Ep.46 Why I Do What I Do

Welcome to ReConnect with Plant Wisdom. I am your host, Tigrilla Gardenia, Nature-Inspired Mentor and Leadership Coach. In this podcast, I share ancient and modern knowledge, from biology to spirituality, about the wondrous ways plants can help you lead a Naturally Conscious Life.

Welcome back to Episode 46. This is a powerful episode for me because in this episode I want, I want to talk to you about why I do what I do. That’s really what I want to talk to you about why do I do what I do? Why did I go from being a speaker and all these other things to deciding that the most important thing for me right now in my life is to be a mentor and a coach, and to support you in your process. So I hope you’ll enjoy this episode 46 of why I do what I do.

welcome back everyone I am I decided that this episode would be a solo episode, right we’ve had a few episodes with some amazing guests and I’m having really so much fun with these various I don’t even consider them interviews, really. I mean, I think that there are more conversations and discussions and I really love to hear your feedback on them. I try to pull from different swaths of society of, of our naturally conscious community to give you a really rounded view of the different aspects that change in you with this deep relationship with plants and what the plants really have to offer. I mean, in the naturally conscious community, we’re having conversations about every aspect of life and how plants help us make decisions in this and how plants help us rethink and expand and grow and develop and evolve. And there’s just so many different aspects of that. And in part that’s the reason why I wanted to come to you today in this episode, and really just have a conversation with you directly and answer a question that I get all the time.

And this is a question that honestly, I didn’t even expect or think about until somebody the first person asked me and then I realized that that it was you know, it was starting to come up more and more and more. And the reason was, the the question was around the fact that I actually as you heard in I think it was I don’t remember what it was episode four or something where I talked about my own history, right. So I started working with plants in about 2013. And that was when my plants reawakening started here at domande her actually that’s not true. It started before that, but 2013 was when I actually started to actively work with plants. And it was all because of the music of the plants. You know, I’m a music engineer. I used to produce large scale dance parties, but I also have this background connected to corporate and all these different aspects. of myself and the plants just kind of brought this all together through the music specifically through the music of the plants. So I started doing more speaking engagements, I was working directly with the team of the music of the plants. I started to do lots of speaking engagements before that I used to do speaking engagements relating to practical spirituality and Kabbalah and I was teaching and then when it came to Damanhur, I started working on all the social media strategy.

So I’ve always bounced between this artistic side of like producing events of CO owning a circus of having this of producing and putting together project management is a thread that goes through pretty much everything that I do. I’m very good at the organizational part. But I also have that creative side of being able to kind of put ideas together in visionary ways. And and usually to like too many years ahead, so I have to kind of rein myself back in. So I had already been traveling as a teacher and as a spiritual healer and as a speaker for many many years and then I came to dominate her and I kind of settled into Taman Hurrian life. I still traveled but I was more here and then I started working on the music of the plants. And in addition to all of the organizational marketing and connection work that I was doing within the music of the plants organization, I was also going out and doing speaking engagements talking about plant music and plant intelligence, Chelsea Flower Show big shows in Finland and in the United States, and I was really it was it was so much fun. And around that time is when I got into the world of also biomimicry. For those of you that don’t know what biomimicry is, biomimicry is is is a design technique.

It’s way more than that. It’s an ethos it’s a, an emulation, where we look at beings in nature and we look at their functions and we design whether it’s physical products or social innovations. So around the time that I started to work deeply with the plants and really study more and more about how the plant mind was developing what we were looking to understand. I was collecting all the stories that were coming from healers and performers and people integrating and connecting with the music of the plants and connecting with plants via the music of the plants. I have to always remember to kind of make that distinction because it’s not always clear that you’re interacting with the plants. You’re just using music as the mechanism to connect and to work with the plants. And so I started to also do these biomimicry projects right I started to work with small groups or companies that were looking to design with a nature inspired approach. They wanted to design physical products as well as services with the idea of how do we emulate nature’s nature’s genius, and I really loved working on those projects when I was doing my master’s degree in Florence right remember, I had this master’s and vegetal future so the idea of plants social innovation and design.

I very much got into the idea of social innovation, using plants as a reference as my models and as my mentors and my own communication with plants helped me actually, when I was getting my master’s, I think I’ve said this before, but when I was getting my masters, I actually felt incredibly privileged not just because this was the first year of the program, and it was with Stefano min cuzzo and Luna de Leonardo Kizzy and so that you know, there’s amazing instructors that are in the world of sociology for the built environment as well as plant intelligence and plant development and all the ideas relating to that. So here we are with these, you know, star cast members as our teachers and our professors. But as they were talking because I had this arts background and the spiritual background in addition to the science that I was getting into, what ended up happening was, I felt like I was really grasp not just grasping the concepts, but I was grasping beyond what they were trying to explain.

These professors are amazing at really looking at their side of the world, but bringing it all together sometimes is a lot harder, because it’s very easy for us to still silo ourselves into integrating or looking at whatever it is that we’re learning for the sake of this thing that we’re learning, where instead because I was living in domande, her a place at the time where I was very rapidly integrating everything I was learning. At the time we were working, I was much more closely involved with a project here which is the the next temple domin her will expand into and I brought in this biomimetic approach to it. So I was able to host some some workshops here and domande her to help us think about this new temple as a being of nature, where how does water fit in? What are the different animals that we could look to for inspiration, how do we even include the land key itself to be a voice in the overall project? I was working? I was lucky enough to bring in Michael Pollan, who is not the writer.

There is a Michael Pollan that is an architect and he is one of the premier architects of bio biophilic design. And he is amazing. He worked on the Eden Project, and he’s done just these very incredible projects. And I was able to have him come as well as Pietro Lousiana, who is a professor who also has been very intimately connected to my data which is a one of the oldest original cities, troglodytes societies where you know you live underground cave people moving into such society and it’s so it’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the entire world and happens to be in Italy. So I was able to like work on these projects. I also got invited thanks to an organization that I was a part of called by over some photo that I was able to work on European Union based projects projects where we were bringing biomimicry into large scale projects on water loops and other kinds of very mainstream but alternative applications of these projects. So you can just imagine that here I am working on like, how do I take this nature inspired biomimetic approach that for me has aspects of lots of creativity thanks to my creative background through music and the arts, and then also a very spiritual subtle realm of relationship with the plants and with the other beings of nature, including nature spirits, and the spirits of the land like all these different aspects thanks to my spirituality and my background and where I live. So I have this.

I felt so privileged that the only way I was honored to be a part of this and bring it forward.But for me, it wasn’t enough. Like how do I explain this? It’s a really hard thing and a very difficult thing and I think a lot of us, kind of, we see that we’re working on these amazing projects or these amazing experiences, and we think, Oh, I’m supposed to stay here. As you know, I’m a multi potential light I have lots of different interests. And what I work with my clients to do is recognize the fact that throughout different phases of their lives, different aspects of those passions and talents are going to take focus, and you don’t have to put one aside to embrace the others. Like I was just telling you, when I was working on a biomimicry project, I never thought oh, I’m only going to use this part of myself. No, I really regardless of whether or not the group understood my spirituality, I allowed my spirituality to give me the context of the overall greater cosmology of the universe. Right.

All the things that we talked about in the Mystery School program that’s going to be coming up soon, is how do we look at the cosmology of the universe and really think about where and how this space that we’re working on this project that we’re walking on fits into that? How do I tap into the rhythms and the music’s and the sounds that really gives me a more creative approach and a way to enter into this with a new eyes and also from the perspective of my direct communication with plants. How do I allow that to inform my work? I don’t always have to make it verbal. I don’t always have to make it like let’s put that as a line item on the the overall project plan. But for me, it’s always there. And so this was something that was big for me, especially also curating in this time, I was curating interspecies arts projects. I was I was helping others who wanted to develop ways to stimulate and get this work across. But like I said, I could have continued to bring the voice of plants louder into the world through those channels. But when I realized that what was changing in me, what was making it that I was able to work with all these different types of people.

I had very technical people, scientists, sociologists. I was working with architects I was working with people that had biomimicry certifications, and I had been studying and I was able to put all these pieces together and then I was also working with spiritual healers that were looking to integrate the music of the plants into their work. And I was working with physical therapists and doctors, like there was just such a wide range of people that were passing through the know how the skill set and the the experiences that I had been bringing together and this for me, I realized was only able I was only able to really hold all of that, thanks to the relationship with plants, because it was the relationship with plants that helped me start thinking like an ecosystem. And I started to look at my work more as one of the building blocks of an ecosystem. What were the keystone species? What was the stage of development? How is it that the plants can help me rethink this project in a new way? I realized that for me, the plants similar to the way that Kabbalah had been for me, had given me a map have given me a new level of understanding and the same as also spiritual physics, which gives me a map of the cosmology of the universe. It helps me understand, like our ancient civilizations to our future development. All of these pieces together helped me realize that the part that I was I was best at was really helping others integrate their work.

There are amazing teachers out there. There are amazing teachers out there beyond me like there are so many people that are teaching powerful information, powerful knowledge, things that have been obscured, and I love being around these teachers. There are also people who are doing great work in their disciplines like architects and sociologists and urban planners. I often talk about the built environment because I really like it but also scientist in geographers and in the plant humanities and artists and spiritual healers, like I love the variety of working with all these people. And so what I really realized in that entire process was that my gift is helping you integrate whatever it is that you’re working with, and that’s what the plants helped me do. The plants helped me think like even my own personal ecosystem, if I am rooted in sessile, and I have all of this knowledge around me, which is the nourishment, right are the arts and the sciences and the spirituality and the engineering and the mathematics all of these things are my terrain, my my nourishment, and so therefore, how do I create an ecosystem that takes advantage of all of the best things and sure I could grow like a plants in the sense of I could be a really showy plant that then you know, grows out beautiful flowers or fruits and that’s to me like the teacher plant, right the plant that kind of makes themselves known, but what I was being much better at was being the hedge being the kind of plant that helps you that helps integrate that breaks down the soil further, that that sequestered nitrogen and then passes it off to somebody else.

Like, I realized that what I love more than anything is helping individuals find the confidence the self acceptance, the radical honesty, to use all of their talents rather than conforming to others. And that allows them to take whatever is coming in, of the inputs that they’re receiving, to take a deep inside of themselves, to wrap it all around and let it sit in there and then for it to come out in their own unique voice. And I think that we are in an age I always think about why was I born in the period of time when I was born, right? The generation before my generation felt like they had to go into careers and experiences that were very stereotypical. They had rules, they had regulations, they had to follow this line. There’s always been the outlier, but in general, your mainstream life was that way. Today. Yes, it can be that way. If you choose it and if that works for you, and I know plenty of people that it does, but also the world has given us so much so much is being unveiled so many technologies are being brought to you that we have an opportunity to create extremely unique lives that don’t conform to norms and rules that others give us while at the same time, creating an extremely enriching environment that connects to more and more people.

But to get through the air, you’ve got to work through mountains, especially depending on your age. And honestly your sex and your sex your gender and your sexuality depending on how things are. You have to work through limiting beliefs and fears and concerns around things like money and how will I be perceived and plus, there’s so many tools out there, the internet offers us so the online space especially offers us a million to one tools. And here I am somebody who has experience working at places like Microsoft and who really understands tech. I mean, I have been in tech since the mid 1990s. I mean don’t try to figure out how old I am. But I have been in tech since that life. I grew up in the music scene and I went to school inside of music both classical jazz as well as contemporary and like all areas in between. I work I had a company that did large scale electronic music, dance parties and intentional dance and festivals and the whole sort of tribal hippie you know world there’s so many words and I don’t want to offend anybody or and exclude anybody but you could just imagine of all that. And then on the other side of it, I have a master’s degree I have science background. Now I have engineering background, and I’ve been a spiritual teacher since well, since around 2000 And since What was that 2004 I think I started teaching spiritual studies as a Qabalistic as practical spirituality.

As an as an initiative multiple mystery schools like I have this unique skill set that allows me to really see who you are and and to see you as completely as possible and also I’ve been told I have this this unlimited amount of curiosity that really pushes towards understanding new levels of being and and really kind of seeing you as who you are. So this this idea of this radical self acceptance which I’ve had to apply for myself, I’ve had to live through my and I’ve had to live through the fact of not being conforming, I mean, I’ve changed careers multiple times. I’ve lived in multiple countries, I speak multiple languages. I’ve experienced all of these different things. So what I’m trying to say is that why I do coaching and mentorship is because I believe that each person should be themselves completely and honestly you should be exactly who you are meant to be. And so therefore, I feel like it’s extremely important for you to take the time to work through what that looks like, Who do you want to become? And before I finish this, let me share with you one of our Eco conscious business partners, because these are the people that are really also helping all of us create the type of world we want to live in. Any little bit we can do to help the environment is a win in my book.

That’s why I’m such a fan of who gives a crap, a be certified company that donates 50% of profits to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime. Not all of us have access to it the day so if you have to wipe your bum with something, this is the best toilet paper to choose. They wrap their TP in paper, not plastic, which saves tons of harmful plastic from ending up in our landfills or hurting animals and get this one box of TP can last up to a whole year. Trust me. I’ve tried this with my own family. They have two eco friendly options, one made out of recycled sheets and the other from bamboo sheets, which is super fast growing alternative to trees. They’re soft and strong and really hold up who gives a crap delivered to your door and offers 100% money back guarantee. You can’t beat that. So click on the link in the show notes to give it a go. So, in let me try to wrap this up into a way that makes sense. I became a mentor and a coach and I chose that path because I want to help you become exactly who you want to be.

I want to help you have confidence in that. I want you to work through all your limiting beliefs and evolve them I want you to be friends with them. I want you to find every single talent you have and feel like you are the master of everything that you can easily move through them. Just the same as when I was you know acting and dancing because I didn’t mention I used to do that too. And I’ve been in a few films and in shorts. And I love being on stage. I could be in that position. I could be the person that is the center point on the stage. But that’s really not what I want to be right now. What I want to be right now is I want to be your greatest cheerleader, because the world needs to change the world needs every single being human and more than human to become an embody their complete selves and to integrate everything that they have learned throughout their lifetime into and metabolize that and bring it out and then make a decision a conscious and naturally conscious decision on the direction they want to go. And I love being there to help make that happen. So I wanted to say this because I think it’s I struggle with words, even though I’m good with words, but I just struggle with them because I have always said that I am what I do and I do what I am and I want people to be every single person that I come into contact with to be able to say the same.

I want them to feel like there is no barrier between themselves and the life that they have always wanted to live. The impact they’ve always wanted to make the achievement of their life purpose and I want them to feel like all of that that they’re doing is intimately connected to their sole mission. So I want to use every tool in my toolbox. I want to have them sitting here so that every session, every course, every group, call that we do, I open those up and help you figure out how to integrate the things that you have learned about yourself and about life and about whatever philosophy or study that you’re doing and how you bring it actively, naturally and consciously in to your life. So I just wanted to come and say that i wanted i You can tell I’m super passionate about this topic.

And the plants are my my measure, my model, my mentors, my partners in all of this and I want them to become the same for you. My goal in all of this is to give you and to help you and enable you to become whatever it is that you want to be. And so use my tools, use my knowledge use my experience. Let me be that cheerleader let me poke you let me give you prompts. Let me support you. Let me be the person that is there to help you become who you’ve always wanted to be. And let them naturally conscious community and all the members that are there also support you on this journey. Because we evolve much faster when we evolve together. So that’s it for this episode. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

I would love to hear your thoughts. I’d love to hear what you’re studying right now. That’s really a big one. I’m so curious as to what it is that you’re studying right now. And how would you like to get that? How would you like to integrate that into your life? Where do you see it going into your life? Where would you like to see that part of it come into your life? Let me know send me a message or just drop me a comment in the naturally conscious community and I really look forward to speaking more with you. That’s it. That’s me TV. I got Dania, I’m out. Bye.

Thanks for listening to this episode of reconnect with plant wisdom, Intro and Outro Music by Steve Shuli and poinsettia from the singing Life of Plants. So join me to give you like our Dania and my plant collaborators next time on reconnect with plant wisdom