Eco-psychology may be thought of as a relatively new movement; however it is an ancient mode of knowing, one that has colored and affected how we live in  this world in many ways. From the very dawn of time, humans and non-humans  alike, needing to find their path in the world, have sought out ways to move beyond a simple existence and into one of fruitful abundance and comfort; all within the boundaries existing within their being. Eco-psychology can be defined  as the study of the soul and its relationship to the natural world. The  practices and study of Eco-psychology lead us to a greater understanding of the  relationships that all beings, human and non-human alike, have with each other.

Deep Ecology, an idea first proposed by Arne Nast in 1973, is a theory which  requires us to look deeply at the connection between our relationship to the  earth and all of its inhabitants. This connection must be felt first on a  personal level, a level that goes beyond scientific fact and into ancient places  of intuition and wisdom – those places within our personal dark abyss where we  truly feel the pain of elephants being murdered for ivory, and where trees, which have stood for hundreds of years, are burned away to make grazing land for  cattle, who themselves are destined to be slaughtered and ground up into fast  food. Deep ecology asks that we share in the pain and suffering of our non-human  brothers and sisters so that we might find the courage to stand alongside them,  fighting with them and for them, in order that they might live in the same joy  that we want for ourselves and our children.

At the root of Deep Ecology is a movement away from and through  anthropocentrism, the idea that humans are the only important and valuable life  form. In an anthropocentric state of consciousness, humans live at some  imaginary apex while all other beings are seen as less important, less worthy of  care and compassion. From this perspective we don’t feel the need to concern  ourselves with other life forms because they are inferior to the “superior”  human. From an anthropocentric worldview we are encouraged to deny and/or  belittle the relationships we have with other beings sharing the planet with us.  We forget about our relationship to the food we eat, the communities we live in,  and the earth of which we are a part.

Once, years ago on a trip to Ireland, I had the opportunity to talk with some  other people who were staying at the same youth hostel where I was. There were  two Norwegian women, a Canadian woman, and an Irish man. We were talking about  vegetarianism and I said that my biggest concern with eating meat is that we  lose sight of our relationship to the animal it came from when we are able to  simply walk into the store, pick up something that bears no resemblance to an  animal. is called steak or pork chop instead of cow or pig, wrapped in plastic,  and that can be prepared with no more effort than it took to go to the store. It  seemed that the most difficult part of this idea for my table mates to  contemplate was the idea of having a relationship to food. Generally,  food is thought of as something consumed only to keep us from being hungry, or  to satisfy taste buds addicted to flesh, fat, sugar, and various food additives;  it is rarely seen as something connecting us to the earth where it is grown, the  water that nourishes the food source, or the air that interacts with its leaves  or lungs.

In an anthropocentric worldview, relationship is something exclusive to human  interaction, not human/non-human interaction. Deep Ecology asks that we look  deeply into all relationships, not just those scratching the surface of our existence, but also those that run deeply within and throughout all of  life.

Deep Ecology requires that we look fully into the face of all of our  relationships. Human and non-human alike, all of these relationships are needed to sustain our own body and its ability to move about the world in harmony and  health. In a true Deep Ecology we value life as it arises and appreciate all of  the abundant gifts of our planet. We enter into our relationship with the earth  as a caretaker of the garden, rather than as a hoard of locusts who just stops  by to eat and run. We understand the importance of nurturing our human  relationships and remember this in our non-human relationships as well. In the  spirit of Deep Ecology we honor and respect all and live in such a way that we  leave life better than when we found it.

Cynkay Morningsong has been helping people find physical, mental, and  spiritual balance for over 20 years. She lives and works in Sonoma County,  California.