Episode 063: Using a Regenerative Mindset to Light an Ember of Hope with Bonita Ford

Seeds of Tao: Impact entrepreneurs seeding regenerative paths beyond sustainability

Bonita Ford joins us this week on the Seeds of Tao Podcast Episode 063 as we dive into cultivating hope, even in the darkest of times. Bonita is a non-violent communication expert, group facilitator, and coach who combines permaculture with non-violent communication, body and nature awareness, movement, and Reiki into her work. She’s just released her first book, Embers of Hope which she describes in the episode. Especially in these times of pandemics and uncertainty, her message of hope in the darkness is vitally important for us to utilize and maintain the regenerative mindset we seek.

Get in touch with Bonita:

https://www.embersofhopebook.com/

http://livinghearth.net/

https://www.instagram.com/ourlivinghearth/

https://www.facebook.com/bonita.ford.1

Here's where she first took a PDC:

https://merrittlandhort.com/programs/academic-programs/permaculture-design/

Here's where she got her permaculture diploma:

https://permaculture-upp.org/le-cursus-de-formation/dpa-diplome-de-permaculture-appliquee/

NVC resources:

https://www.cnvc.org/

https://nvctraining.com/

Lighting the Fire

In the episode, Bonita shares her journey of writing her book and the struggles she was having before her friend fell very ill and passed away. In this process, Bonita went to a very dark place, and found that she did not have to stay in that dark place, but could still have hope. This hope pulled her from the darkest places and yet allowed her to stay in the dark places if necessary and work through them in a way that helped her to value each and every day we have on this earth. She says, “If we can hold ourselves gently and courageously in that dark place, then it really shows us how precious our lives are.” In her book, Embers of Hope, she relates this to building a fire.

If you’ve ever built a fire by hand with primitive tools or a bow drill, not matches or a lighter, you’ll know how much work goes into creating that first ember, and how very precious it is to keep alive. These small pieces of light and hope are likewise extremely important for us, especially in times of darkness in our lives. That ember looks different for everyone, for some it’s their spouse or their kids, maybe it’s their community or their work, it doesn’t matter what shape it takes, just that it’s a light point to focus on when things get rough.

Read the full post on the Seeds of Tao website...