GPB: Saying No to Body Shaming and Lululemon

Everyone is abuzz with the latest Lulu fiasco. Yours included. Come on over to the Booth to read why:

 Lululemon is now the Walmart of the yoga world...

Thoughts on Lululemon and Their 'Bottom Line'

The beginning of 'Salutation Nation'- the International 'Ohm' Lululemon sponsored yoga event this Saturday, the ambassador leading the class intro'd with a little speech about Lululemon.

This speech, although I was strangely surprised (I shouldn't have been, Lulu was hosting it), brought up some interesting points of consideration. Many of which I do not agree with... even though I was there and took part in the event, since it was free.

Our first spot w Miss Veronica and Andrew's bike, Mr Manelli (he's not very original). Unfortunately, softball games were everywhere and a ball actually flew into the crowd almost hitting a yogi... so we moved. The second spot was actually better :)

Firstly, before I get into the good stuff, here are some positives of Salutation Nation:
- It did bring over 200 yogis, practicing together. Although mostly university aged students, there were mothers and their children as well as some guys and a few 'post-university' yogis.
- Practicing with that many people outside was pretty darn neat to see!
- Everyone was pretty positive, the overall message was positive (if not somewhat 'foofy').
- It provided an opportunity to practice yoga for free- woot!

- While over 200 yogis were lying down for savasana, I stuck out like a sore thumb in my seated meditation. I made sure to take off my sunglasses to make it more obvious that I was meditating and not just being difficult. I was SO nervous- I knew the ambassador could see me... sitting up amidst a sea of corpses. I closed my eyes and just tried to breathe, mentally preparing for when a helper instructor would come up and ask some questions. Instead- I felt a leg against my back and an instructor's hands opening my shoulders as if I were in savasana. Such a moment of honest and open acceptance brought a few tears to my eyes. I was (am!) so grateful to that instructor that I actually said 'Thank you' out loud (without opening my eyes) after she finished.  

Our final practicing space- those empty green spots quickly filled in!

Alright, the points of contention. 
The ambassador's opening speech went something like this: 'Lululemon is a fantastic company that does so much for our communities across the globe. They're manifesto is 'Elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness' (this is their 'vision statement' actually)...' and continue onward with 'Yay Lululemon is so great and wonderful' speech with how their main purpose is to bring together community and a healthy lifestyle. It was a serious 3-5min of gushing, an 'Ode to Lululemon'.

I get that as an ambassador OF Lululemon, at an event that is hosted by Lululemon would begin by thanking the company for organizing and sponsoring the event. I expected a short something thanking them.

However. To imply that Lululemon's *main purpose* is to support community is ridiculous. Lululemon, a company with CEOs, lawyers, accountants and PR-planning committees, has as it's main goal to make money and sell clothing. That is the ultimate goal. Sure, they have many 'community' based events (for the most part in their store- where participants can see all the wonderful products waiting to be bought), but this isn't Lululemon's bottom line. We all know this. Lululemon doesn't set up shop in the most impoverished and in-need neighbourhoods, countries and cultures globally. They have stores, set up to sell costly clothing (not even made in that country) to upper middle and upper class women and men. The community events aren't geared for the homeless, or the impoverished, but to the market of people who could potentially purchase their clothing.

Cynical? Perhaps a bit, but I'd be surprised if the upper circle of the company thought differently.

What would make them a truly inspirational company?

- If they invested some of that time, energy and money into creating and manufacturing all their clothing from environmentally sustainable fabrics in low or ZERO carbon footprint and pollution factories.

- If they manufactured their clothing IN the country they sold them, instead of factories located in impoverished countries with lower health, environmental and work policies as well as workers that made a pay we'd find unacceptably low.

- By investing in local, Canadian (or American) factories, they'd lower the carbon footprint created by the huge container ships they need to use to ship the clothing, as well as *truly* be investing and supporting local communities and economies.

- Instead of community events in their store, wouldn't it be beautiful if they sponsored health and yoga events for those who are actually in need; such as the homeless, women's shelters, those who struggle with mental health or illness. (Supposedly each store has 'charitable giving' that the consumer's choose local charities to 'give back'- when I searched the Halifax store site there was no information. I have never ever heard of Lulu hosting a charitable event in Halifax, Montréal or Kelowna- where I've lived. If they do, it's the exception and not the rule).

Hey, I own some Lulu clothing and obviously am willing to take advantage of a free yoga class they've organized. However, I'm not going to pretend that this Business's bottom line is something other than making money and selling clothing.

There are so many other local companies that invest and actually do give back to our communities (like LoveMe Boutique who sells only Canadian Hand Made products, or Bhavana who offers Canadian and American, sustainably made yoga clothing) who truly have more than 'selling clothes' as their bottom line.

I am not 'Anti-Lulu', I'm more of a 'let's be real' kinda yogini.

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

Step One in Eco-Yoga Mat Activism... or Geekism

As most of you awesome eco-yogi/ni readers know, I've been trying to take that next step in my "eco"-ness which has mostly resulted in writing emails to a few companies. Although I still have a few emails percolating, I do believe that emailing is a little bit of the passive-aggressive approach. It's so much easier to email someone without having to directly speak or approach them about your concerns. Kinda like writing a blog (*wink).

In order to prove to myself that being slightly more pro-active does not have to make me some crazy, harried environmental doomsday spouter... I took one more step.

And made small posters.

Yep, I am a nerd. Officially an Earth-lovin' hippie.

For a few months I was thinking about how ridiculous it was that studios and stores around Halifax don't encourage their customers to recycle old mats when they purchase a new one. Mostly it occurred to me that evening where the lady next to me was chatting it up with the studio owner about how she hated her current mat and wanted to purchase a new one from the studio. While they were checking out the mats I kept biting back my crazy, "eco" mat recycling options and had to rush out afterwards in order to prevent some awkward random info-spouting.

Wouldn't it be great if studios had some nifty, simple posters with 10 easy ideas on what to do with previously loved yoga mats? So I made some. They sat on my computer for a while, then I printed them off on cardstock (not very eco- but I had run out of my 80% post consumer recycled cardstock we had for wedding invite practice runs). Those sat in my closet for about a month and then I finally got the nerve on Friday.

I put them in my purse and marched myself over to Lululemon Friday afternoon. I pretended to look around for a few minutes, tried to look like a legit shopper, asked a worker a few questions...she looked non-flaky and reasonable so I took a deep breath and:

"Ok, I have a weird question, and I've never done this before and I feel like such a geek but... would you put up a poster with ways to recycle a yoga mat?"

"Oh wow that's a fantastic idea!! We totally would!" (she looked sincere- YES)

"Cool! I know this is even weirder, like I'm handing out flyers or something, but I actually have some here with me.... you wanna see them?"

Lol, I am such a geek. She went on to explain how Lulu's mats are TPE and biodegradable and like the nerd that I am I had to explain how HRM doesn't actually accept these "biodegradable" plastic material so in fact in Halifax they are not (I didn't even GET into the whole- and who knows exactly what types of polymers are in TPE...). Sigh. In any case, she gladly took my poster and said they'd put it up! YAY!

I am such an activist. Ha. Next step- try to figure out a polite way to offer my beauts to local studios... If anyone else is interested in the poster, just leave your email here (I won't publish your comment) and I'll email it to you as an attachment :)

ps- weekend at home was fantastic, some yummy haddock and lobster were spoils of the visit!

Blessings!

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

Punk Rockah Yogini

Tonight Andrew and I are going to see Flogging Molly; a Punk Celtic band from the West Coast. Andrew is a Punk Rockah and has introduced me to various bands including the classics Bad Religion (my FIRST punk concert ever!) and Lars Frederickson from Rancid. I must admit that I am definitely not a Punk music fan overall, not usually heavy enough or well played musically enough for my tastes. Flogging Molly, however, kicks bum; lead singer from Ireland, awesome maritime-y music with enough of a heavier sound to make me VERY happy :)

This Punk themes fits in perfectly with my analysis of the Lulu love-hate issue. Why exactly (beyond their most certainly questionable "made in china" practices) do I sneer at them so? Svasti's comment on my previous post made something clique. I am a Punk-Rockah Yogini.

As Andrew has taught me, being Punk has nothing to do with the "look" and everything to do with attitude and belief systems. Specifically Anti-Establishment, Anti-Culture. Lululemon is most definitely "The Establishment" in the corporate/popular yoga world today. It's everywhere and that annoys the crap out of me. Part of the reason why I don't like the brand is the popularity itself. I don't want to be a lemming, I want to be original, different, PUNK. Part of me says: "Eff that popsicle stand" while at the same time walks right in (grumbling under my breath of course).

With some birthday moneys promised from my mom (awww- I think that stops when you have your own kids right?? lol) I threw all restraint into the wind and guiltily walked into the Halifax store. Avoiding eye contact with all workers there I finally saw this AWESOME bomber jacket. Tried it on and was immediately accosted by a super-duper happy employee (thanks for the Times link Vegan!):

"Did you know the jacket was made with recycled plastic bottles and is water resistant??"
Ugh, I SO do not want BPA plastic near my body. I wonder how much carbon it takes to make fabric from plastic?

"Oh really?" alarmed look followed by a sniff on the jacket: "What is it treated with?"
"Oh!! Hah, don't worry! Nothing bad for you I'm sure!"
Right.

Walk up to the cash with my cute cute, guilty purchase and ask the cashier what chemicals it's treated with.
"Ummm, wait let me ask.... DWR!" BIG smile.
"Ok... what does that stand for?"
"Ummm... wait- Durable Water Repellent!" BIGGER smile.
Sigh "So essentially that tells me nothing."

To that I got a confused look and I had to explain briefly at her confused and awkward "Oh no this customer is going to be difficult" look that it was ok, I would google it when I got home. This was followed by a week of googling and emailing Lululemon with the response that actually Lauren, the GEC (Guest Education Consultant), didn't *think* it was treated with anything! Super!

Upon further thought, if I were a Punk-influenced Yogini, this would explain other random thoughts and opinions I have about yoga. For example my dislike of Bikram and Hot Yoga. Part of this reaction, if I were to be honest with myself (and you!) is because it has become SO popular. "THE" yogis go to the local Moksha studio. Hot Yoga is the money maker in this city. I don't want to be part of the crowd, one with the masses. I want to practice "MY" yoga. Of course, it's not blind dislike- I do believe that practicing in that kind of heat can be dangerous both for the individual's muscles and respiratory system. The fact that it's a studio where new yogi/ni's attend makes me nervous.

My weird aversion to the Yoga Loft could also be attributed to an Anti-Establishment attitude. This studio is one of THE most popular studios in the city. Going there bugs me, I feel like one of many. Of course, my terrible experience with the owner of the studio, combined with rude studio etiquette and the type of yogis who attend may factor into the equation. Sigh- honestly- my rebelliousness definitely lurks behind many thoughts.

Finally, musical choice hangs out there as well. I've always hated those musicians that despised a band-genre of music simply because it was popular. Perhaps in this area I've been a bit less Punk and a bit more balanced, most likely because I'm a classically trained musician myself. If it's fantastic skill and sound I usually don't care about the popularity of the artist. Great music is just that. However, I'm starting to wish I had other "yoga" music besides Krishna Das. He's fantastic and his music speaks to me but it speaks to everyone else too.... lol.

All that being said; I do believe it is important to retain a balanced, critical and informed view on choices, likes and dislikes. Which means that this whole Punk attitude isn't rational or what I feel very proud about admitting. After the heated discussion over at "it's all yoga, baby", (here, here and here) I feel that this sub-culture or underlying influence of Punk Yogis definitely exists beyond myself.

We want yoga to become popular, yet we want complete control as to who, what, where and how. And when it does spiral out of our "niche" control it's upsetting and disconcerting. We're no longer special or unique. Others are defining and shaping yoga to suit their purposes, which may not always be what we want or adhere to. All of a sudden, the counter-culture movement of yoga has become The Man (Woman). So us Punk Yogi/nis are categorizing in order to remain true to our Yogi-selves.

Any other Punk Rockah Yogi/nis out there?

Blessings! I'm off to bee-bop along to celtic punk!

article authored by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Lulu Lemmings

I am going for honesty here. I figure since I pontificate on the dangers of carbon emissions, chemicals and bottled water I should 'fess up to my short falls. I hope you all still like me...

Just as a preface before I start: I've been thinking a lot about the "branding" of yoga and how corporations are jumping onto the increasingly popular and lucrative yoga train. My yoga doesn't really have room for sexist advertisements or corporate manipulations. That being said, I don't like practicing yoga in regular clothing... and I am an admitted consumer (recovering!). If push came to shove I'd declare myself "Anti-Lululemon" as it would fit better with my distrust for all things ginormous and corporate-y (see SIGG). This post is meant to begin the upfront and honest discussion I need to have.

Lululemon. I have a ridiculous love-hate relationship with you. You are my kryptonite and SO clever in your marketing genius. Perhaps a little bit of background on my lulu relationship (most likely similar to all of yours):

I was introduced to Lulu while living in Montreal, umm, five years ago-ish. My friend S., from B.C., introduced us during the pivotal "we should do yoga" part of grad-school. At that time Lulu was definitely moving towards being annoying in B.C., but JUST becoming popular in Montreal. Such a pretty store, with nice sayings on their bags and they even carried "organic" materials! S. assured me that although I was paying a ZILLION dollars for the top and pants that I'd never have to buy yoga clothing again. Sigh. How I wish that were true.

Fast forward two years when Andrew and I moved to BC. At that point, if you wore Lulu you were bordering on being a branded fluff lemming. One of the gaggle of women who wore it for the symbol and not a "true" yogi. I gained ten pounds and no longer fit in my standby top. Yay, more shopping! I discovered "Oqoqo", Lulu's "organic" and sustainable line and salivated over their flagship store in Vancouver.

Introducing "eco" life change and little things started to become apparent. I started noticing that their "Proud to be Canadian" clothing was deteriorating in quality. Their pants were no longer thick and well-made and their "eco" TPE mats shed within days of use. The culmination of our first "break up" was noticing the "Consciously formulated in Vancouver, Made in China" B.S. on their tags. Seriously, what?? Every single time I read that tag I am insulted. As if I'm stupid enough to believe that stating it was designed in Canada but made in China really makes any difference. Finally, the majority of Lulu's shares were sold to an American company and they are no longer Canadian at all.

Now that we live in Halifax, my relationship with Lulu has changed once again. The store drives me crazy. People drive from all over the province (and sometimes from New Brunswick) just to go to that one store. The result; it's filled to the brim with pushy Lemmings 100% of the time.

At the Halifax store they also have some fantastic poster info on their "workshop factories" (ahem) in China. Some day I will brave the masses to subtly take a picture of this "info-board". I'll get Andrew to pose with a bandana or something ridiculous and pretend to take a picture of him. On this board the company goes on about how wonderful the working conditions are at their factories, complete with cutesy pictures of the female Chinese workers at their sewing stations wearing matching pink hair bands. I didn't see a lot of smiles. It was creepy. Consciously formulated in Vancouver my a**.

However. Sigh. Lulu has a FANTASTIC community presence here in the city. Three and sometimes four free classes per week! Much more than the local studios. They also almost completely run the show for yoga wear in the city. Thank goodness I discovered Bhavana Boutique and was able to try on different companies such as Karma, Tonic (which are both actually formulate and MADE in Canada) and Cura clothing. Unfortunately I have yet to find a top by another company that fits as well as my Lulu tops. I think this is due to my body type and that I hate shopping online.

This is my downfall, I hate shopping online. Especially for clothing. If I'm going to spend that much money I want it to fit. This leads me to my jacket purchase which shattered my "I'm never shopping at Lulu again" resolve a few weeks ago. Thank goodness I have valiantly been avoiding all "yoga-apparel" based stores in the past few months. We don't "need" special yoga gear to practice. Though I'll be the first to admit that practicing yoga in jeans just isn't the same.

No matter the marketing suave of Lulu, my jacket purchase is the epitome of my love-hate relationship and represents perfectly how they manipulate (me) the consumer. Especially us "green-yogis". Story to follow shortly. :)

How do you feel about Lulu?

Blessings!

Article copyrighted by EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The Poop on Bioplastics

This post is part of Fight Back Friday's! Hosted by Food Renegade. :)

Plastic is such a dirty word in the "ecosphere" but often so difficult to avoid in our everyday practice. It's just so durable and useful in how we function. A few years ago I heard of something called "bio-plastic" and was amazed. "Plastic" made from plant product that biodegrades?? What a fantastic idea! Now I can feel good about taking that iced-mocha to go in a bioplastic cup! However, just like everything, the more you look into the reality of bioplastic, the more complicated the truth.

First of all, exactly what is bioplastic anyway? The word "Bioplastic" itself is traditionally used to mean a plastic derived from a biological source and does NOT necessarily mean compostable or even biodegradable. Bioplastics can be derived from vegetable oil, pea starch or microbiota, and the most common; corn starch. There are different kinds of bioplastics- some are more durable than others (i.e. bioplastic bags vs planters). The more durable bioplastics generally tend to either be not compostable or more difficult to compost. Bioplastics are often considered more sustainable because they do not rely as heavily on petroleum and use potentially renewable sources (like potatoes). Here's a quick rundown of the different kinds of plastics:

1. Starch Based Plastics (50% of the bioplastic market)- where common starches (like corn starch) has flexibilisers and plasticisers added in order to increase thermo-processing. Common plasticisers in other plastics are phtalates... however bioplastics may use sorbital or glycerine.

2.Polylactide Acid Plastics (PLA); these are your ice-mocha transparant plastic containers most often produced from corn starch. The chemical process seems complex to my non-chemistry brain...

3. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB); a polyester produced by certain bacteria processing glucose or starch and is biodegradable without residue.

4. Polyamide 11; derived from natural oils, is not biodegradable but considered more sustainable that conventional plastic. Used for pneumonic airbrake tubing, sports shoes, catheters etc. (catheters etc??.... lol).

5. Bio-derived polyethylene; derived from ethanol and is chemically and physically identical to non-bioderived polyethylene: it's not biodegradable but can be recycled. The difference: bio-derived polyethylene is not a petroleum product (like plastic shopping bags). (wiki)

Who knew that there were so many different bioplastic types out there?? Having all these options for more sustainable plastics is great but does choosing a bioplastic over a non-plastic truly make for a better "eco" choice?

Although more sustainable, plastics made from corn starch or other agricultural species still require energy to grow and process. The corn starch used for bioplastics is not usually organically grown corn, thus bioplastic made from corn continues to support an industry that uses pesticides and a lot of fossil fuel. Also, the majority of North American corn is in some way genetically modified and owned by Monsanto (a huge seed corporation and manufacturer of agent orange).

The most pressing issue with bioplastics is the definition of "compostable vs biodegradable". Just because something is said to be biodegradable does not mean that you can put it in your home and municipal compost bin. There are currently no true standards for use of the term "biodegradable" in the market. By definition, biodegradable is something that is able to be broken down by biological agents such as bacteria. However, many products will eventually break down when exposed to sunlight; key word: eventually. Some petrochemical plastics are even considered "biodegradable" as they do slowly breakdown!

Many bioplastics that we see in our everyday world (like the transparent iced-mocha containers) are of the PLA type and require intense heat and processing to "compost". In this sense, if I left one of those cups in my covered compost bin, not exposed to sunlight or the high levels of heat needed to biodegrade.... it would take a looooong time. The same applies to putting this bioplastic in with garbage destined for the landfill/dump. Wrapped in plastic bags without exposure to oxygen, water or sunlight these products will not biodegrade in any short period of time.

Ok, so you can't put these plastics into your home compost bin, but say you live in a city like I do where you have a municipal composting program. As I quickly discovered, there is no guarantee that your municipal program will be able to process these bioplastics either. Although many local coffee shops (Smiling Goat, Just Us!) offer "compostable" coffee to-go cups, Halifax does NOT currently have the facilities to process these bioplastics. Essentially, they are being thrown out into the landfills. These cups are still advertised by staff and signs at Just Us! as being compostable... even though when confronted employees sheepishly admit that this in fact isn't the case.

This also applies to something like Jo-Sha "biodegradable" yoga mat wipes, which would also require high energy/heat to actually compost. Just tossing the wipe into your compost bin won't actually allow the wipe to decompose. Also, Jo-Sha has other ingredients in their wipes, including parabens... Not something I'd want in my soil. Also, yoga mats made from TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) like Lululemon's or Halfmoon also claim to be "biodegradable" but cannot be placed into your compost bin. (for more info on exactly what TPE is made of check out my eco-mat post :) ).

Although technology is producing exciting, more sustainable alternatives to plastic, unfortunately "bioplastics" are still very misleading. Instead of hoping the bioplastic will compost, look into whether there is an industrial composting facility nearby. Be ready to expose your bioplastic to a lot of sunlight allowing it the months it may need to biodegrade in your yard. Or, simply try to use alternatives to plastic like glass that is easily recycled. A quick update on my "biodegradable" planters; within 12 hours of having soil and water they completely fell apart! Now I have no idea what to do with them...

Knowledge is power and the ability to make the best "eco" choice available :)

Blessings!

Ohming to Religious Bliss?

Lululemon. Just the name of the formerly Vancouverite company (sadly bought out by American shares) evokes an image of corporate yoga at it's best. The store exudes easy-peasy spiritual catch-alls and fluffy representations of what yoga attempts to achieve: spiritual connection. On Monday Andrew and I attended a free yoga class at Lulu led by Sherry from Breathing Space (one of the main reasons we attended... that and it was free). I always have weird feelings walking into a Lulu store, from wanting to point out that "boob enhancing" straps do NOT belong in a yoga store to asking the salespeople if they really feel that the Chinese factory workers displayed wearing pink matching bandanas are REALLY happy... (btw, have you SEEN their new website? blegh).

In any case, my entire self-righteous, Lululemon is a sell-out, corporate, non-eco company mindset is logically followed by what I believe yoga SHOULD be about. Which leads to a bit of spiritual confusion. From my understanding of the historical perspective, yoga was practiced by young men (mostly Hindu in culture and religion) in order to attain physical strength to lengthen their meditation practices. The goal was; through asana (physical postures) they would achieve a connection with the Divine. Therefore, the ultimate goal of Yoga is to bring us closer to the Divine. 

Initially, I viewed yoga as a very broad, encompassing spirituality that wasn't attached to any specific organized religion. However, a quick read of something as Westernized as the "Yoga Journal" and you'll find quotes from the Bhagavad Gita; a Hindu scripture or explanations of various Hindu god/desses. Once I moved to Halifax it seemed like these quotes and readings were much more prominent than any other area I had lived and practiced yoga. Scriptures are quoted frequently, Krishna and Vishnu are mentioned often. As part of the yoga teacher training for Breathing Space studio the students are required to read the Bhagavad Gita, along with other spiritual interpretations. (Saraswati pic)

Krishna Das, a moving Kirtan singer is often played during yoga classes here in Halifax. I actually bought one of his cd's, his singing and chanting of sacred sanskrit prayers sound so beautiful. However, one of my favourite yoga instructors plays one of his songs during each and every savasana. Savasana has always been difficult for me, I am so anxious that it took two entire years of practice before I felt comfortable enough to close my eyes. Trying to meditate while listening to English words is difficult.... especially when the song is "Yes God Is Real" (Krishna Das's interpretation of a traditional Christian Gospel):

There are some things I may not know
There are some places, dear Lord, I may not go.
But there's one thing of which I'm sure
My God is real for I can feel him in my soul

Well, yes God real, real in my soul
Yes God is real for He has watched and made me whole
His love for me shines like pure gold
Yes God is real for I can feel Him in my soul

Admittedly, I think the song itself is beautiful. However, as a non-Christian, non-monotheistic and non-"male" believer (ahem; "Goddessian") trying to meditate while listening to these lyrics was grating. I wasn't there to be "converted", I was there to connect with my Goddess and her Divinity through yoga. Krishna Das and HIS god were interfering. By the end of savasana I was so tense it was ridiculous. I decided to use this as part of my yoga "let go" practice. This was helpful, but truly the experience made me stop and consider whether I was truly deluding myself in the patriarchal connections with yoga and history. It is something I've been on the fence about whether I want more spirituality during practice or less. (For a more indepth examination of Hinduism and patriarchy, refer to "Chapter 5: A religious State: India", in "From Eve to Dawn Vol I" by Marilyn French).

At the same time, I LOVE Ohms during yoga. Chanting and opening three of my chakras through vibrational thoracic and pharyngeal changes is such a beautiful way to begin my practice. The first three Ohms in all classes feel so disjointed and disconnected; such an auditory example of how as urbanites we are so apart from each other. After practicing yoga together for over an hour the final three Ohms are always in harmony. The sense of community and connection is made obvious by the beautifully matched chanting. Sadly, there has been no Ohming in Halifax except for my friend-yoga sessions in our apartment. All our friends felt weird at first, but being assured that they by no means had to participate, after two sessions even awesome hockey K. was ohming it up.

I am definitely formulating and growing in what I hope yoga to be for me, while trying to respect what yoga was meant to achieve. I have no interest in changing asana names (like Christian-yoga practitioners) nor would I like yoga to be devoid of all aspects of spirituality. However, I do wonder if being "spiritual but not religious" can be accurately represent a discipline that uses holy scriptures and deities from an organized religion. What do you think eco-yogi/nis?

Blessed Be )0(

Lobster Chowder+Yoga Class= UGH

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays! Hosted by Food Renegade

Having spent parts of Easter weekend at home with my parents it was great to be surrounded by ocean, crazy wind and lobsters. Fishing was a part of almost every single conversation, it was fantastic. I walked into the house and dad had about a dozen lobsters alive on the front step in a crate and another six or so already being steamed on the stove. Mom was a little miffed that he had brought so many, but dad gives lobsters and the meat as gifts during holiday seasons. So, mom was relegated to shelling dozens of lobsters before our pork meal was to be prepared... I got to stand next to her and eat my favourite part- the legs. I offered to help, but really I am so much slower than she is at shelling lobsters. At my house we never ate lobsters straight out of the shell- way too much work for a meal. We always had them creamed or in a chowder... yum!

Of course I got about four lobsters worth of meat to bring back with me and so I made a chowder tonight. Lobster chowder is my favourite way to have lobster and I thought I'd share my easy easy recipe with you!

First; three tips on shelling lobsters that I had to learn by calling my mother:

what you need: A VERY sharp and large knife (think chopping knife), a fork, a rolling pin/jam jar, a small shelling scooper dealy (comes with kits- a long thin instrument will work too).

1. The claws have a sweet spot, trust me. Take your knife, turn the claw "palm up" and (after taking the small "thumb" off) chop between the "thumb" joint and the end. The claw should crack right down the middle and snap apart... if your knife is sharp enough.

2. Twist the tail off, then twist the little fan part at the end off. Take the tail, "face up" in your hand and with your fork hook into the 'belly' and pull the tail out.

3. The leg meat is the BEST part (along with the knuckles of the claws). An easy way to get the meat out is to take a rolling pin/jam jar and roll along the legs, squishing the meat out! mmmm.

Ok! NOW you are ready to make an awesome chowder!!

Ingredients for a small chowder that would serve four people:

Four Organic Potatoes

One Organic Onion

About four tails/claws lobster meat

three cloves of organic garlic

1/4 cup of butter 

1 litre of 10% cream and some milk.

First: chop up the potatoes into 1cm cubes until they cover about an inch of the chowder pot. Add 

just enough water to cover them (butter if you want too) and boil. Add a whole (halved OR chopped up if you want, I just don't like onions... lol).

Fry the lobsters in butter and pressed garlic. Make sure when you are 

cutting the lobsters up in cubes that you clean out the tail. As you can see in the picture, the tail has a little peely part that reveals their... ummm... poo tract. Make sure you clean out the digestive matter prior to cutting (the same goes for frozen lobsters. Nothing is worse than seeing frozen black poo in the middle of a piece!). Once they are golden brown they are ready!

Add some cream to the lobsters and allow the butter and lobster "juice" to mix together (haha, can you tell I'm not the "chef" in the household??). 

When the potatoes are mushy (or cooked), drain a bit of the water and dump the fried lobsters and cream into the pot. Add all the cream and if there is some room (and you ran out of cream) add some milk. Which is what I usually do. Some people add grated cheddar cheese, which adds thickness. Personally I find it tastes UBER fattening. Add the rest of the butter, and season to taste. 

Voila! A sustainable, seafood meal that will impress your guests and should only take 30 minutes! (after shelling of course). 

Of course we ate our chowder and are now going to a yoga class... Cream probably wasn't the best choice for someone of my "iffy" digestive skills... LOL. Thank goodness we have two hours between!

Blessings!

Bamboo- Eco Grass?

Bamboo fabric has been uber popular these days as a green alternative. Designers all over are using it and it's super soft texture and weird anti-microbial claims are also upping it's "cool" factor. Yoga clothing companies (such as Oqoqo bought-out by Lulu; you might see their symbol-left- on some of their "eco" line) are using bamboo fibers and touting it as being the environmentally friendly alternative to cotton.

A little bit of searching and a couple of conversations with BC organic store owner reveal that it's really not that straightforward. Organic Clothing has an indepth look here but I'll try to summarize.

Bamboo has become so popular because of it's luxurious feel, affordability, ability to breathe and rate of moisture absorption. Bamboo is a fast growing grass that is (if done right) sustainable. It doesn't require barely any water or any pesticides at all! So what's the deal??

The process of changing bamboo grass fibers into clothing fibers can be, in short, extremely toxic. A TON of chemicals are typically used to process the poor grass and are causing health problems for Chinese factory workers (whom also have little fair trade or sustainable production protection from the Chinese government). These chemicals include caustic soda (one of the main ingredients in Drano) and lye.

Even though I said I'd summarize- I just thought I'd post the typical chemical steps for processing bamboo fibers using the hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching technology:

1. Bamboo leaves and the soft, inner pith from the hard bamboo trunk are extracted and crushed;
2. The crushed bamboo cellulose is soaked in a solution of 15% to 20% sodium hydroxide at a temperature between 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C for one to three hours to form alkali cellulose;
3. The bamboo alkali cellulose is then pressed to remove any excess sodium hydroxide solution. The alkali cellulose is crashed by a grinder and left to dry for 24 hours;
4. Roughly a third as much carbon disulfide is added to the bamboo alkali cellulose to sulfurize the compound causing it to jell;
5. Any remaining carbon disulfide is removed by evaporation due to decompression and cellulose sodium xanthogenate is the result;
6. A diluted solution of sodium hydroxide is added to the cellulose sodium xanthogenate dissolving it to create a viscose solution consisting of about 5% sodium hydroxide and 7% to 15% bamboo fiber cellulose.
7. The viscose bamboo cellulose is forced through spinneret nozzles into a large container of a diluted sulfuric acid solution which hardens the viscose bamboo cellulose sodium xanthogenate and reconverts it to cellulose bamboo fiber threads which are spun into bamboo fiber yarns to be woven into reconstructed and regenerated bamboo fabric. (http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/09/bamboo-facts-be.html)

This I guess is basically the process to form rayon as well, just with a different base. Did you skim through that after the first bit of chemically stuff like I did? Yup. And I sweat in THAT?

The increase in popularity in bamboo has also spurred rainforests and farmlands to be cleared away for bamboo growth. Bamboo is also a monoculture (kinda like a weed) and not so keen on biodiversity and as a result not the most sustainable choice.

So what to do? How do you know that a company "farmed" bamboo sustainably? The article from Organic Clothing gives info on what each certification means and what to look for. Here is a snippet:

- ISO standardization is not credible and is more of a "greenwashing"- more on that in her article.

- Lyocell is a process that is much more environmentally friendly and has a 99.9% closed loop so all chemicals are processed and recycled. Lulu and Oqoqo have clothing 

made from lyocell technology.

- Green Yarn is making "eco-fabric" with nano technology. Still iffy on how the bamboo is processed but lots of heat is involved and as a result- carbon. Also- these bamboo nano particles are woven into existing fabric- so their entire claim on sustainability would depend on the cotton/nylon etc's.

- the anti-bacterial properties of bamboo have been disputed quite a bit recently.

- look for third party certification while purchasing like Oeko-Tex

Wow- being environmentally friendly can get ridiculously complicated. But then, ignorance is not the answer. I'd much rather be aware of how clothing is made and who is suffering so I can wear my beautiful shirt than claim it's too complex to mentally process. I love the feel of bamboo fabrics but if I am to make a concious choice to buy a product based on sustainability than I need to be aware of the entire picture:

Global- it's the point of being Eco.

Skyler Clothing- An Alternative for the Eco Yogini

As mentioned here I am getting fairly tired of Lulu's whole "consciously formulated in Vancouver made in China" BS. As a feminist, ecoholic AND yogini I really would love a company that merges all three. Just yesterday while I was at Bhavana Yoga Boutique here in Halifax I found one!

Skyler Clothing; a Vancouver company, has beautiful yoga and fashion wear that is consciously formulated AND made in Vancouver (no oppressed workers or children making MY clothing thank you very much!). Krista, the sweet owner of Bhavana Boutique informed me during my visit (and purchase of a beautiful new Halfmoon Cork Block!! YAY- haha but I digress) that Skyler Clothing employs stay at home mom's to create these beautiful pieces of clothing! This is fantastically forward thinking- supporting and recognizing the value of motherhood and woman as an individual with other dreams, skills and worth. Beautiful. THIS is the kind of forward thinking that should be encouraged in our society right now, with high prices of childcare and both women and men struggling to make ends meet.

Bhavana Boutique (located on Quinpool directly above HeartWood Cafe) is currently carrying their cute cute hoodies and zip jackets along with a couple of other fun and yogic inspired tops. Unfortunately you can't order their products online- but they do have some info on how to find a retailer close to you!

Yoga for the Financially Challenged

Yoga in a studio- so calming, so quiet, so much room and space to breathe and most people know the social etiquette while attending a yoga class. In that space with the right teacher I learn so much about my body and my practice. I read about how once a week yoga is just not enough, but at 12-14$ a class there is no way that I can afford three classes a week, even one is pushing it! I'm trying to keep up with Yoga during these long winter months until I can finally do yoga outside, on the dock, in the park, wherever but it's been challenging to say the least on my budget.

Increasingly there is a trend for studios to offer community yoga classes. I truly think it's about time. There really is no wonder that yoga has fast become an activity for the "upper" class, with trendy expensive mats and yoga wear ruling the studio. At 60$ a month just for once a week classes who else could afford it? 

Which is why Lululemon is actually doing alright on this one. The Lululemon in Halifax offers yoga classes every Sunday morning as well as other classes throughout the week- and they are FREE! Of course, I get the marketing ploy here- buy our stuff while you're in the store but really it's a fantastic way to give everyone the opportunity to try yoga. It's also a fantastic way to "test" out different yoga instructors without the pressure of the studio or paying for a class.

It's fantastic to feel like you're part of a community of yogini/yogis getting together to celebrate yoga (kinda like the global mala). Plus these classes are usually more general and as a newbie you're not running the risk of getting yourself into a class that's too advanced.

A downside: these classes are always packed (although what does that say about the need for community yoga classes?). The instructor doesn't have time to adjust or help each student. Usually the mats are about two inches apart and certain asanas are tricky (no swan dive to uttanasana please!). 

However, these classes are free and the point is to encourage community. There's really nothing more beautiful than witnessing how an hour and a half of doing yoga together can bring unity and harmony to the ending Ohms. I've found that the only people who have no idea about yoga etiquette (i.e. stepping on other people's mats...) are the actual employees at Lululemon, at least at this specific store.

At these classes I tend to see such a huge range of yogis- it's so wonderful! My favourite was a class where we were trying "One Legged King Pigeon Pose II" (from a low lunge) and I was trying desperately to reach my arm and at least touch my raised back leg- it wasn't really working out all that well. I looked over and there was this older man, in his late fifties, gracefully completing the pose like it was nobody's business. It was ridiculous! Gave me hope really, that age doesn't have to equal stiffness or decreased mobility (cuz really I don't think I can get any less bendy than I am now!). 

So I say WOOT to community and free classes and I wish there were more "by donation" classes being done by studios out there! :)

Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats!

Ahh Balasana, or child's pose- so wonderful after 10 sun salutations... resting your head and breathing in the wonderful smell of chemicals... Ok, so my first mission into the foray of ecofying my yoga practice was to find an eco-alternative to my PVC yoga mat (which was donated to a local woman's transition house).

Due to the recent yoga "craze" erupting across Canada and the States thousands of PVC yoga mats are finding their way to the landfills; off-gassing with a virtually turtle-paced decomposing schedule. So begins the eco-mat saga:

#1: Lululemon Eco-Comfort

I bought this mat with high expectations: it cost around 50-60$ Canadian and is made from TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer) and contains no latex, PVC or rubber. A quick Wiki search and we find that most TPE's are made with a type of plastic or rubber.... although there's no clarification on the website. The friendly lulu worker at the store informed me that my mat would eventually breakdown in the landfill-WOOT!

I started using it right away- no nasty smell but it was extremely slippery. I was willing to sacrifice grip for the environment- sure I was! After about two months of use the mat was flaking off all over my yoga pants, the floor and even my hair. Ugly wear marks were appearing where my feet moved from Down Dog to Warriors I and II. So I brought it back- I guess I wasn't supposed to use this mat in the sun (now they have warnings on the labels of the mats) and it had begun to break down prematurely. Great- so now I would be sacrificing practicing in the beautiful outdoors to be a true eco-yogini. OK. FINE. The lulu worker offered a 50% discount on their next eco-mat which I bought and gave my current eco-mat to my Fiancé to use. He could deal with the blue flakes.

#2 Lululemon Eco Align Ultra Mat

This mat was immediately better- more grip and thinner! Within a month of use (out of the sun- sadly) mat #2 was a flaker too. Matching wear marks graced this one as well! Sigh, at this point I was just a little less zen than ideal. From talking with other lulu eco mat users the "flaker" is a common occurrance. Also- Lululemon had just recently sold the majority of their shares to a U.S. company and was no longer technically "Canadian".

My Conclusion on TPE: it definitely breaks down- but the environmental impacts of cycling through several yoga mats over my lifetime outweighs the decomp. benefits. Also, the Lululemon mats have poor grip and durability with a high price tag. And call me a nerd- but I just didn't want to join the Lulu gaggle of yoginis taking over the planet.

Rubber Yoga Mats

My final desperate attempt at ecofying my yoga mat was a Lotus Wear rubber mat. Lotus Wear is a Vancouver based company that manufactors AND consciously formulates their products in Canada (hah two for two Lulu!). The mat was between 49$ Canadian, so a comparable price and was nice and thin. 

Rubber is a renewable resource and a nice alternative to man-made substances such as TPE or plastic. Rubber is also easily recyclable and will biodegrade over time. However, it is also much more durable than say, TPE and has a longer lifespan. This mat doesn't use glue to bind both sides of the rubber together and claims 100% non-polluting during manufacturing. The catch- it recommended I air it our for 48 hrs before use. Riiight. Like I could wait that long!

Um... I really should have- after doing yoga for about 45 minutes I felt nauseous from the smell and had to take a couple advils when I got home. Point taken- airing out it is!

This mat had fantastic grip- I had magically become a yoga Goddess!!! The only time my hands or feet were gonna move were when I was sweating buckets trying to accomplish some ridiculous Power Yoga Flow class (go me!). I gave eco-mat #1 to a beginner yogini and #2 was passed along to the Fiancé (poor guy was getting all my yoga seconds!). 

This mat has lasted 8 months so far with only minimal wear- WOOT! The only negative: it actually took several months for the rubber smell to fade away with regular use. I wouldn't recommend this mat for anyone with sensitivities to smell. 

However, an alternative for those wanting a rubber mat without the smell- Manduka's "The Black Mat" the QUEEN of all yoga mats. Made from natural rubber with all above eco-benefits without the smell (this mat has a lifetime guarantee with certification to back-up their zero-emissions claims). Of course, this mat comes with a price: 85$ Canadian. According to several yoga teachers, the eco versions of the manduka mats (Halfmoon) have dye issues after use.

Finally my mat is now ecofied!