Hi friends, welcome to Body Peace.  

I'm K, or Keaton, and I am happy to introduce you to what Body Peace has to offer—the seeds that I hope to plant.

Let's start with what peace means.  

From my perspective, peace is the expression of nature's natural wisdom in opposition to the kind of war that is colonialism, white supremacy. All of the ways in which we are—even complacently, let alone sympathetically—upholding these systems at war with nature.  

If we think of nature as a closed loop, recycling all nutrients where everything feeds one another, then what is colonialism? What is white supremacy? What is the industrial food system? They are the opposition—the war against nature’s peace. These systems are exploitative, excessive, destructive, and stripping.  

And all of these things that affect nature affect us. We are nature—our bodies, all life.  

The reason I called it Body Peace is to oppose the current systems and position ourselves as a body of nature, as the plurality of Earth. It’s a poetic descriptor that acknowledges we are the Earth.  

When we see the edges of the Earth from space, we are part of it. We are not separate from it. This positioning reminds us of our shared goal of facilitating peace and giving nature the space to do what it does naturally.  

When incorrect programming runs through our minds about what is real, it absolutely impacts how we relate to one another and to ourselves.  

So the first foundation is widening that scope—understanding reality and recognizing and unpacking the interconnecting systems that affect nature and cause these destructive, exploitative behaviours within and without.  

Through this widening of scope, I have found that self-worth becomes possible and potent.  

Here, I define self-worth as honouring our experiences—our direct feelings and understandings—as something that can serve as a foundation for identifying the self. That self that has worth.  

When we think about the self, we might use words that refer to a group or a category we belong to. But here, I am framing the self as a point of experiential learning and feeling—less about over-identifying with imposed definitions of self and more about recognizing the self as an entity that experiences. And those experiences—no matter what they are—have value. They have worth.  

Not all experiences need to be shared or inserted into every space, but the fact that they happened, that they are you to a certain extent, carries immense value.  

The last foundational piece is creative expression.  

Through the inspiration of broadening our perspectives, allowing the mind to explore freely, and honouring the self and its experiences as worthy, creative expression simply needs a space—a thoughtful container.  

That is where Body Peace comes in.  

I want to nurture this idea of peace—nature’s inherent opposition to colonialism and exploitation.

To nurture peace with an open heart, feeling heart.  

One side of Body Peace is my own personal documentation and commitment to this goal—my experience in following this path—that I share in Body Peace diaries. The other side is us gathering in that thoughtful container, in a circle.  

The teaching of the circle was given to me by Asha Frost, an Anishinaabe medicine woman. In a circle, no one is louder or quieter, no one is above or below, in front or behind.  

If we offer ourselves spaciousness to come forward with this understanding—with the freedom to express, with the energy behind sharing our firsthand experiences—we can truly nurture peace.  

Some ideas I have for this include engaging with citizen science and different ways of acquiring research. These all connect to land stewardship, land connection, body connection, and understanding the systems we are a part of.  

By using both formal studies and personal interactions as inspiration, we can create, express, and share with one another.  

The beauty of it being a circle is that we can put our gifts into action, and then see the connections—between what our feeling hearts are working through and expressing—and illuminate new ideas for each other.  

Through this, we can discover what we might put into action together—what our advocacy work might be in this effort to nurture peace and support nature.  

If you’re interested, you can follow along with my Body Peace Diaries, where I share my experiences—and I invite you to do the same.  

When they are up and running, Body Peace Circles will be open to all. Whether online or in person, we will ensure that everyone has the space and tools they need to express themselves, illuminate insights for one another, and take meaningful action together.  

Why + Impacts 

If this is your first time hopping on, I would love to share with you why I created Body Peace and why I believe it is important.

Body Peace was born out of the desire to make peace with my body—not just my body, but our body.

This body of the earth is inextricably interconnected with all forms of life and matter on and within the planet.

When we conceptualize things like the industrial food system or systems of harm that stem from colonial and white supremacist ideologies and practices, so much comes to light regarding our own experience of being in a body and relating to others who are also living in bodies. It also brings awareness to what our food is experiencing, what plants are experiencing, what animals are experiencing, and what is happening to different forms of life in the environment.

I truly hoped this space could be a place where we connect with our interconnection in a way that honours nature's wisdom—the peace that comes from nature’s ideology about circular systems, where everything nourishes everything. Many of the systems we encounter oppose that structure, and that is where the peace element comes in.

When we seek to make peace with something, we must become aware of it in all the ways we perceive and understand—through intellect, feeling, sense, and spirit. If we want to engage with these systems and cultivate peace in our everyday lives and our experience of being in a body and in the world, I believe it starts with everyday people.

This practice of citizen science and using alternative forms of research is a key part of that. The article by Bhandari (2024) discusses the promise of everyday folks who care, engaging in a reflective and data-gathering experience that doesn’t have to be something distant or locked away within institutions. Alternative research practices are available to us—such as walking, strolling, or rolling resource practices—where we actively engage with the world, connect with our surroundings, and develop firsthand understanding.

Then, we come together. We share what we care about with one another, connect the dots, and move something forward—whether through creative expression or personal reflection. By engaging in alternative research methods, everyday people can participate in meaningful inquiry.

When we gather in Body Peace Circles, we set things in motion. We direct our energy toward something as a community, as a circle of people. Engaging with the concept of the circle, as taught to me by my mentor, Asha Frost—an Anishinaabe medicine woman—reveals the circle as a unit, an expression of life. It is deeply aligned with nature’s peace—a closed loop where everything nourishes everything. No one is above or below, in front of or behind another. Without a hierarchical framework, we can engage with one another through active and peer listening—friend to friend—hearing what we each care about and then taking action together.

When it comes to taking action, the possibilities are limitless. The priorities of the community take center stage.

There is a deep need for this kind of community initiative, this kind of citizen science. As Bhandari (2024) discusses, there are so many people in the world who may not feel worthy or who may not believe our experiences have value—but they do. And it doesn’t have to be a big thing. Once or twice a month, we can gather, get the ball rolling as a community, and maintain an active practice of engaging with nature’s peace and recognizing the forces that oppose it.

With this growing understanding and the freedom to creatively and freely express ourselves, we document our journeys as part of the Body Peace Diaries. I encourage you to join me. I share mine to demonstrate how it can be imperfect, how it can simply be a way to process feelings. It doesn’t have to be public or a whole show. The key is that we encourage one another in small ways to engage with our interconnection and to nurture what we care about—by sharing our gifts.

Body Peace emphasizes creative expression because we are creative beings. Sometimes, creative people struggle to find a thoughtful container where their voices are truly heard. I want to center that—while also highlighting the alternative forms of research we can engage with in a thoughtful and accessible way.

So what are the broader implications of Body Peace? Over time, we could see this model stretch into different communities. I am by no means the first to pursue this. I am in great company among creative individuals and those willing to reclaim their power by providing tools for expression and thoughtful spaces for research and reflection.

By bringing these efforts into networks and circles where we can truly listen to one another, we can each contribute in our own way while working together. If this model spreads and people feel empowered to bring it into more communities, we could see facilitators leading circles and replicating this framework in many places.

Wherever there are creative people who care about our interconnecting systems of which we are a part, the peace of nature, and the harmful systems that threaten it, this work can take root. It bridges the greater, systemic issues with personal reflection—capturing the heart, fostering open expression, and allowing people to speak from their experiences.

The power of replication in local communities can shift how we perceive our agency as everyday people. The Body Peace Diaries, too, play a role in sparking personal change, encouraging practices of reflection on the world, and honouring our individual journeys as meaningful and valuable.

This is especially significant for those who may not have felt they had a voice or a role in spaces where systemic issues and nature are discussed. Maybe we don’t have degrees in conservation or ecological restoration, but we can listen to those who do. We can uplift the voices of marginalized experts—especially those who may not be recognized by institutions.

That itself is part of the system that, in many ways, opposes nature’s peace. Instead, we seek out willing individuals—ensuring they are compensated—for sharing their experiences and knowledge. This includes people who engage with the land, who hold Indigenous knowledge from their specific First Nations or communities.

We want to elevate those in the field while also affirming the voices of everyday people and the power of collective action within Body Peace Circles.

This is a framework that can be applied anywhere, igniting growth in small, local pockets across the world. Through this, we can shift the narrative—rethinking expertise, reimagining how initiatives begin, and tapping into the endless possibilities that arise when human care is mirrored back to one another.

Because at the core of it all is this simple truth: You have value. You have space to express. And the impact of that is limitless.

References

Bhandari, M. P. (2024). Citizen science and its applicability for sustainability and a healthy planet. Academia Environmental Sciences and Sustainability, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.20935/AcadEnvSci7270