For this week’s Mindful Monday video/podcast, Waylon talks about effective activism.

“My parents’ Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, would often note that activism is vital and important. So much of the good that has been accomplished in our societies, in our world, has come about through folks coming from empathy, and—through bravery—changing the status quo in our societies.

There’s a caveat, of course, which we see on social media all the time, which is we can’t create a kinder, better, more caring world through aggression, through self-righteousness, through prejudice, through seeing others as evil. While we can be clear about the faults of others or the faults of philosophies out there or prejudices out there, we have to first engage in maitri.” ~ Waylon Lewis 

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In this episode of Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis, an award-winning video and podcast series hosted by Elephant Journal, Aaron Michael of Earth Love Gardens schools Elephant readers (and Waylon) on how you can love your yard (or windowsill) and our planet. He gives practical, fun tips for gently caring for our yards in an environmentally-responsible way, and reminds us of how we can participate in the healing of our planet, and ourselves, through small, simple choices.

"Being disconnected with our earth is behind so many of society's issues. That if we can find that reconnection again with Earth, within ourselves, and with each other—that's what society is missing." ~ Aaron Michael

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For this week’s Mindful Monday video/podcast, Waylon offers little mindful and eco tips for our planet and our health from inside his secondhand-renovated, eco-friendly shower and little bathroom.

“It’s not that the little things are gonna fix everything, but billions of us doing the little things, or at least not doing the bad things…micro can become macro—that’s how Capitalism works: supply and demand. ” ~ Waylon Lewis

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Shelby Kaminski educates Elephant readers about all things "dirt" and regenerative, from the perspective of her woman-owned entrepreneurial success, Edaphic Solutions.

"Building up the immune system of your yard and garden makes it so you don't have to use weed killer because weeds don't like healthy soil.

Weeds usually grow in places where there aren't a lot of plants. So if you're planting more plants, the weeds will be outcompeted and have nowhere to live and no food to eat. It's using the forces of nature to help nature." ~ Shelby Kaminski

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This Mindful Monday, Waylon discusses “Children’s Day” in the Buddhist tradition and the Winter Solstice—bout what they mean in our lives and how we can integrate them into our present traditions.

“With all the suffering, the aggression, the fear in the world right now—whether it’s in the Ukraine, Gaza, Israel…as well as a lot of the partisanship that we’re seeing in the US where we often can’t even discuss things peacefully or respectfully—I think it’s important to come back to peace.

And peace isn’t some anodyne, saccharine notion. It’s not a facile thing. It’s something we have to work for and care for and nurture.

And Winter Solstice is emblematic or symbolic of that. It’s the darkest time of the year.” ~ Waylon Lewis

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Rachelle Robinett of Pharmakon Supernatural schools Waylon Lewis (and all of us) on some herbalism basics: how to determine good quality products, what to look for when buying herbs, common kitchen medicines, and how to get started re: herbalism.

"I am hopeful that the future includes one in which Western medicine can be inclusive of herbalism, and vice versa that there's a better balance—because there are times where we need medication, we need surgery, we need the blunter instrument that Western medicine often is. And there's so much herbalism can do in preventative care that'll lessen the burden on the healthcare system." ~ Rachelle Robinett

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This Mindful Monday, Waylon opens discussion about what the most “eco,” yet fun Christmas tree option may be. He talks a bit about his new holiday tradition this year. Share what you do in your home in the comments!

“What is the most eco solution? And why this does matter?” ~ Waylon Lewis 

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“The Smell of Money” is the documentary to watch this holiday season. It’ll change your life and the lives of countless others as you do so.

Waylon Lewis spoke with writer and producer Jamie Berger.

“The Smell of Money” is a feature-length documentary. It follows a community in North Carolina who are up against the world’s largest pork corporation, fighting for their rights for clean air, clean water, and just to be able to live free from the stench of animal manure.

In particular, it follows a woman named Elsie, the granddaughter of an enslaved man. She lives on property in Eastern North Carolina that has been in her family for generations, since the time of slavery.

She goes to school after she grows up there and then comes back to take care of her elderly mother. When she arrives back home, she realizes the farmer next door is spraying animal waste, manure, feces, and urine, onto her elderly mother’s home. This starts a journey where she becomes a renowned activist for environmental justice—the fight for equal access to a clean, safe environment, to be able to live on your land, to enjoy your property.

She galvanizes this movement in North Carolina that’s been going on for more than 30 years, now. The film follows her story and the story of other people like her and people who are fighting alongside her for justice.” ~ Jamie Berger

Learn more here. 

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Inspired to keep indie media alive? We need mindful community more than ever: you can write on Elephant, and/or subscribe: elephantjournal.com/subscribe, this Holiday season.

"Every Monday, I offer a mindful reminder for our everyday life." ~ Waylon Lewis 

We are an independent community-based journalistic outfit. We publish journalism. We also publish personal stories, if you'd like to contribute. You can do that. You can write an article and put it up immediately, for free. Listen to learn more.

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Many years ago, Waylon came across a uniquely simple, yun-ful watch display in an outdoor mall in LA. One was black, one white, both with wooden cases. He fell in love not only with the simple elegance, but the values—these are just about the only watches entirely Made in the USA, these days. Waylon bought a Weiss watch a year later, an early “adult” purchase. Recently, Waylon and Cameron Weiss, founder of Weiss Watch Company, speak about the sustainability of mechanical watches, how they can keep us in the present moment, and considerate about how we use our time; how a watch is often an heirloom item, and what that means.⁠ “A watch, like any thing, can be ethically-crafted & sourced, an heirloom to pass on to a loved one. Few are. Weiss is.” ~ Waylon Lewis⁠ We discuss ethical, eco, made-in-the-USA craft, which in many ways is a dying thing.

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