SAVINg OUR COLLECTIVE LUNGS

by supporting biodiversity and indigenous communities in the Amazon.

As a breathworker I help people use their lungs better every single day. But how about our collective lungs?

You may have heard that the Amazon rain forest is responsible for a significant amount of the oxygen produced on earth (some experts estimate around 9%). But there’s way more to it.

Though it only covers 4% of the earth’s surface, it is home to about 1/3 of all earth’s biodiversity.

Why is biodiversity so urgent?

Because with every species lost, our ecosystems lose resilience. And because biodiversity is on a rapid decline. But mainly because it’s one of the environmental threats that can not be reversed. We can sequester CO2 in our soil, we can rid the oceans of plastic, we can clean up trash from forests, we can stabilise populations of fish, we can plant new tress…but once a species is lost, it’s gone forever.

Be selfish about it

Even if you see the environment as something separate from yourself, and you don’t care about some forest on the other side of the planet…keep in mind that an estimated 25% of all pharmaceutical medications are derived from the Amazon’s biodiversity. But only 0,5% of the Amazon’s flowering plants have even been studied for their medical purposes. With human health declining rapidly, we need to keep access to the world’s natural medicine cabinet.

Indigenous people are the stewards

You know who knows best about the healing properties of this forest? The people who have lived there for thousands of years. The indigenous tribes have a strong connection to this incredible resource and are vital to the world’s access to it. Remember colonialism? When rich countries would suppress, enslave and even genocide defenseless native communities for profit? That was bad, right? Well guess what: in 2022 this is still a daily reality for some indigenous tribes in the Amazon.

They need their land back, so they can keep it safe from and for us.

Indigenous people living on their own lands are the strongest protection against deforestation and habitat destruction. Trees don’t have rights, but humans do. And when humans own their living territories, no-one is allowed to touch them. This way, the tiny amount of people that still live as indigenous tribes, is protecting the vast majority of remaining old-growth forests. 

 On a personal note…

 In recent years I have benefited greatly from some of the rituals and medicines that come from the Amazon and its tribes. I care deeply for this cause because it is close to my heart. This is why I’m donating my very own handpan (the one I learned to play on and is featured in my online courses).

I’ve decided to focus the donation on “Amazon Watch”: one large and high-impact charity with a 25 year track record in doing awesome work. Check out this short film about their work: 

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