#78 Nayo Shell on being seen in the natural world as people of colour
“I was born a human, period. I should be able to live my life where I can have access to the natural world and do outdoorsy stuff like kayaking, hiking, camping, and not feel threatened because of the colour of my skin or the accent that comes out my mouth. We have to work together to reflect on what our current community dynamic is, how we feel in our current community and how we want to feel in society. Then, what do I do in that space? How do I encourage other people?”
Whilst being in natural spaces is a birthright for all, with nature being us and us being nature, BIPOC communities often find themselves alienated from the ‘natural world’ so guarded by privilege and power, it almost seems impossible to feel seen or even safe. How then can reviving deep cultural connections to the land through improved eco-education remediate historical harms of environmental injustices faced by our communities?
This month, we invite to the space Nayo Shell, the visionary founder of EcoWell Co., a transformative platform established in 2020 with a mission to deepen our connection with nature through wellness practices and eco-education. A Maryland-native holistic wellness teacher, environmental scientist, urban planner, and climate activist, Nayo is dedicated to amplifying eco-consciousness and resilience to climate change. Through her multifaceted background, she endeavors to bridge the gaps between our minds, bodies, spirits, and the Earth, igniting mindful, radical (r)evolutionary change from within. As the host of the Meditation Matters Podcast and curator of the EcoWell Co., Nayo inspires individuals and communities to embrace collective transformation towards a resilient, harmonious world.
In this wildly open and animated conversation, we centre re-storying as an essential tool for countering eco-narratives rooted in colonial power, particularly re-instilling confidence and courage in people of colour to engage in environmental placemaking. Nayo weaves together embodied intention-setting practices to offer people of colour ways of finding place and belonging in nature, as a way to reclaim lost identity as interconnected beings.
What will be covered:
Nayo’s professional journey in community-first urban planning
Centring traditional connections to land in planning which value lived experience over institutional knowledge
Nayo’s lessons of intentionality, agency and being present during her time in Puerto Rico
Permission work when deepening relationship to a land you are not native/indigenous to
Intergenerational healing for traumas connected to the land e.g. enslaved ancestors dying on the land you call home
Thorough history of environmental injustices in the US through profit-focused urban planning, particularly the creation of green spaces at the expense of housing security for Black and brown communities
Remediating racial harms from gentrification to preserve community integrity e.g. rental caps, land tax caps
Exploring safety and familiarity in natural spaces for people of colour, and encouraging our communities to overcome barriers collectively
Decentralising power —> building community networks to move away from governmental structures
Stories over data —> talking to people on the ground to inform planning
Embodiment and playing with senses when finding place and identity in the ecosystem
Understanding what feels good as an individual and part of the collective
Opening up to different possibilities and modalities to heal
Resources:
Find out more about Nayo on her website
Connect with Nayo on Instagram (@ecowellco)
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other major podcast platforms
Mind Full of Everything is a podcast calling for the radical healing of the self and community to outgrow the broken dominant culture of radical individualism and disconnection from our place as interdependent beings, so that we can collectively re-envision a safer, healthier and equitable world. Each episode takes a healing-centric approach to explore the embodied ways in which we can collectively restore and transform our journeys as stewards of community and earth through conversations with writers, researchers, coaches and educators, as well as reflection episodes with the host Agrita Dandriyal on her journey navigating the world as a deeply conscious, culturally-rooted and relational being. Learn more here.
