The Adventure Continues: Creating your Sequence!

Alright, we have dealt with most of the big obstacles in setting up a personal yoga practice: intention, planning, space and time. If you're new and would like some ideas or thoughts around any of those please feel free to go check them out along with the comment sections for extras!

Now we are ready. Ready to embark on this Yoga Adventure. I'm at the top of my mat, I am dressed for yoga awesomeness, have some candles, children and partner won't bother me..... and I have no idea what exactly to DO. The last hurdle is believing that yes- you can practice safely without a teacher.

I'm not implying that teachers are not necessary as part of your yoga practice. Good yoga instructors are essential in providing appropriate feedback and helping you try something new and grow in your practice among many other aspects. However, I do believe that so many people think that they "can't" create a sequence or practice safely on their own.

First: the safety issue. After a few traumatizing yoga experiences of my own, I have sadly come to the realization that just because the person is a certified yoga instructor, that may not mean they are 'good' yoga teachers. Certification no longer automatically means 'quality and trusted' yoga teacher in my mind and new teachers always take time to earn my trust. Sad? Maybe a little, but I've been pushed, adjusted, ridiculed and chastised too many times by different yoga instructors to blindly do what the instructor asks.

Regardless if you are in a class or by yourself, your body is your BEST safety alarm. I will never forget one of the teachers in Montreal scolding me, in front of the entire class I might add, for popping in and out of postures too quickly. Ultimately she was right it is so important to mindfully move through each asana so that you can be very aware of how each movement feels. Any hint of real pain and that should be enough to stop, adjust or take a nice rest in child's pose. Pain is not gain, it's your body warning you of injury. You know your body the best and how far is safe to 'push' it, just be very mindful while practicing at home AND during class.

On to what exactly will you DO during your awesome Personal Practice. This has been an evolution for me and I'm confident that as you become more comfortable with practicing at home you'll become better at knowing what type of practice works best for you!

VIDEOS
My very first personal practice were my awkward, on a quilted blanket because I didn't yet own a mat, DVD Vinyasa yoga with Seane Corn. DVD's are always an option for those who feel completely overwhelmed by trying to figure out which sequence, which postures or which podcast to work from. A few DVD's, like Shiva Rea's Shakti DVD, allow for further growth where you can pick and choose should you wish to change it up.

Another option, as we are all pretty hard up for cash, would be free online videos. I've been trying to find some really nice ones recently and have had a bit of difficulty. My issue? I spend so much time looking for a decent one and weeding out crap.

My Yoga Online has a very nice selection of classes ranging from four minutes to an hour. However, a monthly membership costs 9.95$.
YogaYak has a nice selection of asana, meditation, pranayama along with nicely outlined categories.
Yogatic is a wonderful selection of free videos with Esther Ekhart. Most are filmed in her Eco Studio in Ireland (excellent!) and although, short (most under 15 minutes) they are all very informative! What I like about her site is that she is upfront about it's purpose (free yoga!) and it's all videos of her, with no voice over. I am not a fan of voice overs. So less chance of sketchy random vids :)

Although videos are nice, I have found that I'm not really a 'video yoga' kind of Yogini. I much prefer to practice without looking at a computer screen and as such my home practice in BC morphed into pre-made yoga picture sequences.

Pre-Made Sequences
At the time I hadn't yet kicked my magazine addiction (so terrible for the planet!) and was reading The Yoga Journal. Each month there is a Home Practice section with a cut-out picture+instruction sequence. WOO! I sticky-tacked my favourites on the wall and off I went! Unfortunately the online version doesn't have the pretty, in a page round about version but can still be printed off easily. My favourites: A fine balance (Anusara Sequence) and Strength and Grace (Vinyasa Flow sequence). They include suggestions to begin and end each sequence and how to move between postures. Of course, like any sequence not written for myself, I modify or change those postures that are impossible or painful to do (for example I don't do tripod headstand...lol).

Another wonderful option on Yoga Journal is the Yoga Sequence Builder option. It allows you to browse the asanas and pick and choose in sequence! Each pose is categorized as 'all levels', 'intermediate' or 'advanced' and you can print it off once you're done. This works especially well if you have an idea of what postures you like and have some time to browse through. The tricky part is knowing how some postures go together and how to make them flow.

How about you? Do you have any excellent free-online sequence links, videos etc to share? I'd love to hear about them :) What about any tips or building a sequence ideas that have worked well? I have heard that there is a 'stick-man' yoga website where you can download icons of different postures, but with a price. I prefer to draw my own. (my 'yoga book' where I took my fav articles, cut them out and put them in this handy reference guide!)

Right now my personal practice consists of scribbling common names of asanas and notes on where I'd like to go in the practice. Often if I forget the name I'll make something up to describe it and maybe draw a little yoga stick man :)

Blessings!


copyright EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Criss Cross Applesauce

I am not a baker or a very good chef. My specialty lies in making a kick-butt blueberry faux cheesecake and yummy ginger snap cookies. This paired with my limited tastes and our TINY kitchen has created a very stunted way of thinking about food. I've always wanted to make my own bread from scratch, as a child I ADORED my grandmère's bread.

On Friday I decided to give this whole "5 minute" bread deal a try. I mean, if it's only a few ingredients and it takes five minutes, it has to be "Lisa proof" right? Off I went to Planet Organic to score some yummy flour (organic whole wheat- my solid lioli produce-grain bag worked great!) and take about 20 minutes to find the yeast. After scanning the recipe- flour, salt, yeast, water- I halved the flour and dumped in the water... and realized I was supposed to mix the salt, yeast and water FIRST. Sigh. In a tiny cup I mixed all three and added it to the flour+water batch and hoped for the best.

Wow, super easy! Now for the baking..... err, letting it rise for two hours. Oh. Two whole hours. I want bread right now! In any case, two hours later and the lump in the middle of the bowl still looked an awful lot like a lump. Wasn't bread supposed to rise? Shape it into a "boule" (a nice French way to say ball-shaped) and didn't have any oatmeal so I sprinkled some of Andrew's banana granola on top. Let set for twenty more minutes on the pan. Lots of waiting involved.

During the waiting to actually bake the bread, I decided to make home made apple sauce. I found a website that said it's as easy as cutting up the apples, dunking them in water with some cinnamon and mushing it up! I can totally do that. Cut up a bag of local organic macintosh's and went to add some water. How much water? It didn't say. I looked up another recipe (that also had all this extra stuff like a cup of sugar and a lemon peel) that said a cup of water for four pounds of apples. How many pounds of apples did I have? I am saddened to admit that I added WAY too much water to the apples before realizing that perhaps I should drain 90% down the sink. Thankfully the applesauce actually turned out to be YUMMY. Four cinnamon sticks, some clove powder, ginger and one tablespoon of fair trade organic dark dark brown sugar and tah dah! Applesauce! It tasted delicious and was the easiest thing to make. Who knew?

At this point the bread had been baking and smelled slightly burnt. I guess the granola idea wasn't my best... Neither was using 100% whole wheat flour. I have a funny feeling that pre-mixing the yeast, salt and water then slowly adding the flour is somewhat essential. Andrew and I bravely cut up four pieces and with some melted garlic butter ate them resolutely while watching Top Chef. It was a bit disgusting. I'm considering using the leftover dough to make some pizza crusts through the week. Perhaps next weekend we'll try this bread thing again... with Andrew there to supervise lol.

Happy weekend! I'll leave you with pictures of H. and K. doing AcroYoga in the park on Saturday. Our guerrilla yoga was kindly led by a local Anusara teacher, Leanne, who also teaches AcroYoga. She was able to flip my around from 'folded leaf' (picture here) to 'walnut' where I placed my feet into baddha konasana (bound angle), reached between her legs and clasped my ankles. She then asked me if I trusted her, I closed my eyes and she twirled me around on her feet! I'm not the greatest base but AcroYoga was playful and fun! Leanne definitely made that more possible with her open, matter of fact and non-creepy demeanor (this is another posture that we did Saturday!).

Blessings! Check in tomorrow for some more Personal Practice Adventure info- How to create a home sequence :)

article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Overshare: My "Body Tears"....

Cancer has been a backdrop in my life from my earliest memories. Although only my father in my immediate family has had cancer, it has made appearances (some more dramatic than others) in many of my extended family, friends' families and local village members lives. At the age of four I remember walking up our driveway to visit Grandpi one last time. My Aunt Anna was diagnosed with Leukemia and actually lived with us for a week before I was ten. A woman in our village was diagnosed with cancer but refused to go for treatment and I remember smelling her while in Church. Mom informed me it was the smell of her body rotting from the inside out.

My Tante Virginia was diagnosed with breast cancer followed by liver cancer and passed when I was 15 years old. Most check-ups were in Halifax, a three hour drive away. My mother was the only family member willing (although I'm sure they had valid "excuses") to drive her even though the drive to the city terrified her. She was the one who stayed with her those last few days in the hospital, during which she listened to her say how she didn't want to die yet, smelled her rotting breath with each painful turn on the bed, saw how she bled from all orifices and prayed with her.

I could go on, the list is ridiculously long, aunts, cousins, friends (including my 26 year old childhood friend who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and at the age of 27 he is now a survivor)...and I am certain that there must be some sort of pollution effect from the gulf stream up to Yarmouth County. Needless to say, cancer is a big deal for myself and my family.

As rising evidence is linking our chemical soaked lives to cancer it just makes sense to cut out as much as I possibly can from my life.

Antiperspirant has been a looooong time coming. Containing ingredients such as aluminum and parabens (both linked, although controversially, to cancer) and being used daily for decades I would say there is some concern. The U.S. National Cancer Institute sums up the political correctness of this entire thing: first stating that there is no link to antiperspirants and cancer... followed by statements indicating that research HAS shown hormonal effects and links to cancer with regular skin exposure to aluminum and parabens. Although the terminology is so caught up with the word "cause", essentially there have been studies linking ingredients in traditional antiperspirants and deodorants to cancer-type precursors (FAQ sheet on NCI). Unfortunately my antiperspirant- Degree, doesn't list anything beyond aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly on the actual container OR on their website. So I can't even check to see whether there are parabens (which the NCI recommended to avoid).

If there are chemical-free alternatives why would we want to take the risk?

Now here's the part of the overshare! Ok... I am confessing that I, Lisa, am a profuse "body-tears" extraordinaire. Ahem, I sweat a LOT. No really, it's most likely at the upper limit. I hate this about my body... and have resisted anything other than antiperspirants with the *hope* that it would reduce the amount even by a tiny bit. Nothing has worked. As a result, I'm left with stained clothing, smelly arm-valleys (who likes the word "pit" anyways?) and increasing feeling that I don't want these synthetic chemicals absorbed into my skin every day.

So, over the past few years I've tried quite a few chemical-free alternatives. None of them worked well at all. Most of them were grimy, slimy and honestly I had terrible wafts of smells every once in a while. I'd run to the bathroom and make sure that smell really was coming from me!!! (oh the horror!!). I tried NO deodorant... THAT was a catastrophic idea. So back I was, using regular antiperspirant and accepting that I would be sweaty and chemically for the rest of my life. I would NOT become one of those weird hippies who used a rock. WHO does that??? We made fun of my friends mother for YEARS for having that weird rock in her bathroom.

Finally, my friend H. announces that she caved and bought the mineral salt deodorant (I laughed at her inwardly but as a fellow eco-warrior showed some support). A few days later, while practicing yoga, she proclaimed that "Holy crap, it actually works!!" NO WAY. I didn't believe her. Then, Andrew ran out of deodorant and we both decided, what the eff, we were taking the mineral salt plunge. (exhibit A)

I felt so embarrassed buying this little pillar of mineral salt encased in a pretty container (make sure no one is watching me peruse the B.O. section! I'm not stinky I swear!!). I had zero hopes. Even after reading Crunchy's posts on the "rock" and her excellent reviews I seriously thought it was b.s. Whatever, maybe for you "non-sweating buckets" people.

We are now on week two of the mineral salt and I am appropriately humbled. Holy POOP it actually works. It's the most weirdest thing to rub a wet rock on my arm-valleys but even after over 12 hours after application, a sweaty yoga practice (this has been several sweaty yoga practices in the past week) and sleeved shirts I am smell-free. NO SMELL AT ALL. Andrew actually spent sporadic moments throughout one of his first evenings saying: "Seriously, SMELL THEM! Nothing!!! WEIRD". We looked like a bunch of dorks walking around the apartment smelling our armpits.

How does it work? We purchased Lafe's Deodorant and according to their website, the mineral salts used naturally destroy odor causing bacteria. The crystal deodorant is made with natural mineral salts (potassium alum) and is 99% natural ingredients. Unlike aluminum in traditional antiperspirants or deodorants, potassium alum in crystal form does not inhibit sweat and is a compound as opposed to a metal. Alum molecules are too big to be absorbed through the skin. Further, according to "The Crystal" (another brand) website, Aluminum chlorohydrate (familiar?) is a neurotoxin and is rated a 3-4 on Skin Deep's website. According to Skin Deep: potassium alum rates only a 1-2 risk level (although lacking in research). No parabens and no other preservatives.

A few little tips I have learned:

1. It works best when you apply directly after washing (I apply mine right after the shower)
2. Wetting and applying liberally worked much better for Andrew (i.e. SLATHER, it will dry :) )
3. Careful after shaving- may be stingy! I've been trying to shave the night before to allow "heal" time.
4. I do not actually sweat "less" that I can tell. But NO residue whatsoever!
   

Yay for a new "eco" success discovery!!! Almost as awesome as the divacup. Almost.

Blessings!

Article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Personal Practice Adventure: Transformative (like Autobots, but less awesome)

Personal Practice Adventure check in! I know I promised PPA posts on Moondays.... and I had planned a post about how to make your own sequence complete with some video links... it was going to be great. Then I had a long day and completely punked out of my solitary practice. Instead I decided I was going to RECORD music in garage band!!!! OUUUUU. I know. I also was very excited.

Then I discovered that all my patch cords are not compatible and I seem to have lost my adapters. Also, my beautiful mic is three prong dealys that plug into mic-part amps. Hooookay. Troisième PLAN: I will play into the computer mic and record that way. Three takes later I have a track. WOOT!! Now.... to play another guitar track, but I need the headphones so I can listen to the original... Andrew has his earbuds.

ALRIGHT. Quatrième Plan: I will write a new song. Done! I wrote a new song, I half like it which is a bonus and predictably it's pretty darn sad. Pencil, piece of paper, my guitar and a couple of chords I thought sounded melancholy but funky and strangely the lyrics just sorta flowed out. I originally had a plan for the song; it would be fun and personal and upbeat. It would mention Halifax. Well... it's definitely personal and mentions Halifax, but fun and upbeat?? lol. The weirdest part was singing along the lyrics I wrote while humming the melody in my head, and spontaneously different wordings, better wordings would pop out. Like I had Wernicke's Aphasia and no control (I am such a Speech Pathologist). Mental note: songs cannot abide by a flow-chart.

I had JUST finished it when Andrew came home and felt weirdly embarrassed to play it for him. I forgot that perhaps he might be a little alarmed with how sad it was, and I *think* he teared up... although he would never admit that. After a few hugs with many assurances that my songs are like funnels focusing the energy and mood of the moment into an UBER emotion-bomb + some left over yummy chocolate cake made by Alli and he felt better.

And so did I! So, my personal practice wasn't left behind but transformed. Which is the best part of this Adventure- it can take shape and transform to become what will work best for you in your practice. Be it spiritual, cleansing, emotional, meditative or physical. Yoga is about connection and tonight my Yoga was creating something out of the emotional ball, connecting and releasing (as corny as that sounds).

How have your Adventures been going?

Blessings!


Copyright EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Acceptance and Light

Recently I've been trying to expand my "yoga blog" horizon and exploring links and other Yogi-blogs in blog-land. It's been a bit trying I have to admit. After reading post after post of rants, negativity and snobism I'm really ready for some positive love and light. Ranging from Ashtanga-cultism to discussions around Pattabhi Jois' possible sexism, to venerable hate on for anything non-Iyengar; I'm really done. I admit that I've indulged in a rant or two (especially lately!) so I thought I'd push some light by writing a happy post today. (Utkatasana "chair pose" in the early morning mist at the lake)

Yesterday we braved the biting cold wind and clouds to practice Guerrilla Yoga in the park! It was COLD. I had on a yoga tank, t-shirt and active jacket and still I was shivering. Perhaps my headache-cold attributed to my general feeling of "wtf am I doing here?". A fantastic local Anusara teacher, Leanne, had offered to lead the practice and there were only a smattering of six yogi/nis today. So we set up our mats in a small circle under the biggest tree in the clearing. For the first Intention setting part of the practice, Leanne had us meditate on breathing friendship into our lives. As she guided us on how to send light and love to someone dear all I could think was "Holy Mother of God I am so F%@king cold, my head hurts, this sucks, I hope she stops talking soon so we can just get this over with...." and so on. Lol. I wasn't very "zen".

We all kept our coats on and practice did manage, after a few vigorous Sun Salutations, to warm me up. The sun even made an appearance, forcing His way through the bitter cold wind. At about that point all my bitter, negative, hateful thoughts melted away and I was HAPPY. My head stopped hurting, my catastrophic feelings about the practice disappeared and I was feeling great. The practice had a beautiful, non-competitive supportive feeling. We all faced each other, we were all smiling, I had no feelings of unworthiness ("we're not worthy!") being surrounded by teachers (oh did I mention the group was 4 teachers and Andrew and I?).

Suddenly the power of the wind as we connected our toes in the grass to come into a circle of "trees" or vrksasanas, fingers touching and hearts opening to the sky above us, transformed into a reminder that Nature is Here. In the present. I could hear Her whistle through the leaves all around me even as I lay in savasana. Asking me to remember that Autumn is here, and is to be embraced and accepted as the Natural Order of Life. The Wheel.

Then, just as quickly it was gone. I was cold again, wanting savasana to be over, hoping the ending meditation would be quick ("please let me get some HOT COFFEE") and I could warm up. Ah well. It did set the mood for a wonderful evening cooking a very Canadian Autumn meal of local and organic apple-cranberry pork, salad and blueberry desert, drinking WAY too much wine and not being able to get out of bed this morning in time for Global Mala. lol.

How was your weekend? Anyone else ready for some open, accepting yoga blog posts?

Blessings!

Copyright EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Plastic Documentary Must See!

Happy Friday Eco Yogi/nis! After my little "blip" (ok ok, rant) on Wednesday, my Thursday solitary practice was NOT up to par... but I did it. Of course part of this extra negative vibes could very well have been helped along by the documentary Andrew and I watched Wednesday evening.


The Disappearing Male.

Of course, at first glance the title irked me (especially after a long rant about feminism). Dalhousie University was having a film viewing and expert panel discussion for FREE Wednesday night as part of a local organization trying to bring science to the community. Did I ever want to go. Sadly, I was feeling like poo and Andrew got home from work too late. Sigh.

Instead, we watched the documentary online via doczone cbc. Wow. Ever feel like you needed a little push as to why we're all very "green"? Perhaps you need a little extra incentive to move from recycling plastic to decreasing plastic in your life.

The documentary sheds some light on just what all these plastics and chemicals are doing to our bodies and reproductive systems. Specifically linking Bisphenol A (thank goodness I have a Klean Kanteen and not SIGG), phtalates, parabens and pesticides (and others) to a SHARP rise in infertility in human males. Yep- quick stat; did you know the world's human male births have declined by millions over the past few decades? Or that international criteria for male infertility (specifically sperm count) has drastically decreased over the past few decades to account for decreasing levels?

Although scary and in your face, it's a fantastic reminder that Andrew and I were cutting out plastic for a reason. It re-affirmed why decreasing our chemical exposure is important. I know that often I don't watch clips posted on blogs as I couldn't be bothered, but this one is a must. Grab a beer, some nachos and take 45 minutes out of your day to re-affirm or affirm why chemicals, pesticides, pollution and our health are immediately connected. CLICK HERE TO START WATCHING

***Greenspell has alerted me to the fact that perhaps some people may not be able to open the link (maybe outside of Canada?). She found THIS alternative on google video! Thanks Greenspell!!

Afterwards, do you feel motivated to DO something? The doc doesn't really give lots of glimmers of hope so I thought I'd offer some ideas and perhaps you'd like to discuss your thoughts here!:

1. Blog about it! Awareness is the first step to personal (and ultimately political) change.
2. Write your local MP or governmental rep requesting that strong regulations be in place to protect its' citizens from the toxic substances pumped into our air, baby bottles, children's toys etc.
3. Trade your plastic food containers and water/coffee bottles for stainless steel/glass versions.
4. Switch your beauty routine up for chemical-free alternatives such as Green Beaver, No poo Shampoo, Eminence, Miessence (for those Aussies!)... (NB: check labels carefully, many supposedly "green" brands such as Aveda are loaded with chemicals. Even Lush has many sketchy ingredients depending on what you buy... research first!).
5. Campaign and write officials to have medical facilities change their IV's and medical equipment with premature and fragile babies to non-toxic plastic alternatives.
6. Visit Fake Plastic Fish for more phenomenal inspirations on how (and why you should!) to decrease the plastic and chemicals around you.
   

What do you think? (my stainless steel lunchbox with a "Plastic Bags Blow" sticker given to me by a coworker lol).

Blessings! (Global Mala blip to come soon!)


Copyright: EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Feminist Yoga...

Out of all the topics that I've written about over the past 9 months, I know this one will be the trickiest. There was a time when I kept most of my views to myself, and only recently has being "environmental" come into acceptance. I found that meshing my passions with yoga and the environment almost seamless.

My passion with feminism, however, hasn't been fitting so well or garnered the same kind of like to like in the yoga world. This actually came as a surprise, as the realization that practicing yoga wasn't truly the same kind of "left" as being an environmentalist. Whereas many environmentalists are also feminists (in some way, shape or form, whether they use the label or not), I have found that many yogis are not, or aren't even aware of a need for feminism.

Perhaps this is due to Yoga's history; modern yoga being introduced to our Western culture by men, a traditional text that was written in a time deeply eschewed in patriarchy and male superiority or that it has been popularized by a media in a culture (ours) entrenched in unequal, misogynistic tendencies where women are objects and sexualized. Regardless of the reason, yoga's rise in popularity is most definitely coloured by how our culture views women/men, their bodies and our power structure.

After spending years studying and presenting on how our media influences our body image, self esteem and relationships, how women in Canada and the US do not, in fact, make equal wages (70 cents to the male dollar...as of the Gender Report 2008), the corporate "glass ceiling", the percentage of women with eating disorders vs men (90% of diagnosed eating disorders are with women, the number 1 cause of death by mental illness) etc etc.... I started to realize that I was accepting cultural mores as "normal" as I rationalized everything through my own socialized "glasses".

I'm talking mostly little things, comments that irk or may go completely unnoticed but are telling. Like when the instructor apologizes to the one man in the room for calling Utkata Konasana "Goddess Pose" while she had spent the entirety of the class naming "warrior's", "Lord of the Fishes", "King Pigeon" etc. Regardless if you believe that names are simply that, meaningless (which of course as someone trained in language, our words matter and influence our thoughts), it is interesting to note the instructor's reaction. Why did she apologize for calling it "The Goddess Pose", but didn't even think twice about the other "male-named" poses?

Another area of interest is those celebrity Yogis who are leaders in our community. Quickly I can name both female and male: Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Patricia Walden... and B.K.S. Iyengar, the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Bikram Choudhury, Baron Baptiste, John Friend...

Notice any difference? All the women are beautiful and described in physical terms along with their revolutionary impact on Yoga. Have you seen pictures of the male yogis? Not one would I term as a traditional "male model beauty"- their fame has been achieved solely through ability. I would be kidding myself if I believed that Seane Corn, Patricia Walden and Shiva Rea became such media icons completely through their yoga expertise.

All movements have media "reps" who do well in the lime-light, the women are usually always beautiful. In the feminist movement Naomi Wolf received quite a bit of backlash from her very own feminist-sisters for this very fact. For a woman in our current culture, more so than men, being beautiful sells and the female body is being sexualized younger and younger (Have you SEEN the recent music videos?? ugh). I just read a post discussing Tara Stiles and her "sexy" videos. The author implied that Tara, Ford model, was popular because of video's being "sexy" and that she was cashing in and using her body to sell her yoga (in part). I have checked out her videos and there are many, many, that are not overtly sexual in any manner other than the fact that she is beautiful. There is definitely one where all the video shots (labeled Tara Stiles Yoga) are conveniently close ups of her butt and feminine bits, but that was a promotional video... telling all by itself.

What I thought was interesting was that the author implied "blame" being put on Tara and not the consumers (whom were quoted to like her yoga because of her beautiful bod). His opinion; she had a choice (to be born beautiful?) and therefore if she wanted to "use her body" to sell her videos, so be it. There was a discussion on how short her shorts were, or revealing her tops were. If you check out her videos she wears skimpy clothing for the promotional vid and stretch vid, the rest being long pants and shirts or shorts and long shirts... jogging pants and work out clothing. Hardly as if she had decided to practice yoga in a bikini, which was what I was expecting from his post. I especially thought this video (Handstands Everywhere) was sexy... seriously though. If an entire culture views women's bodies as sexual, how can she have a choice in the matter? I would postulate that perhaps as consumers WE have that choice on how we view, discuss and judge other Yogi/nis and people. My clothing (or lack thereof) should not be considered an invitation for sexualization or objectification.

An interesting discussion on Yoga Dawg's site with Tara's American Apparel advert occurred in August. Tara even made an appearance. As an ad that sexualizes the female body (which it does) it continues to support the cultural norms of female body objectification. We are bombarded with ads every day which as a BILLION dollar industry, obviously works. We are influenced by ads.

This brings me to Bikram... whom I've seen in skimpy, skimpy speedos, and have not heard of followers claiming they love him because he's sexy. As women we are caught, practicing yoga can be Hard Work, we get sweaty and smelly. I personally do not like to practice yoga in long pants and cannot even FATHOM practicing with long sleeves (as IF I care about somehow being inappropriate by showing my arms). I would like to be able to practice in a class without worrying that a fellow yogi will deem my shoulders, back, arms and legs as inappropriate. I'm there to practice yoga comfortably, not to be judged. Lululemon, the most popular yoga clothing supplier, sells and pushes clothing with a focus on looking cute above function. I remember reading somewhere that the founder, Chip Wilson, "wanted yoga pants that would make women's butts look good". There's even a weird video explaining WHY the pants enhance the female bottom.

Alright. Enough about this entire can of worms. I do feel very grateful to the awesome Yogi/nis who are aware and are angry that I have met. :) If you don't think it's a problem, perhaps take the next few weeks to notice just how many ads are geared at the sexualization of women... or watch Killing Us Softly (1,2 or 3), here's a clip.

Blessings

article authored by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Creating a Space for our "Inner" Practice: Adventure Continues!

Yogi/nis- how goes your Personal Practice Adventure so far? Are you enjoying this process as much as I am? (I hope so! lol). We set our Intentions (One solitary practice a week pour moi) and talked about figuring out what time works best. This week I've decided to have friend yoga on Tuesday, Solitary practice Adventure on Thursday, possible Guerrilla Yoga on Saturday and Global Mala on Sunday (check it out- Worldwide yoga for Peace!). WOOT.

Tonight I thought we could chat about Space.

I have heard that as Western Yogi/nis we are quite spoiled in the ways of the space in which we practice yoga. We prefer quiet, bamboo/cork floored studios, pretty wall hangings, soft spoken instructor, no outside noise or interference, no cell phones or interruptions and LOTS of personal space. I do believe that becoming angry during a class because: someone's cell phone rang, a yogi was coughing, the busy traffic outside was seeping in etc, is somewhat of selfish and non-essential. However, I do find myself expecting a certain level of exterior peace when I pay ridiculous prices. Following that thread, if it's free than I can't be picky and truly; yoga isn't about the space, it's about our Inner Selves and our Sacred Spaces. The idea is to let go.

For that exact reason, practicing in a Free Lulu community class definitely taught me a few things about the angry voices that still remained in my head and just how little physical space you actually need to practice yoga. Instead of being surrounded by yogi/nis who could afford 16$ classes, we were surrounded by new/experienced yogis who came to practice. Together. People who may have never discovered yoga otherwise or who truly needed it. (not to say that more "well-off" individuals don't need yoga, I just figure that there are many people without food, love, shelter and light). Like when you lived in the dorms, your mat ("bed") is YOUR space and swan dives are not necessary to forward fold from mountain. Simply bring your hands together at heart centre, lift them up above your head and fold with your hands together in front of you.

When you consider yoga as being part of your Sacred Space, the Inner You, then the physical surroundings of your practice no longer remain important. Of course, despite being an "expert" blocker-out-of-sound person (seriously, I studied during Grad school at Cafe Depot coffee shop, Mont Royal & Papineau! in Montreal), sounds and individuals can be distracting and make our Adventure less motivating. Here are some ideas to help carve out a physical space that might begin to reflect your Sacred Space:

Set the Visual Tone:

1. Choose some pretty (not too smelly) candles and votives and light them in front of your mat. Not TOO close as those forward folds might result in some hair singe-edge (trust me, it happened last week... lol).
2. If you are so inclined, place your favourite Goddess, Buddha, God/symbol near the candles. (my "yoga corner" in BC)
   
3. Buy (or make!) a cheap folding divider and place it between you and the rest of the world. This works especially well if you are practicing in an open space concept area (i.e. living room-kitchen) and would like to separate yourself from the rest of the room. In BC I bought a 50$ divider from Superstore (not very eco, I know!) and it served as a divider between my Yoga Space (ahem- dining room) and the island kitchen. Andrew would cook supper on one side and I'd pretend he didn't exist on the other side.
4. Create a permanent "yoga alter" on a little shelf with candles, yoga statues/religious statues, incense (not too strong as it makes it difficult to breathe during your practice) or personal paintings. Have it tucked away in a corner, to be brought out front and center during your practice.
5. Bring out larger indoor plants to create a beautiful "green" divider.
6. Although, technology wouldn't be ideal, but you could put your computer on a beautiful background or inspiring picture.
7. Move the clock, shut off the TV and turn the computer screen to face away.

Set the Auditory Experience:

1. Blast Krishna Das to drown out the pressure washer next door (or lawnmower, or kids, or Ninja Warriors lol).
2. If you have a fountain or water-dealy bring that out (we have a fishtank).
3. Check out "lastfm.com" and sign up for a free trial. Type in your fav "yoga" artist and it will generate a playlist with songs from other related artists you might like.
4. Go on Youtube and search for your favourite "yoga" music. Om Namah Shivaya.(my pink yoga/fish room in our fourth place in Vernon)
   

For myself, the most powerful method to block out the world was through music, even though I prefer to practice in silence. I've listened to Llorca (awesome jazz-house instrumentals), Feist, Tool and the cbc jazz station... and I've found that instrumentals or specific "yoga" music really helps create that "Yes, I am here to practice". Also, one cd of Krishna Das' lasts over an hour... so I can just practice as long as a certain pre-set number of songs. No constantly checking the clock- if there's music than I practice. I've found that only listening to Krishna Das during yoga strengthens that association of Inner readiness to practice.

How do you set your Sacred Space?

Blessings!

Eco-Menses Club!

After the several posts on the DivaCup, including the awesome tips and advice from the comment section of the "Overshare" post, I vowed I would not become obsessed. However (lol), recent conversations with friends have led me to believe that we perhaps have formed some sort of cult of the DivaCup. (photo source)

Weird, but the topic of menstruation and how to deal with it actually has come up fairly often in random conversations with friends and family. Who knew that I'd actually be ok with talking about my period?? My friend H. and I were chatting last night about how we're slowly amassing a gaggle of DivaCup converts... Like a strange eco-mense club. I'm pretty sure not one of these women made the switch because of the environmental impact, but because of the convenience and superior... umm... performance (hah!).

My friend M. however, completely surprised me when she called to say she didn't make it through her first day of DivaCup awesomeness. She was so utterly disgusted by her cycle that she actually googled it to make sure it was normal. I find it sad that as women we are so socialized at such a young age to be ashamed of our cycle and to think of it as "gross" that most of us have no idea what it actually looks like in a little cup. I gave her a pep talk about how we all adjust and I'm hoping for the best.

I even converted my Tante (Aunt). Such a strange moment; I called my mom a few weeks ago and the first thing she said was that I had to talk to Tante D., who was visiting, about the DivaCup. Supposedly she had stopped by my mom's cottage to see if she had any tampons. Since mom is wonderfully paused, she only kept some for me, and she announced that I no longer use them. Tante D. was completely amazed that such a thing even existed and the conversation was pretty darn awkward, filled with her cautious questions of "I came over to ask your mother about.... feminine products" and my blunt answers of "tampons? You mean for your period?"... lol. Trying to explain what it looked like and how it worked over the phone was interesting (I'm a hand talker, so I was gesturing to the phone quite a bit... which looked awkward as I was gesturing about vaginas lol). She was pumped and said that she was going to the health food store "tomorrow" to pick up a blue cup ("Why haven't I seen this on billboards or something???").

YES! This is a quiet little revolution, kinda like a grassroots deal. I feel like such a REBEL! This morning I wondered just how much money and tampons I have saved over the past year and a half. I can calculate this, no problem. Except.... I'm having a hard time remembering just what it was LIKE using tampons. Ok, think- I probably used around 5 a day (wow, SO MUCH), so say 30 in a cycle. I bought Tampax, so average price was around 12$ CAD a month.

Over 18 months that's 216$ saved and 540 tampons prevented from the landfill. Holy poop Batman! Seriously, as a total prude when it comes to personal space and matters, I cannot believe how fantastic and easy this whole DivaCup process has been. I would never in a million years go back.

A little tidbit of info I just learned: if you have a yeast infection DivaCup indicates that you should NOT use your cup. If you do use your cup, you should replace it as they cannot guarantee that the candida bacteria can be killed by boiling, or whether a regular gal could with certainty create the right conditions (i.e. saline solution boiling). Also, if you are using topical medications you should never use your cup as it can degrade the silicone. I had no idea!

Do you have any DivaCup "Join the Cult/Club" success stories or info? Or if you'd love to try it, but are too weirded out, unsure, nervous- check out my Overshare post and the fantastic comments that ensued!

Blessings!

Samadhi and our Planet

Today I had a moment of pulling my head out of the sand.... or something similar. Why did I begin this journey of sharing my thoughts with regards to being an "eco" yogi/ni? Recently I've been feeling quite overwhelmed about the entire subject and unsure about my role as an individual in the entire process. Is it really something that should garner this much of my attention, my energy and my thoughts? (Outside of Saint John NB)

Yes. Often I feel like we get sucked into the little details, the microcosm as opposed to the "big picture" macrocosms of how our actions and lives affect each other. Although I try not to become some kind of "preaching", ranting stereotype, I feel there is a sort of line where realistically it becomes more a matter of common sense than radical concepts.

We have one planet, balanced in a precious, delicate, complex system of air, water, plants and earth. All interconnected and all intricately and dynamically bound. Our oceans are not a separate entity from our trees, our earth or the air we breathe. One incomprehensibly layered system that has evolved over billions of years to sustain human life. We, as humans, are pumping billions of chemicals into the ocean, earth and air forever altering this vulnerable balance that we depend on in order to live. Doesn't that sound just a tad ridiculous? Who would believe that our atmosphere, so perfectly synced to provide the perfect amount of oxygen and CO2, could handle an indefinite increase in carbon+chemicals?

I think we have this strange sense of permanency, as if the world will stay stagnant and all our indulgences and ridiculous wasteful way of life will continue indefinitely without consequence. Truly, it's such a weird way of thinking and completely irrational. Our planet can and will change, with a tipping point arriving much sooner than we think (8 years by some climatologists). It's funny how quickly we can come to think of things as being necessity, akin to a human right. Like eating fruits and vegetables at all times of the year, having an air conditioner, television, a car, a cell phone...

What will these things matter if we didn't have a planet to live in?

Now, of course huge changes come from giant corporations who spew zillions of carbon and pollution into the atmosphere. However, this consumer culture, this culture of want-need-have, fuels these corporations. We fuel the system, buying plastic products made from petroleum, using energy and water as if the source is indefinite. These all have an impact.

The neat thing is that a culture is malleable. Culture can change and HAS changed fairly quickly. David Suzuki has a fantastic example of how just fifty years ago there were signs everywhere informing people that it was illegal to hawk a loogie in public. The municipalities and government actually had to put up signage to stop people from spitting all over bus and store floors, in the street, on the sidewalk... Now simply the cultural norms of what is socially acceptable prohibits this act (Sacred Balance). In fifty years the body type "ideal" has changed from a size 16 (Marilyn Monroe), to Twiggy, to below zero and just recently slightly above. Just under 100 years ago women weren't legally considered human beings and had no rights as citizens. Such as tiny blip in the eons of humanity.

Colin, from No Impact Man gave a fantastic interview with Beth from Fake Plastic Fish recently. It was what made me think of the macro-big picture. We CAN change the way we live without decreasing the quality of life. We can choose to eat local and healthy, to walk to work, the park, the bookstore, to friends houses, to unplug from our televisions, stop buying bottled water, grow our own food. He points out that North Americans produce the largest per capita carbon emissions in the world... a statistic that is extremely individual and can only change at the one person level.

Of course, there are some things that are unrealistic in "opting" out of the societal systems. Like "opting out" of having electricity. However, I find it funny that when I tell my clients' parents that I don't have a TV (which is why I have no idea who the "wiggles" are) they tell me all will change once I have children. Since when does having children equate needing a television? Or video games? Do you really want to be a part of the 100 billion of plastic bags being produced and added to landfills and oceans each year? Bringing your own bag may require some energy and commitment initially, but is it something that's really "too hard"? Considering that plastic bag will actually last for thousands of years.

No Impact Man has a nice "top ten eco-changes" that can help start your change in lifestyle. I especially like the first one: "stop eating beef". Andrew and I are not vegetarians by any stretch of the imagination, but we've significantly decreased our beef eating habits. We mostly eat chicken and sometimes pork. Buying sustainable and healthy (for the planet and you) beef is such a difficult and convoluted process right now that I can delegate beef to special occasion only. I don't NEED steak every night.

Here are a few of my changes that I like and am trying to work into my life:

1. Stop buying bottled water. Water is a right, not a commodity to be sold in petroleum based plastic bottles.
2. Bringing my own bags. This includes produce bags as well; my pog-sacs from lioli which I LOVE. They keep produce fresher for longer than those nasty plastic bags and encourage me to buy bulk. You could also easily make your own from old fabric.
3. Walk-don't drive. This one has been difficult in Halifax as their public transit sucks. I've been carpooling to work which is great and we are still working on this one.
4. Stop. Buying. Things.
5. No Television. When we had a TV it was on for hours and I can't even count how many evenings we just zoned out. Now that we don't have one, we sit and read together, I play the guitar, we play cards or hang out with friends. Whenever we visit friends and the TV is on, I find it detracts so much from the social aspect.
6. Use glass containers instead of ziploc bags and plastic containers.
7. Stop using paper towel... even the recycled paper kind. Totally possible.
8. Buy in season local fruits and vegetables. Also totally possible.
9. Participate in environmental awareness activities. Now this one I'm working on. I'm planning on attending the 350.org demonstration (worldwide) in Halifax on October 24th this year. I've also been planning on creating a pretty poster with some fantastic ways to reuse your yoga mat and see if the local studios will put them up (even lulu!). They sell so many yoga mats, and encouraging consumers to be responsible with their old mats could be that simple.
10. Vote.

I cannot separate the teaching of Yoga or my personal beliefs in the Goddess, with an inherent responsibility to protect what is sacred. One meaning of the word "yoga" is "to unite", with samadhi implying we are all one, all connected. Our planet is worth it. :)

Blessings!

To wipe or to wash?

Tonight was my solitary practice night... and I SO didn't feel like practicing. I kept imagining ways to "punk out" tonight, even using the "No one's expecting a blog post about it... so no one will notice!" excuse. Despite the fact that the past few days have been emotionally stressful, with impending unemployment with my end of contract looming, being turned down for job-training (being temporary sucks) and just overall gloominess, I just wanted to slouch petulantly on the couch. And eat cookies and drink beer. (my tipsy down dog in a skirt- tried warrior II.... buuut not so great a la skirt+beers lol).

Instead I rolled out my mat, lit a few candles and cranked Krishna Das UP to drown out the pressure washer cleaning the Pentecostal Church next door. He's been washing that church for three evenings straight.... for HOURS. It's loud enough that when it stopped (he just did) my ears are ringing. Seriously, pressure washers have to be one of the most WASTEFUL ways to use water I have ever seen. For example, if he used a lower end pressure washer that used 2.3 gallons per minute, for four hours each day for three days that's 1,656 gallons of water. It's likely he spent a lot longer than four hours a day. (he JUST started again at 8:00pm!!!)

In any case, my practice was fantastic and extremely intense. Like I was trying to sweat my emotions out, which is where the energy needed to go, any softer practice and I would have broken down in tears like the emotional time bomb I was encapsulating. Instead I Om Namah Shivaya'd it out. (see my pretty yoga wear marks? They are evidence of my love of yoga)

After the intense practice I got out some vinegar/water combo to wash my mat. If you'll remember, I had a bit of an episode with trying to figure out how best to clean my mat- eco style. Needless to say, water and tea tree oil wasn't ideal (swollen fingers!) and full bathtub cleansing often resulted in slippery mats. Also, as I'm not a fan of commercial yoga "washes" or "wipes" (most of them have parabens, chemicals and overall non-green ingredients). Why would you BUY special washes in extra plastic packaging when water and vinegar and a few essential oils will do the same thing? Since we have coin laundry I wasn't going to waste 1.50$ and the energy and water to wash my mat. As a result I've been wiping my mat down with 1/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup water and cinnamon essential oil drops.

With a newly created vinegar+water+peppermint+three drops of dish detergent (eco!) I started wiping down my mat... and got a wiff of... smelliness. Oh my. Perhaps.... I should give it just a quick wash in the tub. I have been wiping it regularly, but.... maybe it just needs a bit deeper of a clean.

Annnnnd.... the result was horrendous. Although I am mortified that such FILTH was hanging out in my mat, on my fingers, cheeks and feet, I felt I must have photographic evidence for all the visual learners out there who believe that wiping your mat is enough. Or, perhaps all the yogi/ni's who've never cleaned their mats.... ick. Also a good reason to bring your own mat to class, especially with all the H1N1 paranoia happening recently.

Currently, my mat is hanging out on the chair, drying slowly but surely. I'm thinking two entire days of drying in order to assure that no left over slippery-ness from water molecules remaining in the weave. The cotton mat has been thrown into the washer, though and dried very nicely! Andrew reports (as he did the laundry today and as per his awesome self washed my mat) that it wasn't awkward or difficult and the colours did not run!

Now... it is time for cookies and beer.

Blessings!

article and and photos authored by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Personal Practice Adventure: Carving out some Time

We have our Intentions and I am completely ready to deepen my personal practice. Enter one of the biggest obstacles for all actions "personal"... Time. Or perhaps lack thereof. We all lead busy lives and if you have children then your lives are even less for "you". One reason for setting a clear, articulated Intention was to acknowledge the importance of this personal practice in your life and helping you to carve out that Time you know is essential without feeling guilty, pressured or as easily swayed to Punk Out.

The trick to carving out these little moments of time is to be realistic and patient. Change happens best gradually and adding something new to your routine will disrupt the patterns of your already busy life. I advise clients to think of time as less "precious" and more as "it's only" moments. If you feel like there is NO WAY you can find Time to practice during any of your days, perhaps you should think about those thirty minutes as; they are ONLY thirty minutes in your day. They are ESSENTIAL thirty minutes in your day. The world will not stop should you step back for thirty minutes once a week, or ten minutes every day. What else do you need to do that can't wait ten or thirty minutes?

We have now determined that the world will not end if you take your beautiful 10-30-40 minutes to deepen your personal practice. Now the next step is to choose a day, two days (every day, depending on your Intention) to be your "Personal Practice Adventure" day(s). Choosing certain days for your Adventure will allow you to plan in advance, mentally and with your every day routines. You will be able to ask for help from loved ones and partners when it comes to preparing supper, watching the children or simply giving you some space.

Another option is to take two minutes to look over your week and choose the best day(s) to practice, marking them on your calender (PPA DAY!). I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT a planning person and would much rather just be all willy-nilly with stuff. However, I have found over the years of helping parents add practice time, that planning just works better in this case. As much as it goes "against" my spontaneous-yoga grain, deepening my practice is worth a slight sucking-it-up-ness.

I'm going to choose the latter, as I sometimes need to do workshops in the evenings and finding cheap or free yoga classes is going to require flexibility. This week I have chosen Wednesday as being my solitary yoga practice day.

The next step- time of day.
Ideally, the easiest part of the day by far to add something would be first thing in the morning. There are no meals to help prepare, you're not tired from a full day of work and it's usually quieter. If you'd like to try to add meditation to your daily practice, perhaps waking up 15 minutes earlier each morning would work easily for you.

Honestly, I am definitely NOT a morning-yoga yogini. Yoga is difficult on my bendiest days (re: days I can touch my toes without warming up) and trying to enjoy any amount of practice with a stiff, sleepy body is unpleasant to say the least. I can barely bring myself to attend the free Lulu morning classes and our Guerrilla yoga has always been 10 or 11am in the morning, which I still find challenging. Also, I seriously require at least 10 hours of sleep to feel rested... which I only get on the weekends and as a result I am NOT a morning person. I am hoping that one I decide to create babies that my hormonal situation will magically change....

Therefore, evening Solitary practice it is. Which makes it a bit more challenging. Eating is the big obstacle to evening yoga, as we should only practice two hours after we've eaten. As I'm not a later in the evening Yogini, I need to eat a good snack around 3:30pm the afternoon of my practice. Which is why choosing my day is essential. This works well for us as Andrew only gets home at 7pm or afterwards, which is when we'd be eating supper anyway.

Perhaps you'd also like to practice pre-supper but you have a partner and/or children who are home at that time. This may require an honest conversation about how important this practice is for you and kindly asking them to support a later supper once/twice a week with some help making a snack for the kids. If you're an awesome planner (which I am not) you could even have some frozen leftovers all ready to go for those days to help smooth over the transition.

Another option would be to practice after supper. This of course, would depend on whether you have children or not- as I know that there is a certain bedtime routine that takes some time. As our personal practice adventure will be something beautifully self-sacred and considered "me time" then what better way to spend an hour you would have previously been watching TV, scrolling on the internet (checking blogs!) or... gasp... cleaning.

Just remember that when other thoughts pop up telling you all the things you "have to" or "should be" doing at that moment, to remind yourself that the world will not end should the dishes go undone, should the floor not be swept, if you don't check your emails, if you ask your partner to pack a lunch. Realistically examine what would happen should you not do them and let go of the guilt. We've determined that our Personal Practice is an Adventure on nurturing our sacred selves, which in turns nurtures and benefits our lives, our families and our loved ones. :)

What time strategies will you use on your Adventure? If you feel stuck- leave a comment and we'll try to brainstorm a strategy that works for YOU together :)

Bamboo and Cellulose Fabrics- Not an Eco Option

The students have moved back into the city, causing increased traffic, my fists to shake angrily on more occasions (I really need to work on that) and an influx of back to school shopping. For many of us, September signals another shopping spree to buy new clothing, new shoes, new school supplies... long after school has been completed. Just yesterday, during another awesome Guerrilla yoga in the park (a Harvest Moon Celebration!), discussion began around the wonderful new Fall yoga gear at Bhavana Yoga Boutique (an independent local yoga boutique in Halifax).(my in the mist yoga practice at my parent's cottage in Quinan, NS)

Now, there may be legitimate moments where shopping for clothing must occur (depending on your paycheck, job and state of current clothing) and the 'eco' choices are increasingly diverse at all levels and stores. Bamboo and other cellulose-based rayon fabrics continue to rule the eco options available and finding organic cotton seems to be increasingly difficult. Why would I prefer organic cotton? Because the more I read about bamboo, the less "eco" and the more greenwashing it becomes.

Of course, the best option would be to not buy any new clothing at all, but for those of you (us) who have saved a bit of pennies and would like to spend our money where it can help the planet, being informed is key. Just as the term "natural" can be meaningless, "bamboo" also does not automatically equate "good for the environment".

Essentials to remember about Bamboo Fibre:
1. Bamboo fabric is essentially rayon created from cellulose. The process is extremely intensive and involves huge amounts of chemicals to change the bamboo grass fibres into fabric. These chemicals can include sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), chlorine, carbon disulfide and sulfuric acid which is often dumped into neighbouring water systems and forests. It also can involve large amounts of water, energy and heat. Although companies claim that "caustic soda" has been used to create harmless materials such as soap, large amounts under intense heat and pressure can be extremely toxic. It's all in the wording and what is left conveniently unsaid that is problematic for consumers.

Of course, there are ways to create bamboo fabric in a closed-loop system, reusing and recycling up to 70% of chemicals, water and energy used in the process. Also, certain types of bamboo processes such as what is used to create lyocell, are less energy and chemical intensive. The annoying part- it's extremely difficult (for the regular consumer) to ascertain what processing system the company is using. It's not like the tag will say "closed-loop bamboo fabric".

2. Yes, bamboo is a fast growing, potentially sustainable grass. It is also mainly grown in China and has fast become one of China's leading cash crops. According to Organic Clothing, over the past twenty years China has transferred many forests to private citizen ownership, with poor regulations and disastrous environmental results. How is the consumer to know that the bamboo used to make your comfy lulu shirt caused the destruction of ancient, biodiversified forests? This is especially difficult as bamboo fabric manufacturers buy their bamboo pulp from suppliers... Supposedly only ONE company owns legal patents on bamboo pulp, The Jigao Chemical Fiber Company, which it buys from thousands of different plantations across China. How can one manufacturing company claim to know that THEIR bamboo pulp was grown sustainably? I asked a store clerk once whether she knew if the bamboo in my shirt was from monocultures planted en lieu of ancient forests. She looked at me like I had ten heads.

3. Although Bamboo does not necessarily need pesticides or fertilizers to grow well, they can and will help bamboo to grow faster. You can be assured that there are bamboo plantations that use them to increase yield and profit. How do you tell the difference? There have been rumours of certified organic bamboo plantations gaining popularity in China, but I have yet to see a certified organic bamboo product on the shelves here in Canada. Again, trust in the company is a biggie here...

4. Like all products made in China, labour practices and the affects of the chemically intensive process used to create bamboo fabric on the workers is an issue. Having third party certification helps, but there are issues surrounding certifying bodies such as ISO 14000, which is simply a tool to help businesses, not a regulatory system with strict guidelines. Consumers can be mislead by using generic "third party certifying body" type lingo.

Patagonia, a sporting/equipment company, has excellent and honest articles on their attempts to keep the company as environmentally and ethically responsible as possible. They have a PDF article briefly explaining why they do not use bamboo in their product line and why their alternatives such as hemp, are more socially and environmentally responsible. I especially like their honest article on why they don't use bioplastics made from corn (as most commodity corn is genetically modified).

Karma Athletics yoga wear makes their clothing in Canada, which is a bonus. The only "eco" fabric they offer is bamboo... with no information regarding how it was harvested, processed or the labour conditions.

Skyler Clothing is made in Canada and hires mothers, allowing them to work from home while acknowledging the importance of motherhood. Very cool. Their clothing however, includes modal, basically another version of rayon made from beechwood. Minimal information is given on the website regarding sustainability practices of processing and harvesting as well. According to Organic Clothing, wood is harvested, de-barked and chopped into small chips... then "cooked" into pliable mush to be ready for chemical processing similar to bamboo in order to create a usable textile. Further, as the processing requires large amounts of water, the plants are usually located near lakes and rivers... with run-off a definitely possibility.

Like the recent scandal with SIGG, the FTC consumer board has recently released a consumer alert to consumers about the actual truth behind environmental claims with bamboo fibres. Instead of dumping my money into a product that has potential to be extremely toxic to the environment, I'll stick with fabrics that are much more transparent. Look for TENCEL or Lyocel labeling, as they are fabrics made using a closed loop system and seem to be more environmentally sustainable.

If you'd like to read more about bamboo fibres and how they are processed check out these two (Bamboo: Facts behind the Fiber, Bamboo Sprouting Green Myths) Organic Clothing articles. :)

Blessings!

article authored by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Eat local...Pepsi? The travesty that is "Eat Atlantic"

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays! Hosted by Food Renegade... Go on over and check out the awesome posts on Real Food :)

Greenwashing. For ecoholics and the environmentally inclined this is not a new word. It even has a wiki entry (did you know it was a "portmanteau" of green and whitewash and originally was coined for the hotel industry?). Corporations everywhere are scrambling to "spin" their product as somehow environmentally friendly, forcing the consumer to be even more wary. SIGG's recent bottle-liner manipulation is a nice example.

Wouldn't you know it, no eco-words are sacred and enter.... local washing. Unfortunately this term does not have it's own wiki entry. Perhaps Crunchy Chicken gets dibs on coining this one? In any case, it would seem that the term "local" has caught on and big corporations are feeling a little nervous. Crunchy's example was of Starbucks revamping their cafes to look "indie" and claiming to be local, as in the company originated in Seattle.

Cue Eat Atlantic Challenge, an exciting and promising event where maritimers (New Brunswickers, Nova Scotians and PEI-ians...ians?) are encouraged to eat only local foods today. Ok, so it's only one day, but the key is the promotion surrounding this event in provinces that have historically been UBER conservative. According to their website, Eat Atlantic: "The Eat Atlantic Challenge is a promotion aimed at encouraging Atlantic Canadians to eat only food produced in Atlantic Canada for one day..." Sounds good so far! Yay Farmer's markets, local bakeries, locally brewed beer, local pepsi... Pepsi???

Here's a short list of my favourite "local" foods produced right here in our neighbourhood ("our region produces so many tasty, healthy products to choose from..."):

Humpty Dumpty Cheese sticks
Cheetos Nachos
Old Dutch All Dressed Chips
High Liner Captain Chicken Strips
Lipton Green Tea with Citrus
Pepsi (I kid you not)
Michelina Chicken Fried Rice (didn't know we grew rice in Nova Scotia)
Silhouette Yogurt
Majesta bathroom tissue
Dempster's Muffins

No mention of local farms, a list of the provinces Farmer's Markets, of local bakeries... I just, I have no idea what to say to this list. Cheetos???? Looking at this list you would assume that the Atlantic provinces have no farms, no fruit trees, no fishing industry, no cattle, pigs, sheep or chickens.... just highly processed junk. That just happens to be processed in the maritimes.

Obviously the challenge is a bit of "local washing", spinning the concept that as long as it's processed in Nova Scotia, it can be considered local. This event has received a lot of media coverage with prizes given to the best "local" supper, ads being run all week on the cbc and general all around discussion. The disheartening result; instead of promoting our local (for real!) farmers and Real Food Producers, our true neighbours, this challenge places large corporations with resources not local to the maritime provinces first. Misleading consumers into believing that supporting these large, processed, polluting industries is "good" for the environment and our community and shuffles (yet again) our local farmers under the rug. Although some discussion may have occurred around Farmer's Markets and what it means to eat locally, they most certainly were not front and centre. And the true "challenge" of asking Maritimers to eat "local" in order to increase awareness was completely lost in the loose translation of what local means.

Andrew and I did not officially "sign up" for this challenge, as we already consider ourselves to eat more local (and sometimes organic) Real Food than what was listed on the site. Tomorrow we'll try to stop over at the market (even though it's SO busy and I can only handle about five minutes) pre-Guerrilla Yoga and pick up some Real Food.

Blessings!



article authored by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Personal Practice Adventure: Setting the Intention

YES for wanting to deepen and nurture your own personal sacred space! I'm so excited to be able to create a space for us to experience together.

I've thought about where we could begin with this Adventure, should we talk about space, logistics, brainstorm ideas around time, where to find videos, sequences, some thoughts on what to do... and realized that before any of this could occur we should talk about setting our intentions.

This comes down to planning, but I like the phrase: "Setting your intention" for your practice. The first few times I heard the yoga instructor ask us to "set our intention" for our practice that evening, I thought... "um practice yoga" and felt like it was a waste of time. I was afraid, you see, that I'd somehow set them too high, or fail. A lot of my insecurities around yoga (and life) revolve around my fear of failure.

Of course, in order to begin anything, we must have some sort of intention on what we would like to do. The trick... is to set realistic intentions. I could very well say: "My Personal Practice Intention is to practice yoga every day at home like those intense Ashtangis advise"... and fail miserably. I know that my life and my schedule with my work would not mesh well with a sudden every day "have to" practice and I'd give up completely within a week. This is also why I don't "do" bootcamps or other intensive challenges. At the end of the challenge you haven't nurtured a practice that will continue to grow and work with your forever life and are left trying to figure it out.

As creatures of habit, all change is unnerving, work and often scary. However, in small manageable destinations on our adventure we can shape new habits, new routines that gradually become something beautiful and effortless. This, sadly, takes a bit of planning. I am definitely not a great planner in my own personal life, and much prefer events and life to be "if I feel like it". This is why I am not a fan of pre-booking yoga classes. I want to go, when I want to go.

Unfortunately, any sort of practicing at home is extremely vulnerable to distractions and "punk outs". Our first step is to recognize that this fantastic Adventure will take a bit of work, but that it won't be anything we can't manage. The next step is to figure out just what is the perfect "extra" intention you'd like to do for the next little while. No time limit, no pressure on being 100% successful, just mindfully reviewing your life, your habits, your schedule and what small practice intention would work for you.

Perhaps you'd like to begin meditating outside of class; maybe one evening a week of 20-30 minutes would be a nice intention. Or you'd like to try practicing yoga on your own for the very first time, one practice a week. Perhaps you practice at home but would like to lengthen the time you spend, or change your space. Being realistic about your life will also be essential. If you have small children, work full time and have a partner who also works full time, carving out that sacred space is going to be some work... and perhaps every evening for 20 minutes is a bit much.

Beginning small gives us the space to be successful, happy and fulfilled so that we can always add more when we feel ready.

I do better when I choose an intention that is concrete, down to the day and time I will be practicing. Voicing my intention to Andrew especially helps, as saying it outloud makes it more real and helps others to support your new Adventure. Letting loved ones know that this is important to you and that you'd appreciate their support in your small steps as you will support them in theirs.

We have our intentions!! It's something concrete, doable and my next post will be about time :) What are your intentions?

Blessings!