Taking Back Saying No to Technology while Remaining Cool

If you asked my friends whether I'm easily reachable through technology, they would definitely answer with a resounding "Not even close!".

I know it's weird, especially for someone who blogs, is an active twitterer and Facebook user. But I've noticed this natural trend in the past two years to disconnect.

The realization that perhaps this was more than just a passing trend occurred to me tonight: when the thought "I should check my gmail" caused twinges of anxiety and annoyance.

Although I've embraced technology (I am JUST at the cusp of the generation that has grown up with computers, video games and such), I've always been a stickler for "non tech time". Immediately when we got our iphones my pet peeve was being accessible, with the EXPECTATION that I would be RIGHT THERE to text back every minute of the day. I quickly informed all my friends that during work hours, I was at work- so my personal cell was on vibrate.

Often though I would forget to turn my phone back on sound when I got home. To be fair, if it's an emergency they should call and leave a message. Or text Andrew. (How many times do I get the "tell your wife to check her phone" text...:S). It drives me crazy to here text after text after text- even if the other person might not necessarily expect an immediate answer- the pressure is there to check "just in case". Which annoys the hell outta me.

I have a very important (to me) no cell phone in the bed rule. I leave my phone downstairs to be charged over night. If someone texts me while I'm getting ready for bed or sleeping, ah well. They should know better than texting someone past 10pm. Seriously. Our bedroom is moving towards a "no technology zone". I never want a tv in our bedroom and the laptop and ipad stay downstairs. I just have to wean Andrew off bringing his iphone upstairs (he hides it from me when he checks his twitter feed before getting out of bed in the morning...).

The bedroom is for sleeping and connecting couple time. There is enough research out there that strongly indicates that having technology (tv, ipad, iphone, laptop) in the bedroom is sleep disrupting and stress inducing. My sleep is precious, no messing with that!

Finally, email. I dread dread dread checking my gmail accounts. I'm attached to my email for work all day- I definitely do not feel like responding or considering issues via email while at home. So I just don't check them. For weeks. Which makes the process of checking my email even more stressful.

With smart phones we are increasingly tied to our technology- and it's harder and harder to disconnect. However, I firmly believe that this disconnect from in real life interaction is an important aspect to our disconnect with our natural world, the decrease in motivation for environmental personal action and our increasing everyday stress levels.

I am taking back my right to turn off my iphone, to saying "no" to being available every minute of every day and that this still makes me fantastically fun and not a luddite.

Leave your iphone charging on the counter and experience life 100%, instead of through moments between checking your twitter account or through the lens of your iphoto.

Get Your Sew On; Old School Style!

The boring 'R' in the being environmental has always been 'Reduce'. I love shopping, but interestingly enough, since I've gone 'Eco' I have a difficult time buying crappy, made in China clothing (byebye Lululemon) and have become extremely fussy about what I will pay big bucks. Also, most of my clothing needs to do double duty as work clothes.

This means that I generally use my clothing right up until they are unusable and that I typically buy clothing that is higher quality, more professional looking and costs more. Which is why it baffles me that there are so many people out there who can donate almost unused, designer labels to local designer consignment boutiques. All my consignable clothing is still being worn by moi!

In our disposable world, taking care and fixing our clothing is a complete paradigm shift. We're so used to throwing it out, or even donating to Value Village or a women's shelter, at the smallest hole or stain that the thought of taking the time to sew just seems... well like wearing subpar clothing. I *like* shiny new clothes, so having something that's 'damaged' and being happy with it is an adjustment.

That and I suck at sewing.

(my tiny little sewing kit that folds up into a box for easy storage!)

A couple of years ago, thought, I got this really tiny travel sewing kit as a Yulemas gift (my mom may have made the suggestion to my Tante that I needed one... lol). Since I am so not crafty and have zero compunction to actually SEW stuff, I have never considered getting an actual sewing machine. Too much hassle and we really have no place to store it. And they intimidate the heck outta me.

But a needle and a thread? Sure... I guess I can handle that.

(A funky sweater jacket I had bought in 2007 in Edmonton. The bottom was completely stretched out and wavy so I hardly ever wore it. Tonight I decided to hand take in the sides and see what happened)

(Not perfect, but soooo much better!)

(You can barely see where I took it in on both sides!!)

(This was a brandnew sweater I had bought from Club Monaco... that randomly had a fingerpad sized hole on the arm, not even on a seam. Yes you can see the stitching- which was crappy, way way up close, but from a regular distance you can't see a thing! Success!)

Wouldn't you know, there have been at least a dozen items of clothing that have randomly been ripped, hems come undone, random holes appearing, that I've been able to sew up to barely noticeable levels.

The stitches may look a little drunken sailor, but honestly for the most part they are hardly noticeable. Unlike a ginormous hole showing skin, or a pant hem that has completely unstitched. Who looks closely at the cuff of my pantleg to check out the stitching anyway?

Here are a few things I've learned in this sewing journey:

• Those little tomato pin cushions that look ridiculous? Yeah, they're kinda essential. I mean, where are you gonna stick the needle while you get stuff situated? Those little reminders of your grand-mère are so darn handy to keep needles away from being accidentally stuck into a body part or eaten by cats. 
• I can see why my grand-mère wore thimbles to protect her thumbs and fingers. I have stuck my fingers a zillion times. Since I suck at sewing, and have zero patience, I kinda just guess where the needle should go instead of constantly double checking each side. A thimble would have been helpful.
• Cutting the thread on an angle is genius. This allows you to squeeze the thread through the stupidly small needle hole so much easier. 
• As does wetting the thread in your mouth. I think that has more to do with keeping the thread bits together. I'm not sure, but it totally works and is kinda icky.
• Saving the threat and buttons that comes with pants and shirts is a fantastic idea. I am now a thread and button hoarder....

So, the next time you notice a hole in your (yoga) clothing, consider picking up a needle and thread and fixing it yourself instead of buying a new pair. Who knows, you might be able to extend the life of your clothes, save yourself some money and prevent more waste and pollution.

And feel like you're pretty darn Crafty.

Do you have any sewing tips for me? I'd really love to hear them!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Local Eco-Adventure to Two if by sea

Despite having a terrible head cold, Andrew and I decided to take an adventure this afternoon. A few ideas were thrown around, but Andrew had never been on the Ferry to Dartmouth nor to Dartmouth's pride and joy, 'Two if by Sea' Café. 

Public transit, walking and local businesses? Perfect eco-adventure. So we (ok I) bundled up and off we went. 

 This is across the street from the new Nova Scotia Power building (in their parking lot). It's a charger for the Nissan Leaf that they're piloting (during the week a car is parked here). Unfortunately, Nova Scotia's energy is for the most part coal generated, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction!

 A 'new' (ish) chocolaterie that opened- the service was fabulous and the chocolates are devine!

 We arrived early at the Ferry terminal, so we decided to check out the new Two if by sea- Halifax kiosk (right next to Hart & Thistle). The owner, Zane, was there and was kind enough to let me take a picture and gifted us with free small coffee to tide us over until we got to the Dartmouth café! 

 TIBS always has the best signs. 

 All bundled up on the ferry! It was a bit windy... but then it's always windy in Halifax.

 TIBS original Dartmouth sign 'Roses are red, violets are blue, cookies taste good, so do croissants' lol.

 They serve HUGE cookies and croissants. This cookie was the size of my face and about two inches thick.... We couldn't eat it all. TIBS also has extremely interesting croissants of the week like 'Cherry Bomb' with cream cheese and cherries. 
Beyond fair trade (and direct trade) organic coffee, they regularly have 'family dinners' where tickets are coveted and hard to come by. For around 50$ a seat you get a surprise local menu of fabulous food in a community environment. The Dartmouth café has fantastic atmosphere and is a must see if you're visiting the city!

 The Ferry Dartmouth side. You can see the fake 'hibou's. I'm fairly certain they don't actually scare away sea gulls (as I see them circling around the warf every day). Metro transit may go on strike this week, so my walk-ferry ride to work may go on pause for a little while and it'll be back to driving. 

Weirdly, one of my favourite parts of this city is the stonework on buildings and walls. 

Now... after all that walking it's time for a nap!

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

A Niggling, Wiggling Unfurling to a New Path in 2012

2012 is the year of being 30. ACK. THIRTY. Trente. Shu dans mes trentaines. I don't feeeel thirty (perhaps it's the fact that I work with preschoolers?).

As I've written, New Year's resolutions are not for me. That said, I definitely have a little niggling, wiggling thing. A bud. A something in the center of my chest. Metaphorically, but it's weirdly manifesting as a physical sensation. This niggling thing feels like it's waiting for a momentous *thing* to happen this year. Some event that will allow it to flourish, open up and stretch out.

Weird, I know.

Therefore, although I'm not going to have "resolutions" per se, I think a few comments on a more Authentic Path (inspired from Simply Authentic hehe- thank you!) would be a lovely exercise.

Firstly, to move forward I need a quick peak back to 2011:

The new snow last January 2011

Word of the year: WORK, work and more work. 2011 was the year of my job. I traveled to Ottawa, Montreal (twice!) and all over the province for work. I gave presentations to countless groups of parents, early childhood educators, teachers, SLP colleagues, principals and began the huge Hanen program LLLI. All in French. I was interviewed three times by the radio, wrote a few articles that got published, implemented bilingual standards of care for the entire province, co-taught the SLP master's pediatric dysphagia class, helped plan a provincial Expo, took evening French language classes... sigh I was busy and am very proud of all that I accomplished that year.

Our trip to PEI six months ago

That said, I feel like everything else has taken a back seat. I didn't write as much music and my yoga practice in the studio disappeared into oblivion. My first year of marriage and really it's work that stands out.

My eco Halloween as the Paper Bag Princess costume

Also, my environmental journey hasn't really made any huge steps.
Some notable changes:
- We successfully made and preserved jam (yum!)
- I now wash my face with honey
- I started sewing more
- We rode our bicycles in the summer (but not nearly enough)
- We went to the farmer's market a lot more
- I started drinking loose tea
- I stopped dying my hair (no more highlights!)
- we tried rooftop gardening and failed miserably
- we started drinking whole milk from local cows
- we got a dishwasher

Wow... not that impressive huh?

Ok. So. I'm thinking, 2012- the year of 30. Needs to be a little more artsy, more guitar-ing, more singing, more writing, more yoga-ing, more ART-ing.

Some ideas to make this happen:
Writing-Guitar-ing-ART-ing: last year this "resolve" dissolved (haha). It's time to do what worked when I was in university; go to a coffee shop and write over yummy coffee. We live in the city and have fabulous coffee shops nearby. It's time to take an evening every week for a little coffee/writing jaunt.
Also, using the once a week that Andrew is in an evening class to practice and create songs instead of reading a book or watching tv would be a good goal.

Yoga: I'd like to actually make an effort to attend karma classes this year. I'm making plans with my friend yoga crew to crash some local studios en masse.

Work: No more taking extra, after work language courses, agreeing to co-teach the master's pediatric dysphagia course, checking emails from home...

Blog: Announcement!! I was so surprised and honoured to be invited to write for the FABULOUS Green Phone Booth!! As of this month, every two Fridays I'll be writing over at the Booth... yay Eco Superheroine!

Environment: on that line of thought, I'd really like to make ONE (only one) other large life change in decreasing my impact on the planet. This is going to take some thought, because if I go too big it just won't work. I'll keep y'all posted on this one :)

NEXT: Tomorrow evening I'll be taking key words from the above Paths and will be ART-ing all over a page. This page will be put up in the kitchen for daily viewing, reminding and smiling.

anyone else for the niggling, wiggling feelings?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Slower Path to New Year's Resolutions

The gap between Yule and New Year's always feels a bit fluid; like we're all holding our breath waiting for something spectacular. It's the time of introspection, the inbetween of announcing new aspirations willynilly and reviewing our lives.

As a rule I've always avoided New Year's resolutions. They're like dieting: they never work nor are they realistic. Falling off the New Year's Resolution Wagon can cause a plummet beyond your previous levels, also like dieting. I am not a fan of dieting (re: self-loathing, self-restriction).

Every year, predictably, I'm tempted. To make sweeping environmental plans like: "I will make soups and freeze them!" or "We will significantly decrease our energy usage!" or even "I will only buy clothing second hand or made from organic cotton". It never works.

My Yoga/Health plans sound vaguely like: "I will practice at a studio more than once a week" or "I will begin meditating every day" or "I will read a whole crapload of yoga books" or "Coffee and Yoga will take on a whole new level this year".

My other life plans sound like: "I will play the guitar more often" or "I will actually write another song every month" or "I will start my voice and piano practice up again"...

Yep- all completely overwhelming and a lesson in guilt tripping. I really wish I had time (and money) for ALL of them!

I do think that this fluid space between now and New Year's is a nice time for some thoughtful redirection towards what could be a mindful adjustment on the path of life.

As many of us are enjoying the lull of inbetween limbo, now is the time for more journal writing, guitar playing, singing, yoga practicing... all with the purpose of accepting who you are right now, where you'd like to direct your sails in the wind and a few possible tools to get you there.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

What Star Trek Taught me about the Keystone Pipeline

Star Trek teaches me a lot, like today how Captain Picard's crew had to accept the fact that their continued use of warp travel was damaging the corridors of subspace. Decades of a way of life, and now space travel will have to change. Sound familiar? (Oh Star Trek, you are so clever).

Just like the Federation shares space with multiple civilizations and species, we have to share our planet with multiple countries. And, as subspace doesn't care whose federation each star system is touching, our water and air really couldn't be bothered to stop at country borders for a body scan.

The XL Keystone Pipeline has been a disheartening and disappointing piece of news for Canadians. I don't have a lot to comment regarding Obama's apparent amnesia with regard to his promise for 'green' policies, but I do feel that there are valuable and essential discussion points that should be addressed.

The discussion in the media has become an 'environmentalists against the economy' type rhetoric, which really misses an essential point- the economy is a human-created, not oil-dependant abstract concept. The environment is a true, delicate and concrete organism that is absolutely necessary for our survival as a species. We can't exactly live without water or air, but we can most certainly live with an economy sustained and nourished by something other than oil. As David Suzuki has said, the economy is a made up.

Instead of focusing our money and energy into unsustainable methods of fuel and energy consumption, we should be directing our energy to creating and fostering reusable, sustainable energy. Developing better (and cheaper) electric car batteries and infrastructure, wind and solar power. Arguing that it's either a pipeline or giant refineries misses the mark. What about neither? We have the capabilities, the science and the resources if we direct them responsibly.

The transcanada organization claims, as do our governments, that it's safe and measures are in place to protect our precious farm and water ways from oil contamination. Didn't they say that about the BP oil spill? According to David Suzuki, earlier this year Alberta has already had a huge oil spill that has contaminated kilometres of necessary water and earth.

On Q (cbc radio show) on Friday, a few notable journalists commented that the big issue for discussion should be whether we allow the US to dictate our energy and environmental policies. This journalist stated firmly that other countries had no right to tell us how to treat our planet.

I disagree. It's absolutely ridiculous to stand like an immovable tadasana with the misbelief that air and water we treat here in Canada stops at this magical invisible barrier at our borders. The air I breathe, you have breathed as well. The water I drink, you have drank as well. We don't have special Canadian air or water here. Water evaporates and cycles through the system, moving as rivers, oceans and clouds across continents. It makes complete sense that we should work together to protect our most primordial resource- our Planet.

As yogis, we have a responsibility to connection. With each other to work together as Nations and peoples to protect and respect the Natural World, as well as beginning to take those measures needed to stop our addiction to consumption and oil. The tough stuff, like bicycling more, taking public transit, eating locally and stop buying STUFF. The really tough stuff, like writing our government and exercising our right to civil disobedience. Like voting for your Health and the Planet first before your pocket.

Tonight is the New Moon, the perfect time for new beginnings and new commitment. What will you do?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

How to Enjoy A Book

(For those of you considering abolishing "real" books from your life in favour of a (no!) e-reader, I present you with a few essentials to live by...)

How to Enjoy Books

(this is one of our book shelves, with my current book  that I'm enjoying: "Wildwood" written b y Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis)

Step 1: Entering a small, locally owned bookstore/library/Secondhand bookstore pause briefly and take a deep breath. You are now surrounded by books. Enjoy this moment thoroughly.

Step 2: Start perusing each section, gazing upon the rows and rows of colourful spines. Perhaps grazing your fingers across a few, tilting your head sideways so you can read the titles or even removing a few to take a peak at the cover. Don't rush, walk slowly or stand quietly for a few moments. It's socially acceptable to do this in a book purchasing/borrowing space, take advantage.

Step 3: Find a book that interests you. It may be the topic, the title or even the cover art. Pick out the book and hold it in your hands.

Step 4: Pass your hand across the front of the book. Feel the finishing of the book, the weight of it in your hands. Is it a light book, or is it extremely heavy (meaning the possibility for a very lengthy and amazing read). Does the cover have bumps or art that feels different?

Step 5: Read the description at the back and check for an author's photo. You never know, it may sway your decision.... seriously.

 

the beautiful illustrations in the book caught my imagination

Step 6: If you've made it this far it means you've got a serious contender. Open the book and take a rifle through. Feel how the pages move. Do they have rough edges? (I LOVE those books!) Do the pages feel dry and stiff or do they flop through, heavy?

And... the ultimately most important part of the Book Adventure:

Step 7: Open the book and bring your nose in close. No, no, I mean REALLY close- right up in the pages. Inhale...

You might call me a huge weirdo, but different types of books have different scents. Some pages smell like chemicals, some like older paper. Library books have their own special smell (umm, I am not a fan honestly lol).

Books are so much more than the story inside. Having a real paper book has Seven essential steps before we even get to the Story World waiting inside. E-readers.... they can't even compare.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The Onion Known As 'Eating'

I walked through the door today, my legs and arms shaking, my heart beating my face flushed... and I wondered why this keeps happening. I felt fine leaving work, as always, but arriving home after a 20 minute walk I felt as if I could collapse (actually I did, right on the bed).

During the day today I had a jar of blueberries and strawberries, a sandwich and half a chocolate scone. Since when has that not been enough?

For the past several weeks I arrive home as above, a shaking, blubbering mess. It usually means I need to eat right away, including days when I practice yoga in the evening. There's no two hour wait- I wouldn't make it through the yoga practice.

I'm going to be honest here and admit that feeling full has never made me happy. A combination of digestive issues (IBS) and a pervasive social culture that values thinness has always left me feeling uncomfortable when full. I know I can't be the only woman out there who has a strange feeling of satisfaction when her belly is flat and empty. Even typing this makes me shudder: I am NOT that woman!- but I think it's important to talk openly about something our culture forces on us as young as prepubescence. 

It's there in yoga as well- the feeling of 'lightness', of floating. 'Diets' that are masked as 'cleansing' meant to purge our system (of what? nutrients? I'm sorry, my intestines do a pretty good job cleansing themselves naturally as they were meant to). It wouldn't take long to get caught up in micromanaging our eating around what Dosha, yoga practice, or recent health fad is recommended. The act of eating takes on another layer of spiritual morality on top of the cultural and social pressures, the socio-economic pressures and the environmental pressures making up one hell of an onion called Eating.

Bringing a lunch to work is tricky for me, since I walk 20 minutes to and from the ferry. It means carrying stainless steel and glass jars filled with food over my right shoulder. Since I'm not getting a backpack (budgeting reasons and just cuz I'm sorry, but I think they're ugly), I hate the idea of loading more than my lunch tin, my coffee stainless steel Klean Kanteen thermos and a jar of berries. 

These past few weeks taught me that I may need to. A larger lunch paired with an afternoon snack will help me arrive home in ossicular form as opposed to amoeba. I can spend more time with Andrew cooking a healthy, sustainable supper instead of something quick and easy just so I can stop shaking.

 My happy self having a 'moment' where I actually picked something up with chopsticks at 'Le Lotus Bleu' in Montréal. I ate copiously during our visit and drank lots of wine and I felt gorgeous the whole, full, time.

My brain will be happier with more nutrients during the day. I will feel better because in the end I will be eating more, which will make me a REBEL against the constant 'thin' culture we live in. My body and my yoga practice will thank me.  The planet will thank me.

My Spirit will thank me.

Blessings!

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

A Little Rest Near the Ocean+Yoga

A little rest in Cavendish PEI...

Happy Canada Day- see you next week!

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

How to meet your neighbours without looking like a dork

The concept of community and connection really does change depending on where you live. Since moving out, I have lived in apartments; either little square boxes in big huge buildings or basement apartments. It's pretty darn difficult to forge a community in an apartment building, especially compared to just how easy it can be in a rural setting. (I haven't ever lived in the suburbs, so no experience to compare there).

Something that often doesn't get discussed is the importance that community should play in helping us live a sustainable, Planet friendly life. During the mostly rant-forward talk last week on permaculture, Alex the Farmer had one truly insightful observation: cooperation and community.

Of course, as we all know, consumerism and our incessant need for stuff isn't sustainable and is one of THE reasons we have this climate change, planet destruction issue. Why do we need to own everything? Have you considered Sharing as the new "green"?

If we had communities of people sharing resources, tools and expertise there'd be less waste, more communication and connection.

Acro Yoga at our old apartment a few years ago! (that is not me flying, I'm clapping in the background lol)

 

This is especially important if you've already started to consider how to lower your environmental footprint, because a lot of "next steps" involve DIY, homemade, reusing and ultimately fixing. Things like canning and bread making go better if they come with certain kitchen gadgets. Except, who has the money for a food processor? Or room for a complete canning set up? And who has a root cellar to store all this crap?

Either we don't have any of the tools, or we each own one of everything ourselves. Which is a little silly, why do we each need to own something we use infrequently?

A more efficient (and money saving) idea would be to cooperate with other people and share our tools and resources. Some fabulous ideas on how to share resources and skills:

A tool/gadget sharing system

You want to make some bread but don't have a stand mixer? I want to make some sort of pesto but don't have a food processor? How about a trade! Trading and sharing could go as far as sewing machines, drills, building tools, gardening tools... for gadgets that we don't use every day, sharing can be an excellent money and space saving solution.

A product/tool bartering system

This is something that our group of friends does already. Our friends have a food processor and make basil pesto (frozen in individual containers) every year. This week Andrew made four loaves of bread with the stand mixer and we traded pesto for bread. It doesn't always work on an immediate 1:1 level. If you're pretty confident in the eventual exchange, you could always drop off your goods when they're done. We also lend out our electric drill to friends and have used their caulking doodad for the tub.

Sharing a community space

This could be a garden or a root cellar. This would involve having a group of people meet, agree upon a shared space and splitting the cost and upkeep together. I'd say it involves a bit more organization and commitment as well as a certain level of relationship with members. It would also be a bit more difficult to organize and get together in a city, unless you have friends who have space for a garden or root cellar.

A resource/tool library

I really like this idea, although I do think it would be the most time and organizational intensive activity. Splitting the responsibility of care between community members can get a little hairy, as most people will expect one person to take on the lead role here. Some ideas to make it work: either having the tools in one spot (like a garage or shed with a special code to access) and sign out sheet, or having an online list of tools and contact info for the group.

All these ideas are fab, but you need to be able to actually connect with your neighbours in order for cooperation and sharing to be even a possibility. How many of us actually know our neighbours? Alex's suggestions were a little bit much, as he recommended that a person hand out flyers door to door for a "block" resource library meeting. I'm not sure about you, but I know if I went door to door even in my own building handing out little paper invitations, my neighbours would think I was a bonkers hippie.

If this idea of community, connection and sharing interests you but you have absolutely no compunction to be handing out recycled paper invitations to complete strangers, here are some alternatives:

How to build a community in a city:

1. Introduce yourself to your neighbours. Seriously. I know it feels weird and we all live separately in our small little square boxes next to each other, but it's time to make life interconnected. While living in Montreal my roommate (colloc!) at the time strongly warned me against introducing myself to my neighbours ("They could be crazy! Montreal is filled with crazy people, do NOT introduce yourself!). So for two years I didn't even meet my neighbours. If I were dying of something I wouldn't even be able to knock on their doors for help.

Some ideas for introducing yourself to your neighbours without appearing like a complete weirdo:
- If you just moved in, bake something and bring a few of them over. I know it's kinda cliche'd, but people like cookies and often respond positively to baked goods. Also, just moving in is a perfectly acceptable reason to introduce yourself. It also is a great way to assure that if your neighbour's have complaints (noise, or people over) they'll come to you before complaining to the landlord. (yes I am smart).
- Even if you've lived there for a million years, bake stuff and bring it over. Yes, still will be slightly weird, but like I said people really like cookies.
- don't bake? Buy some local baked goods and bring them over. Fake it.
- At a holiday, get cards and maybe a few chocolates for your neighbours. Ya know, nothing too weird, but enough to give you a reason to knock and say "hi"!

2. Recognize that community and relationships take time, especially with a group of people you don't intend to befriend or make an immediate full fledged friendship (unless you plan on stalking them, which would be creepy).

3. When you do see your neighbours, say "hi", ask them how it's going... ya know- CONNECT.

4. Join a local community book club or hobby activity. Mostly likely these people will live near you and share some of your interests, making it easier to connect with them and build in ideas.

5. Once you have a baseline, start inviting your neighbours to events. BBQ-ing (or "Grilling" as I was informed while staying in Florida years ago)? Invite a few neighbours over. Going to Yoga in the Park and you know your neighbour practices? Invite them along. Baked a whole crap ton of cookies? Bring over the extras. It starts the idea of sharing and will help you determine who might be more open to the idea.

6. Planting a garden on your balcony? Let your neighbours know. With the person below you, it can be the excuse that you wanted to let them know in case you ever water onto their balcony by accident. You could casually throw in a "if you ever need any extra _insert copiously grown vegetable_ just let me know!".

We're attempting to guerrilla garden (once it stops raining) on our roof, which equals climbing up the emergency fire escape. Today I asked our upstairs neighbour if he minded, and made sure to mention that if he ever wanted some lettuce to just help himself.

7. If you feel fairly secure in your neighbour connections, but haven't considered how to broach the idea of a resource sharing concept: why not knock on doors (or email) and ask if you could all meet up and chat about it.

8. This could easily work in a yoga studio. Bartering is already often used with regards to cleaning, but what about other means of yoga class-skill exchange. It's also the perfect space to organize and create community meetings and meetups to chat about sustainable practices, resource sharing and forge new yoga-munity connections among the students.

Living isolating, parallel lives has been eroding our feeling of responsibility, social connection and support networks that we need in order to feel empowered.

Cooperation and community=Yoga.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Permaculture- it's not just about dirt and gardening

Spontaneous permaculture talks. I mean- what else could be more titillating? Do we live on the wild side or what?

You may be asking (as I did): 'What the eff is permaculture?'

Well... honestly if the talk were any indication, besides something that radical hippies/hipsters (hey, not that I'm not a tree hugger myself, I just happen to own a fridge) buy into, permaculture has something to do with agriculture. Permanent Agriculture is a term that has grown into, over time, "Permaculture".

Clear right? (Let's just say that the presenter wasn't the best at clearly defining topic and explaining the "what" in "What is permaculture").

Ok, so it's actually a lot more than simply a closed loop, sustainable agricultural system... which is what I originally thought permaculture to be. A quick search on wiki reveals that modern permaculture is:

...a system design tool. It is a way of:

1. looking at a whole system or problem;
2. observing how the parts relate;
3. planning to mend sick systems by applying ideas learned from long-term sustainable working systems;
4. seeing connections between key parts.... (wiki source)

(interested? More info on permaculture at Permaculture Principles)

A friend of mine had informed me that morning that the talk was occurring at a tiny bookstore-cafe two seconds from where we live (The Trident). As we'd never been there before, and hey I like ecological topics, we decided to attend. First of all, being type A, it was a little stressful to discover that the time was a little fouffy, no one (even the staff at Trident) really knew when it was starting and seating was haphazardly assigned. I had a few deep breath moments.

The presenter was an experienced and obviously passionate farmer, Alex. He had a beautifully hand drawn "Permaculture Flower" taped up against the book shelves and I could still see the soil beneath his fingers. Although there were a few key aspects of his presentation that were a bit wonky (ridiculously poor organizational and explanation skills and some obvious biases against all government and traditional educational settings, and several conspiracy theories thrown in for good measure), Alex reminded me of a few key and inspirational Eco-Musts.

Firstly, to my surprise, he did not in fact begin talking about soil, plants or compost- but Peak Oil. Nothing new here- oil sequestered by the sun for millions of years is a finite resource, we're chewing through it at something like 80-something million barrels a day and have passed the point of the peak amount of oil available on our planet. It is something to consider, because unless we start investing in something else for energy, our fuel costs will just continue to skyrocket in the long term.

As I sat there, surrounded by large framed glasses wearing, huge beard and "trying to look authentically like a trucker hat even though I obviously have never lived outside the city my entire life" wearing early twenty somethings who chimed in at the end how "parents are the WORSE man", I kinda felt a bit out of touch. Ya know, I have visual evidence of me hugging a ginormous tree in Stanley Park (Vancouver BC), and truly have grown up in rural Nova Scotia where I'd come home regularly to a new deer gutted and hung up in my grandpy's barn to be shared with everyone, but I kept having moments of "please give me something practical and useful hear" instead of Mr. Alex's passionate advice to build a rocket stove or a root cellar.

I kept picturing Andrew and I attempting to cook grilled cheeses in a brick makeshift stove with the fire started by the twigs we gathered and an increasingly large black burned area in our living room floor. I figured it would be 5 minutes before our neighbours would call the fire station... and we'd get evicted.

After the first hour I had a harder time tracking his jumping bean train of thought and connecting all the dots. I found myself gazing lovingly at the beautiful Permaculture Flower.

Now this flower has some interesting community and life implications. 

It looks an awful lot like a pagan diagram. The spiral, the connection with nature and the ethical concept that we're here to care for our planet as stewards.  I wondered on the Goddess or probably pagan roots and connections. There is definitely something spiritual connected here.

At 9pm my face was so red, my heart and mind a bit heavy after such a long, disjointed and impassioned speech (we'd been there since 6:30pm), that I was very much happy to go. Even though I really wanted to directly challenge a few of his statements (that university brainwashes you, that parents and the baby boomers know nothing about conservation, that environmental organizations really don't do squat, that urban gardening is a waste of time, that cooperation and community has been lost in rural and urban settings alike...), I just got up and left. The thing is though, I'm fairly certain he would have listened respectfully and been a great conversation partner.

Ahh well- the following post on cooperation and community: why it's important to begin thinking about and how to start one in your living area, were worth the entirety of that 2+hour talk. :) That and it was so moving to see someone completely passionate and caring share his thoughts and ideas.

The one book I've read that mentions permaculture? The Earth Path by Starhawk. An amazing book btw that teaches you how to make seedbombs. Oh yeah.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Quilting: Pieces of my Grand-mère traveling across Canada

Our wedding quilt on our queen size bed.

I grew up with quilts on each bed. With extras for snuggling up with when we were cold. I remember as a child walking into my grand-mère's upstairs large room overlooking the shed, field and finally the harbour, and seeing her four quilting posts set up. A few times she would have an unfinished quilt attached to the four corners and we would crawl around underneath like it was a fort.

That was when we were really little.

Grand-mère hasn't been quilting for decades.

check out the stitching- hand done all perfectly straight and even.

My mom tells me the ladies in the community would all gather around the quilting posts, gossip and quilt for entire afternoons. Once the ladies left, often grand-mère would go behind them, undo their stitches and re-quilt... she was ridiculously particular about needing the most perfect, tiny and even stitch. Because of her perfectionism and constant re-stitching, mom says she just gave up learning how to quilt. Who has time for hours of sewing these days?

It really wasn't until I met Andrew that I truly understood that I took my beloved 'grand-mère quilts' for granted. He grew up with synthetic, fuzzy blankets and never had quilts on the bed.

Fisherman's quilt and another grand-mère quilt we have stored in our vintage blue trunk

Growing up I inherited the most wonderful quilt of all: grand-mère's 'Fisherman's quilt'. I received this ugly mishmash of colours with the most soft flannel backing in high school. Out of all the quilts, the fisherman's quilts are the ugliest. Made from any old scrap fabric the ladies had lying around, they were stitched together in practical squares with extra stuffing and a flannel backing. They weren't supposed to be pretty, but were meant to keep the men warm while out fishing; in doreys or sword fishing like my grand-père used to do.

the soft back flannel part! fraying now at the edges... :(

Fisherman's quilt... my favourite

I adore that quilt. It has followed me through my undergrad, crossing the Bay of Fundy for four years on the stinky Digby Ferry; comforting while I was homesick and having my heart broken for the very first time. I dragged it to Montreal for two years where it witnessed the roller-coaster ride of my life there and was volunteered as my first 'yoga mat' (umm not really ideal). I even rolled up my grand-mère's quilt, tied with some nylon twine (dad's lobster fishing neon orange!) on top of my luggage and lived for two years with us in the Okanagan valley.

It has been a part of my life for over fourteen years now. Even though grand-mère and grand-père never had a driver's license or traveled much after their wedding anniversary, a little piece of them made it across the country and back with me.

Before she stopped quilting, grand-mère had quilted each of the grandchildren a wedding quilt. They were all tucked away in trunks, waiting for us to each get married.

Unfortunately, we all waited a bit too long. Grand-mère was recently diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I know exactly what that means, and have been seeing the signs of her crumbling memory for years now. By the time my cousin and I got married, she no longer remembered that she had lovingly stitched those quilts for us to have at our wedding. She wasn't able to attend Andrew and my wedding last fall as she was too fragile to travel the three hours to Oceanstone. I'm still sad to this day that she missed such a special part in my life.

Now when I look at the quilts, especially the fisherman's quilt, they are so precious. That pink square is fabric from grand-mère's old pajamas I remember her wearing as a child, the orange squares are from her old blouse, some of the blue squares are from grand-père's old shirts and trousers. Grand-père passed into the afterlife two years ago.

These quilts have truly come to represent the fading craft that we used to take in creating gifts and objects with meaning. Of frugality and care. Of community and love.

We've become so busy in our lives trying to make money, fit in 'date night' or 'family time' that we've forgotten what it's like to just BE.

I wish my grand-mère's quilts could last forever, keeping her memory with me through all the steps life and the Goddess will offer me.

Blessings and Happy Full Moon!


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

Debunking Meditation in my Practice

Meditation has never been 'ma force' to say the least. I'm the yogini who for the first two years during savanasa (when it wasn't painful) was painfully anxious the entire time. I've now at least moved to being able to sit with my eyes closed during savasana, but let's just say I'm very vata-pita, high strung and not quite able to slow down.

I've often wondered, over the past 6 years of my yoga journey, if I should be meditating more. It's a limb on that eight fold ashtanga yoga path (I think? lol) and I'm pretty sure kinda an important aspect of a yoga practice in general. At least, that's what they tell me ('they' being intense yoga-types). Needless to say, yin has been the closest I've come to slowing down during my yoga practice. Typically a slower practice makes me anxious... which is counter-intuitive.

Last week, friends (who meditate weekly) invited me to attend a free Moksha Halifax meditation workshop. Free. I really can't pass that up. Especially after all that griping recently about how expensive yoga was.

I was fairly prepared to be extremely uncomfortable and fail miserably at the entire workshop... Sad that I walked into the studio predetermined to fail. Thank goodness the self-fulfilling prophecy (go Psych degree!) didn't pan out!

The co-owner of the studio ran the workshop. She was very sweet and open to questions. I struggled a bit with turning of my newly acquired 'yoga-cynicism' at her comments about yoga being 10 000 years old (umm... that could be contested) or how her 6 years of practicing yoga and now she co-owns a studio and has an iphone (do all yoga teachers have iphones now?) was bugging me. I was on serious cynic high gear that day. I managed to tell Ms. Cynic to shut the eff up and tune into the learning experience of the day.

We practiced four types of meditation, each 5 minutes long with a 10 minute final who-hah, let-er rip finale.

1. Guided meditation: I found this meditation-type to be the most difficult. Instead of focusing on my own breath and turning myself inward I was constantly being distracted by her voice and her suggestions. I will admit that I adore guided *relaxation*, as the goal is to help relax each muscle and not clearing my mind.

2. Mantra repetitions: I'm really not comfortable choosing a sanskrit mantra. Mostly because I always feel fake or like a weird poser repeating something that I have no cultural, historical or religious ties. Instead I decided to focus on 'inhale, exhale' which wasn't too 'fouffy'. It was interesting that she recommended we don't time our breath with our mantra as our meditation would become too breath dependent. I understand the idea, but I guess the clearing of my mind really is very closely tied to my breath. It's possible this changes with time and practice.

3. Visualization: Oh how I despised this type of meditation. I really didn't want to visualize a flame; all I could think about was how Tuvoc meditates with a flame- go Vulcans!, or try to recreate some sort of energy ball or whatever so I tried to think about the field of energy that surrounds us all (very pagan). As I kept trying to force something that purposefully became external I just became more annoyed and angry. When that little ding on her iphone went off I couldn't have been happier. Stupid energy field.

4. Passively watching our thoughts pass by: she described this technique as watching your thoughts run by like on a piece of tape (ummm) and passively accept them without judgment or attachment. She admitted that this was very difficult for her and not her favourite. I would say that the 'thoughts on tape' analogy actually got in the way of how I generally accept and let go of my thoughts during meditation. As soon as I stopped trying to see a tape, it wasn't that difficult. 

The final 10 minute meditation was on whatever technique we wanted. Which I chose to be to focus on my breath and clear my mind... and I realized immediately that I have been meditating at least once if not three or more times a week for the past six years. I have spent all this time avoiding meditation specific workshops worried that meditation would just be too difficult for me, that I needed to do something really special, when what I do during each savanasa has been meditation all along.

Me meditating during savasana in my hotel in Cape Breton. Without even knowing it!

Since I am so not a fan of relaxation in public surrounded by people, every savasana has been spent focusing my mind, my breath and grounding with the Earth's energy. I've used pagan techniques with regards to grounding for circle casting and energy clearing, yogic techniques of breathing and quieting the mind.

Holy Goddess, I am a Meditatrice!

Article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Conversation about Stuff- Guest Post!

Although yoga teaches non-attachment, I am much more of a fan of conscious purchasing. I think sometimes (especially in the yoga world) we get caught up in the extremes: fastings, ayurvedic cleansings, 30 days of yoga challenges... and no more buying anything. At all. Our culture appears to be caught up in "binges" and I truly don't see it as a healthy way of change. Which is why I adore Halifax's Love, Me Boutique on Birmingham. Not only is the store filled with Canadian handmade pretties, but Chara- the owner- is a fabulous and fun person. I am very excited to have her guest post today with her thoughts on "stuff". 

Conversations About Stuff

I have been thinking and talking a lot lately about stuff. Sometimes even just saying the word makes me feel like I am back at the table after Thanksgiving supper saying “I am stuffed.” I am happy to have taken part in such a glorious meal but I know I probably indulged just a second helping too much.

For the most part, I don’t buy a lot for me or my family. And for the most part, our home is filled with meaningful things. But after my daughter’s meltdown in Frenchy’s over wanting something from the stuffed animal bin, I felt in caught in a corner. We are on the heels of Christmas and birthdays and she still wants more! Like most parents, I want to treat her here and there, but the girl has stuff in every nook and cranny of her room (and the living room…) She’s five. She values every stick-on jewel from every craft project as well as every piece of paper with a cat or dog on it, every book even though she’s out grown them, every pair of pants she doesn’t wear. So even though I thought I might lose it, I realized that I need to talk more about STUFF.

How does one go about teaching our children about the stuff we bring into our lives? I began with this: “we should only buy stuff we need or really love and treasure”. My other bit of wisdom I tried to bestow? “For everything we bring into the house, we should let something go free to someone else who could use it”. These are pretty hard concepts to grasp when you are five. (And perhaps even at 35? 45? 55?) And so I managed to try and put into perspective: If we fill and fill and fill our house with stuff, you would never have room to play with those things, or room to move around, or room to dance. And if we fill and fill and fill our house with stuff, we would have to pile this stuff and eventually our favorite things might get buried and lost.

And then there is the other side of the coin. Lately I have heard a few people who have decided to put a halt on buying anything other than essentials (food, rent..) for one year. I think this is an interesting and perhaps even noble experiment but is a bit like fasting for days to cleanse your body instead of slowly and consciously removing the things you no longer want to be ingesting. Don’t we really just need to reprogram our brains? Don’t we really just need to wake up and smell the gasoline, plastics, and formaldehyde and make a conscious choice about what we buy? Obviously as a proprietor of a retail shop selling handmade, I would support buying handmade. But if I seem like too biased a source, check out Scoutie Girl’s article 3 Reasons to Pay More for Your Stuff or community made list of 101 Reasons to Shop Handmade via Poppytalk.

Recently in the shop, I had a great discussion with a customer about stuff. Our conversation began with her remarking on a 50’s style metal doll carrier I have in the shop merchandised with some amazing creatures.  “I used to have one just like it!” She went on to say that most of her childhood things are at the family home alongside all the family heirlooms. But instead of being in boxes, those items are used or passed down in the family for use. “I grew up knowing the value of items, especially those that were handmade. We didn’t have lots of stuff, so we treasured the things we did have.”

I began to mentally catalogue items I treasure: my granny’s tea set, my granny’s sofa & chair (which is over 65 years old), a necklace my husband bought for me at an artisan market in London, UK (our last trip b.k. – before kids) and a necklace I bought myself in an artisan made shop in Chicago on our honeymoon, two quilts made by my great grandmother-in-law, my “Mister Rodgers” sweater handknit by a great Aunt, a treasure catch-all with peek-a-boo doors made by my husband for me for our first ‘solo’ Christmas. Apart from their beautiful design, sumptuous colour, delightful texture, or practical functionality, all of these things have one commonality – they all have a story. I can’t not look at either of those two necklaces and not think of my sweetheart or the places we have been together nor can I use my tea set without thinking of my grandmother. All the things I love and treasure have a story and a history (even if that story is how we found it on the side of the road and thought it was too cool to leave behind).

With this reminder of treasures and stories and history, I will work on bestowing these values to my children. I will talk more about the things I have around the house and why I have them and love them. I will share the stories about these items. I will also let her watch me when I clean out cupboards and closets and allow her to be part of that purging process - of my things. Baby steps.  

Thank you so much Chara for a fabulous post! Check out her blog: Love,Me Boutique and if you're in Halifax, her shop is a must stop! :)

Grieving the loss of savasana

"Close your eyes, relax your body and allow yourself to absorb the practice" **WEEEEEEEEEEEE** "Let your muscles go, allow your shoulders to melt into the floor" *don't let your shoulder round, relax leg-RELAX*  "Allow your top body to breathe in your practice, melting your bottom half into the floor"  *SQEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, head up, head up!*

No, I haven't gone bonkers, this is my internal cacophony during my savasana. Yep, the "wee" is the closest I can get to describing my tinnitus (accouphène for the fellow Frenchies :) ). Combine the constant squealing reminder of my hearing loss with an internal struggle to relax while in seated position and you get some of the above. Oh, and the actual bits from the yoga instructor.

Since my last post, where I wrote about how savasana or corpse pose, was actually one of the most painful asanas for my body, I decided that instead of forcing my body to like savasana, I would simply adjust my expectations of what 'savasana' looks like for me.

The goal of savasana is to allow your body and mind to fully absorb your practice. I always loved the feeling of spiritual connection I received while I allowed my body to *feel* the energy of Life. Fouffy? Yep, but weirdly during savasana it was less work to feel the energy that surrounds us all.

So, for a long time I was attached to this easier practice that brought me closer to the Goddess. I had to actually grieve the loss of savasana.

Now I am practicing seated meditation as my 'savasana'. It's much more difficult as when I'm seated I have to find that precious balance of relaxation without complete rounding and losing posture integrity.

 (Me trying to find meditation during my 'hotel' yoga practice out in Cape Breton last night)

I started at home during Friend Yoga. I could wiggle and be a bit antsier than I would in a class, finding a better position. A few weeks ago I had the courage to request that I practice savasana seated (I trust her, so it was a lot easier) and it took some time to try to work through feeling weird that I was sitting while everyone was lying down. And I wasn't the teacher.  (Like, maybe they're thinking 'who the heck does she think SHE is? that weirdo meditating pompous yogi'.... yep, letting go of magical made up judgments).

(cool sun on the drive home tonight, winter ethereal sun fuzzy from precipitation in the distance)

Fast forward a few more classes and I'm really starting to find a comfort zone and actually experiencing a glimpse of what I used to experience during pain-free savasana. Half lotus helps my center of gravity be such that I can relax my lower back, my legs and my arms in slight increments without falling forward on my face.

Slowly but surely I am moving towards acceptance of my body and what yoga means for me. One seated savasana at a time. You?

 (windmills out near Port Hawkesbury Cape Breton with a beautiful, pink-lavender winter sunset)

(Crazy glowing sunset ball of fire in CB last night. I was the weirdo stopped on the highway, tourist pictures in the middle of January!)

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

A Challenge to Stop Asana

Quiet. Stillness. When was the last time you've taken a few moments to be still and simply "be". We move in such a frenzy, especially this time of year. Oh yeah, we wax poetic about quiet evenings in front of a lit tree- at least we watch commercials about those silent looks, a wink from a mother to her son etc, and somehow these commercials have convinced us it really is happening.

I can tell you that before university, (10 years ago! eek!) my life had a lot of quiet moments. Growing up in rural Nova Scotia means no traffic noises and many afternoons of just looking out over the water, taking a break from playing the piano, solitary walks along the shore. Watching the snowflakes fall quietly over the ocean.

Something happened when I started University- I moved to a city and spent so many hours "doing" instead of "being". Even now, without any children, my life is spent working during daylight hours, preparing for Yulemas during evenings and weekends. It's taken a sick day (hmmm, my body's way of saying "stop!") and some lightly falling snow for me to sit back and be for 15 minutes.

I could do my usual "studies show..." quoting the research that is increasingly showing our children and culture are becoming less connected, having more difficulty with attending and learning.... but ya know. These gently falling snowflakes outside my window just aren't conducive to strong words. 

Sometimes even a physical yoga practice is too much "doing" in our uptight busy world. I challenge you yogis to take that yoga asana practice time you have set aside, and instead make yourself a cup of tea and just sit. And be. Watch the snow fall (or leaves wave depending on your hemisphere). Watch you. Practice a different kind of yoga.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Experiencing Life instead of Digitalizing It

I was listening to Spark today while chopping up some potatoes for a yummy lobster chowder (perks of having a lobster fisherman dad!). Spark is a tech-culture-idea program on the cbc, and you can listen via podcasts. A snippet of the program was about how perhaps our unquestioned techno-advances aren't necessarily advisable for creativity and human culture.

A professor at Ryerson University argued that our constant and increasing need to 'back up' every single memorable aspect of our lives digitally may in fact not be the greatest idea. She pointed out that our current need to photograph, videotape and blog every single memory, essentially transforms our lives into a digital experience. But, in order to be creative, in order to be efficient do our brains need to reformulate memories, forget things and transform how we think about the past?

I thought the interview was timely, as it definitely tied into a work conversation I had the other day. A co-worker announced that five years ago her family lost their entire house to a fire. She went on to describe the horrifying experience and we all marveled at just how quickly you can lose all your 'stuff'.

One thing that she said that really stood out for me was the fact that she has since changed her way of experiencing her family's life events. She used to be that person videotaping and photographing every single tiny moment of a recital, sports game or family gathering. She felt like she had to, that it was valuable. She even said she would feel jealous of how her husband really *got* to experience the event fully while she felt she needed to zoom in on her child's face, or catch a certain part.

After loosing all of their digital 'memories' she realized just how temporary digital files and photos can be. She now hardly ever takes photos or videos and instead actively experiences her life.

Andrew and I experiencing life- while I was reading my vows to him... Although there is a photo to share, my actual memory of this is just so much more special.

I think that is so important to remember during these times of digitalized lives. We try to document so much digitally that we lose part of the actual experience in the process. While practicing yoga we are constantly reminded to be an active and mindful participant in our lives. Then we leave the studio, our mat and enter our crazy lives. I actually feel guilty about not taking photographs of an event. Often I'll say something like- 'Oh I need to take a picture for my blog!'

In the past few months I've tried to make choices about how I use my time. Do I spend it blogging, writing on facebook or twittering? Or do I spend my evening hanging out with my husband, going to a pub with friends or practicing yoga with friends? Lately, my initial blogging days of a post every two days has decreased to about twice a week. A conscious decision on my part.

During these busy Holiday moments, shut off your cell phone, disconnect yourself from twitter and put away your camera. Try to be an active and present participant in your life. Once the moment has passed, a digital memory for something you really didn't experience in the first place won't cut it.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com