Reel Life: I Am Lioness, Hear Me Roar

I have long believed that female energy has the power to change the world. It’s the reason I created this site, and I can feel that shift in consciousness getting a little stronger every day.

My sister and I attended Oprah’s inspiring O You! event in San Francisco a few years ago, and I was blown away to hear Martha Beck – my personal life coach, even though she’s unaware of that fact – raise the same issues which I had been so passionately trying to get across.

“If we don’t mother each other and the planet, we won’t be here in another century,” warned Martha. She then went on to describe one of my favorite scientific discoveries ever. Men, she explained, have a “fight or flight” hormone that they release when they’re under stress. Women have that, too, but they also have a “tend and befriend” hormone. So, when they’re under stress, they’ll react with that same fight or flight response but they’ll make sure everyone has a sweater and a sandwich when they go. Wow.

This instinct to nurture is so basic and natural, it’s the foundation of National Geographic’s stunning new documentary, The Last Lions. The movie deals with the near-extinction of the species – over the last 50 years, the lion population has dwindled from 450,000 to a shocking 20,000 – but it approaches the subject from a totally new and fascinating angle.

Rather than dwell on what human beings have done to these animals or how the males fight it out to be king, filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert simply follow one lioness – a single mother of three – as she struggles to raise her cubs. The movie’s tagline, “The Most Powerful Force in Nature is a Mother’s Love,” is brilliant and may finally cause people take a real look at what these magnificent creatures will do for their families – and try to help them.

One of the most poignant scenes in The Last Lions is when the lioness and her nemesis band together – they actually cooperate with each other – because they know that’s the only way to save the cub who’s in danger. It’s not about pride or ego – it’s about the children. It’s a perfect example of why it’s up to the females to save the world.

To help these struggling moms, visit CauseAnUproar.org (I love that name) and watch/share the trailer below – for each view, a contribution will be made to lion conservation. The movie opens today so head over to your local theater. And don’t forget to bring a sweater.