dr McMorrow.
Getting back to the roots can be literal — spend time in nature, appreciating Mother Earth, and allowing her to gift you with some really beautiful sights.
Take Action
Rose consistently emphasises that regenerative living is about “giving back more than we take”, which is why she places such an emphasis on taking action. As important as it is to read books, sign petitions and learn —we need to follow it up with action; actively promote a regenerative lifestyle.
She personally centres herself in political work (activism); nature-related work (spiritual); anti-racism work (human relations). In her opinion, these three need to be tied together as “we need to heal them all at the same time.”
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