10/29/2021

Nurturing Healthful Connections

The 7th UU principle calls us to “respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”. Joy and health come from beneficial connections between the parts of this web, so let’s appreciate them before beginning our journey.

Today’s Tips:

Think of your body as an interdependent web of existence:

It has 30 trillion human cells while your microbiome has about 39 trillion nonhuman cells (bacteria, viruses and fungi) that govern mood, appetite and immune responses. Your microbial friends, which also help you digest and metabolize food, are themselves nourished by trillions of interdependent microbial colonies in the soil. You have 20-25,000 genes in each of your cells, your microbiome about 500 times more.

Think about your daily connections to nature:

Everything you do and have draws on the bounty of nature and affects its well-being. On one day, notice what food, water, travel, clothing, household objects and home energy you use and garbage you accumulate. How was nature impacted by your life that day? Now imagine that all 7.9 billion people of the world live the exact same way…

Questions/Comments/Tips:
environment@uucharlottesville.org

Next: What’s Your Carbon Footprint?