Green Really is the New Black

Going green basically means thinking in terms of lessening the waste that we create and creating less of an impact on our environment. There are many simple and manageable things that we can do everyday that add up to huge change. Saving electricity by unplugging any charger that is not in use is a great beginning. Changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs not only saves electricity but it also reduces the amount of waste because they do not need to be replaced as often as incandescent bulbs. Buying local... anything, saves petroleum and supports local business growth. Recycle your grocery bags or even better buy re-usable bags and put all of your old plastic bags in the re-cycling bins that are popping up in grocery stores and pharmacies. This saves a lot of plastic and it will also reduce the amount of plastic that is produced in the future. Of course turning off any lights or appliances that are not being used is so easy and yet so important. Turning off the faucet when you are not actually using the water. All of these things are great ways to begin to lessen our carbon footprint on this planet.

I have found that as I begin to do these small things my attitude towards waste is changing. Every time I am about to put something into the garbage I pause and ask myself if there is not perhaps another purpose for the item. Over the holidays I found so many ways to recycle that I'd never thought of before. I glued wrapping paper from presents received to cardboard from unusable gift boxes and then I cut them out, punched a hole in the top, put a piece of re-used ribbon through the hole and they became 100% recycled gift tags. Catalogs that I never wanted have become a wealth of images to collage into gift cards and boxes. Old wine bottles are turned into vases and water bottles for the dinner table. I have found that ideas just start popping into my head throughout the day. The amazing thing is that with most of my recycling and re-using I almost always end up saving time, money and gas. The idea of disposable anything should really cease to exist. Old t-shirts make great cleaning rags and cloth napkins add elegance to any meal while saving paper...

Alternative fuels and power sources are a piece of the puzzle but, contrary to popular belief, our petroleum burning cars are not the biggest culprit in global warming. Cows, sheep and other farm animals are contributing huge amounts of methane gas to the atmosphere through burps and flatulence. According to Sara Lewis of The Argus, cow's four chambered stomachs cause them to release enough methane in one day to fill 40 party balloons, from flatulence alone. Lewis goes on to report that one kilo of methane gas warms the earth 23 times as much as the same mass of carbon dioxide. Take a moment to consider the amount of wasted meat in grocery stores, in restaurants and in our own homes. So, in my opinion, one highly effective way to go green is to put a higher value on the meat that we eat. Buy local organic meat if you can, if not then purchase the highest quality meat and buy only what will be consumed. If we all begin to treat red meat as a luxury food item the number of methane emitting animals will lessen, the quality of the meat we buy will heighten and we will all be healthier to boot. Of course if you want to be really green then just stop eating meat altogether.

Our concept of recycling needs to grow far beyond bottles, cans, clothing and cell phones. Many people are wanting to build themselves brand new green homes but the reality is that when you take an old house and green it up you are recycling that house which is saving a huge amount of waste and energy. Driving a used car that runs on bio-diesel is a whole lot more sustainable than buying a brand new hybrid. We just simply need to let go of the idea that everything we own must be brand new. If every person on the planet bought a new car every year we would be living in a parking lot in no time at all. Perhaps it would help if we changed our perception of what it looks like to be successful. That should be really easy since green really is the new black, it's terribly cool to be green.

The long and short of it is, in my opinion, the best way to go green is the way that works best for each individual. Trying to do it all at once will likely result in overwhelm which generally leads to giving up. So start with the changes that seem manageable to you and grow from there. If you have the desire to change and you take the first steps, you will be amazed at the ideas and inspiration that will come to you. And last but certainly not least, share your ideas and your enthusiasm. Write, blog and talk about what you are doing. Be the example, the inspiration for others. "Be the change that you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Allowing... Accepting with Love

The other day when I was just beginning my hatha yoga practice on the soft grass in my neighbors back yard one of our resident eagles flew over. My neighbors have granted me access to their property which is quite lovely and brimming with magical loving energy. True. Their family were the only people to own the property (since Native Americans didn't claim ownership to land.) They are a wonderful, loving and accepting family and the land radiates with their energy. I paused my practice and sat down to enjoy the breathtaking sight of an eagle in flight. For me it literally takes my breath away to watch an eagle soaring majestically through the sky.

The eagle stuck around for longer than usual and was circling the lake when another eagle showed up and I watched mesmerized as they danced in the air like angels swooping, circling and swooping by each other. Wah! I felt such peace and joy to watch the beautiful couple playing amongst the clouds. As I sat in awe it occurred to me that the eagles flight appeared effortless. I examined the way they allowed the wind to do most of the work while they simply rode the currents. Then I started thinking about the past year and how many times I had seen images of birds in the clouds and actual birds and eagles had appeared at the most strategic moments. I suddenly realized that the message I was being given was a message of allowing.

I have tendencies towards pushing against things that I do not want. My mom was a huge activist and did get a lot that she set out to do accomplished. She is warm and loving as well as strong and intense and I love very much. However I watched her and other activists push against the world to little avail. I have not become a grand activist like my mother but I do still have the tendency in me to think in this manner. I see things I do not like and I want to scream and yell. Sometimes I have, it hasn't been terribly effective. lol Sometimes I look around and I am furious with the things that have manifested in this world. Normally rage turned to despair and I was wracked with pain over things that I could not fix.

So as I watched the eagles dance above the lake I decided that allowing was my new game. It isn't really new, per se, just newly renovated. It is almost the same as self effort and grace (funny I just realized that my design for that of course is a heart with large multi-colored wings) but allowing is even more. I frequently become agitated when people drive past my house very quickly and recklessly. I live on a small country road and there are many creatures and people walking on the road. Now whenever someone drives by in this manner I focus my energy and think to myself that I am a peace bomb. I watch the peaceful energy radiate from me like a nuclear blast and I watch it roll over the car. It is so much nicer than becoming agitated. I don't know if people are driving any more reasonably but I will say that I now see police cars driving by more often and for sure that will help! Yay for the peace bomb!

Another experience I had was when I was driving and in a hurry one day. I was becoming quite irritated with the cars around me and it did not feel good. So I decided to try something new. I started chanting "Vitthale, Vitthale, Vitthale, Vitthale, Jai Jai Vitthale!" which is one of my favorite chants. It is lively, fun and it fills me with joy. As I chanted I thought to myself how much better I felt in only moments and I realized that my hurrying was completely unnecessary. I felt so powerful at that moment. I do not have to be controlled by my emotions. I can allow the world around me to just be okay the way it is right now and I can allow myself to be happy and okay. I can do that.

I do not mean to say that I want to walk through this life blind to the things that I am not wanting. I still am striving to be the change that I want to see in the world. I am just doing it in a much more happy and relaxed state of being! Jai Jai Vitthale!

Be the Change!

I recently had an interesting conversation with a bellhop in Austin,Texas. We were discussing politics and the condition of our government. He spoke quite a bit about all of the changes that needed to be made and how our politicians were to blame for not fixing these things. As he spoke it occurred to me that people say this all the time, they complain that our politicians are doing nothing to change the things that we want changed. Well as I see things it's the people, myself included, who are not doing what is necessary to change things. Change comes from an exchange of ideas, it comes from inner resolve and from daily actions. Change does not come from simply voting for the guy who makes the best speeches or who looks good on paper. For the love of Pete, people, change comes from growth and learning. If you want a change then you best be prepared to walk your talk. If you want the world to be a better place then you better start with your very own little universe, my friend. Even better, start with your own body! Eat healthier food, exercise and learn how to be emotionally healthy. Be an example for your friends and family. Treat others the way that you wish to be treated. In fact, start treating yourself the way you wish to be treated! "Be the change that you want to see in the world!" ~ Mahatma Gandhi. I really don't think that it could be stated with a whole heck of a lot more clarity than that, folks.
We all need to buck it up and become our own role models. That's how we can change this country. People, much like animals, learn from example. What would you think if I told you that you should really quit smoking while I puffed away on my pipe? Don't we do this sort of thing all the time. I know that I sure as heck do. Where as I can honestly say that I really started changing my eating habits from watching my friends and family becoming almost exclusively organic food shoppers. And that is in fact probably one of the best examples I could give. Many people are changing their diets in the same way. That has changed not only our local grocery stores but also the huge corporations. Walmart now carries organic produce and products. In fact, they carry Newman's Own, another fantastic example. Who'd a thunk it?
So if you get the urge to complain about things that you are not happy about in this world... Well, perhaps you might consider what small or large action you can take, in your life, to counterbalance those things. Be the change, people. There is no better or faster way to get there. Oh and also remember that we all live in glass houses so please put the stones down.
My rockin' cool girlfriend, Monty, made a simple gesture recently that was absolutely brilliant in my mind. She was speaking to a friend of hers about their kid's education. Her friend said that she wanted her son's education to be... and she raised her hand up high, gesturing high level and a cut above. Monty, dang I love her so much, said, "Well, I want my son's education to be..." and she threw her arms wide in a gesture of expansion and inclusion. Right on, girl! How fantastic would this world be if more parents thought like that. Just imagine...
And on the subject of education, I recently watched a brilliant show on the Sundance Channel called Iconoclasts. In one of the episodes they filmed Mikhail Baryshnikov and Alice Waters hanging out together and discussing... stuff. Alice Waters started a program called The Edible Schoolyard in Oakland, CA. The mission of the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School is to create and sustain an organic garden and landscape that is wholly integrated into the school's curriculum and lunch program. It involves the students in all aspects of farming the garden – along with preparing, serving and eating the food – as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.
Okay, I have to say that Alice Waters is super fabulous in my book. A couple of things that she said, in Iconoclasts, really hit me. The first thing was about the shopping habits of this day and age. We don't mind spending inordinate amounts of time and money on shopping for clothing, cars and so called luxury items. Yet somehow we want our food shopping to be fast, convenient and cheap. We will put things in our bodies that are of the lowest quality to save time and money. Believe me I ain't throwin' any stones here, I'm as guilty as the next culprit. (Although I have made some changes in the past few years.) Alice preaches eating fresh, local and seasonal foods whenever possible. I can't argue with that. She also spoke about buying from people or companies that have similar values to your own. Well gee, that actually used to be the norm, right? Food for thought!

Here are some pertinent links:

Looking for some way to help? Charity Focus is designed to enable inspired people to contribute in meaningful ways to the world around us. Find your calling @
http://www.bethechange.org/

Interested in finding out more about Alice Waters and Edible Schoolyard?
http://www.edibleschoolyard.org

Looking for greener choices? Here are some consumer guides to help you out:
http://www.voiceyourself.com - Woody Harrelson's how to be a better person site. Fantastic!
http://www.greenerchoices.org - From Consumer Reports - To help you go green!
http://www.newdream.org - Conscious Consumer Home - Green and Socially Aware!

You might be interested to know how Mikhail Baryshnikov is contributing to the arts.
http://www.baryshnikovdancefoundation.org/