The writer who is based in Ireland says that an organic path is living close to Source
To write about my love and devotion to living an organic lifepath, is to write about Essence and living close to Source. It feels like being held in the hand of God or a Goddess; the feeling is expansive.
I was literally ‘called’ to the path; and I call living organically a lifepath and not a lifestyle. My own mother’s ‘alternative’ beliefs and practices she had learned from her mother, a Scottish artist and spiritualist-medium from a well-to-do family. I always say I’ll be forever grateful to my mother for introducing me to yoga and yoghurt in the 1960’s!
Organic living is a positive choice. It’s a ‘call to action’ and the action is love. The benefits of organic are all the spiritual and emotional benefits of inviting positivity into our life and the bonding we experience of living alongside like-minded people. This has immense physical benefits for our body-mind systems and making them a more comfortable dwelling place for our Spirit.
‘Organic’ is also known as ‘biodynamic’ after Rudolph Steiner’s visionary beliefs and practices, and it refers to food that is grown with reverence for natural rhythms and cycles, without the use of toxic chemicals, synthetic pesticides or fertilisers and also to our self-care products and home goods (cosmetics, body oils and cleansers and cotton bedding linen for example).
As simply as I can say, here’s a rundown of history, philosophy and tradition of the Organic Movement and its benefits for self, culture and humanity.
The start of the Organic Movement
Dates for the start of the organic movement vary, but in our recent history we can trace a starting date to the early 1800s when it was first realised that traditional manure fertiliser could be substituted by some mineral salts: in 1840, German Scientist Justus Von Leibig developed a mineral plant nutrition theory.
The organic movement is not only plant-based, and includes any food grown by farmers who use renewable resources and who emphasise the conservation of soil and water, thereby enhancing the quality of the environment. Can you feel the love in the explanation, itself?
What first grabbed my attention about organics/biodynamics was that it was the returning Europeans and British on homecoming from India in the first half of the 20th century who brought organic farming, gardening methods and knowledge with them…that is when ancient roots began spreading globally from Mother India.
Ancient traditions: balance
I call India’s renowned scientist and eco-warrior Dr Vandana Shiva, the world’s ‘Ecological Saint’ and she speaks and writes constantly on the ancient roots of ‘Organic’. To truly get in touch with these roots, Dr Shiva advises going back 4,000 years to discover traditional practices both in India and China.
And, digging deeper still, Dr Shiva says: “Organic farming is the oldest agricultural practice… practiced even more than 10,000 years ago, dating back to the Neolithic Age by ancient civilisations like Mesopotamia, and Hwang Ho basin….”
Do these dates stir anything in your memory? Ten thousand years ago, the prevalent culture extending geographically from the west coast of Portugal, throughout Spain and France, across Europe almost to the eastern coast of Russia and south to India and China, was the Magdalenian or Matrilineal culture which was the culture of Goddess or Mother or Divine Feminine.
At source of all ‘Mother and Goddess’-based cultures, is a reverence for Divine life-giving Essence, which leads to balance resulting in all thriving equally.
Benefits of growing, eating, living organically are benefits of ‘Mother’: harmony with nature, diversity, knowledge intensive (rooted in wisdom) and a holistic approach. And to remind myself of all of that, I use this mantra:
I am a living being on a living planet in a living universe
Memory, Vision and Organic: Unity
Rudolph Steiner the early 20th century spiritualist-scientist-educator-forerunner had an understanding of Cosmic Memory. I’m convinced he could probably ‘see’ the cells of a human body as living organisms of the Cosmos, much as the ancient Indian Siddhas could. His biodynamic methods use bio-rhythms of the Earth, solar rhythms and prana, light and life-force and, of course, planting, growing and harvesting of plant food by the rhythm of the Moon cycle. He understood the story of humanity as a philosopher and scientist of living energies. He practised unity: or humanity as ‘one’.
In 1924, Rudolf Steiner presented the first organic agriculture course to a group of about hundred, which included farmers and others in Poland. His Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture, published that year, led to the popularisation of biodynamic agriculture in Germany, probably the first comprehensive organic farming system based on his spiritual and philosophical teachings.
Harmony with the whole
Organic living is living in harmony with the whole, embodying flow. Organic growing flows with the cycles of the Moon. It is believed that Moon prana is as important as Sun prana. The lunar cycle teaches us to be at peace with and thrive within the human birth, growth, and death cycle that is inevitable for us.
Living with our daily flow offers a return to health, wholeness and meaningfulness in time… accepting seasons and not accepting tasteless, modified fruit and veggies with limited nutritional value forced to grow unnaturally out of season or natural habitat.
Daily experience of Divine Presence
For me, living an organic path is essential to living with zen on a daily basis – being with the Immanent experience; experiencing the Divine daily in everything living. Organic is a living close to Source, bringing a clarity of understanding which is where our strength is as a human being. It’s about making an incredible choice and choosing the power of living positively with pure love of the Divine Mother flowing unencumbered.
We’re here to be happy and organic living is about being a better, happier human being.
Thirty years in her own practice and teaching meditation now for more than 25 years in Ireland, Susan Ni Rahilly’s Hatha Yoga teaching is inspired by Zen.
Thanks so much, Susan for this informative piece on organic farming. Most of us only know that organic food is grown without chemicals and is completely natural, and nothing much beyond that. I have been growing vegetables on my own terrace since the past three years and been enjoying the experience. The taste is different from what you buy in the market.
Yes Reena! Our organic growers’ market here in my small Irish town happened for the first time since lockdown on Saturday morning . . . people were so happy to be out and kind-of mingling – still keeping social distancing but glad to be together and getting the produce we love!
Susan, I liked the new perspective on organic farming. The word organic to me means just growing vegetables or grain organically, your piece goes so much beyond this.
I think most of us realized the importance of growing our own vegetables with the Covid 19 lock down.
I am happy calling myself an organic gardener, if I can at least not use chemical pesticides to keep away the pests that attack my sweet basil, often.
Thanks for this Cora – I’m happy that you’re happy! It may be that Covid-19 lockdown has brought many such realizations?