Animismo: Guardians of the Land

A mutual aid alliance between Tayuksidi Collective and Body as Earth for the preservation of native practices for ecological harmony amidst climate change.

Animismo comes from two Tagalog roots: “ani,” meaning harvest or fruit of the land, and “mismo,” meaning the very essence itself.

Together, they speak to the true harvest of being—the understanding that all life is animated by spirit. In pre-colonial Philippines, animismo was not a belief system but a lived reality, where rivers, mountains, and winds were regarded as kin and cared for through ritual.

Animismo: Guardians of the Land is a co-led alliance between Tayuksidi Collective and Body as Earth, dedicated to revitalising these ancestral ecological practices in Palawan and Bohol.

The project supports Indigenous spiritual leaders—Babaylan, Balian, and Tambalan—to continue their rituals, rebuild Kalambanas (community ritual houses), and pass on wisdom to future generations. It honours ritual as a living technology of balance, where ecology, culture, and spirit converge in service to the Earth.

At its heart, Animismo is both remembrance and renewal—a return to the essence (mismo) of the harvest (ani), where the true yield is right relationship with land, community, and the living world.


 

Indigenous communities are guardians of the land who protects the custody of land and sea.

They hold traditional ecological knowledge vital to biodiversity preservation.

Their role is cultural ecological balance and practical practices for environmental conservation.


Resource Redistribution to Indigenous Spiritual Leaders

KALAMBANA
Ritual House for Gathering

A kalambana is a traditionally built home that is intended for tribal community gatherings where they practice the continuity of their culture. 

The native architecture aims to widthstand harsh winds, using local materials with a concrete base, and bamboo flooring – designed to be cooling for sleeping, with an elevated base.

RITUAL MATERIALS
Cultural Continuity

Gathering materials needed for ancestral and cultural preservation of living traditions, practices, and rituals that are currently on the brink of extinction.

Such as: food for offerings, banigs (rattan mats) for sitting and serving, forest herbs for cleansing, and animals for sacrificing.

LOGISTICS & BASICS
Travel, Labour, Volunteers

Travelling to community partner sites (gas, transportation, flights, etc.) of indigenous territories in Palawan and Bohol, Philippines.

Travel involves the core team of youth volunteers that come along for support, documentation, food preparation, and more. 

More information on how to contribute soon.

If you feel called to volunteer for this mutual aid alliance, contact Chloe at chloe@bodyas.earth.

Biodynamic Somatic Therapy in Singapore

June 21 - 30, 2025

Biodynamic Somatic Therapy is a method of gently realigning the body’s dynamics to release tension, restore balance, and support holistic healing from chronic pain, stress, and emotional volatility.

Biodynamic Somatic Therapy (BST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that works with the body’s natural rhythms to reorganise from misaligned or overworked states into more fluid, available, and spacious states of internal harmony. 

Rooted in Craniosacral dynamics, BST focuses on the spine—the core of the central nervous system—helping to address chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and the lingering effects of trauma.