1990s. Rural Tamil Nadu. A group of people sat under the shade of a generous leafy tree, with eyes closed. A while ago, they had been sitting in the open, parched and sweating, feeling all the torrid effects of the southern Indian sun. Now, in protective green shade, with a cool breeze blowing, they realized the essence, and the benediction of the big tree.

Sadhguru led them through an inner process, where they actually experienced the exchange of breath with the tree, breathing out carbon dioxide, which the tree inhaled, and breathing in oxygen that the tree exhaled. An experiential process where they clearly saw that one half of their breathing apparatus was hanging out there. These were the early days when Sadhguru had just begun planting trees in what he called the most difficult terrain the minds of people. This first-hand experience of oneness with all life galvanized the first set of ardent volunteers who pioneered this movement to restore our planet.

What began with a few thousand volunteers in the 1990s in the form of Vanashree, an eco-drive aimed at greening the Velliangiri Hills, soon grew into Project GreenHands, a large state-wide campaign with millions of volunteers across Tamil Nadu in the first decade of 2000s. In 2017, when Sadhguru led the incredible Rally for Rivers, it snowballed into the largest environmental movement on the planet supported by 162 million Indians, further leading to intense on-ground activity with the extremely hands-on, proof-of-concept project Cauvery Calling. Now, it will include billions of global citizens in an unprecedented movement to create a Conscious Planet and Save Soil. Sadhgurus mission to reach 4 billion people on Earth has been the product of three decades of work and evolution.

One of the crucial aspects in the evolution of this movement has no doubt been the sheer number of people it has inspired. However, equally important has been its growing levels of influence. From local communities, organizations, farmers, schools and state governments, to helping shape the National River Policy in India and now to working with some of the most environmentally-relevant international agencies, world leaders and governments the movement has been making quantum leaps in the past three decades.

The phenomenal endeavor of the Save Soil movement is to bring citizens of the entire democratic world together to speak in one voice and affirm our commitment to the health and future of Earth. When issues of ecology become electoral issues, when the peoples support empowers governments to adopt long-term policy changes to safeguard soil, when businesses, organizations, individuals and governments make soil health a primary priority that is when this sustained effort will find fruition.

This has been a journey from GreenHeads to GreenHands to GreenHearts. So who will save soil? Each and every one of us.

Let us make it happen!

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About Conscious Planet - Save Soil - Sadhguru