4/23/2013 0 Comments Happy Earth Day!At a recent event, I was asked what sustainability means to me. Given that I was being videotaped, I was nervous and don't fully remember what I said. So, in honor of Earth Day, I think this is the perfect opportunity to rethink the question and open it up to all of you to hear what sustainability means to you. When I think about sustainability, I think about the ways that we need to give back to the Earth that which we've taken. I think it's finding the best ways to live harmoniously with her without sucking her dry and leaving her barren. We've created an environment which now runs on constant technology access which requires constant electricity, we have a population that is pushing the limits of our land - requiring clean, fresh water supplies, a place or purpose for everything we buy and then discard - immense needs for healthy, chemical free food, and an atmosphere that allows us all to breathe easy. We need to replenish what we've used from the Earth and begin to find ways to undo the damages we've done. There are so many points to hit and so many areas that need our help. When we look at the whole picture of the various ways the Earth is currently struggling, it can be an overwhelming view. If we each take just one area that we are passionate about and focus our energies there, we can make a difference. We can spend some free time fully understanding that one issue, attending meetings to stay involved in our local community issues, or perhaps keeping the bigger issues of our country in view. Taking what we learn and using that knowledge to help out by volunteering an hour each week, or three hours one weekend a month to help things change. If we each did this, imagine the impact we'd have and the effect it would have on us. It may seem small, but each act makes a difference. If we are all our doing our small part, then we will see big changes. Some really easy ways to help out include: ~ Plant some trees to help clean the air ~ Pause before you put something in the trash to see if it could have another use, be recycled, or composted ~ Drop expired medicines at the pharmacy instead of throwing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet ~ Be creative with your use of items ~ Grow your consumer awareness: think about the packaging that comes with the products you buy, where the products come from and will go after you are finished with them ~ Bring your Tupperware for your leftovers when you go out to eat ~ Keep a reusable bag in your car, purse, work bag, etc. so you always have one handy ~ Volunteer! Let me hear your thoughts below. What does sustainability mean to you, and what are you doing this year to honor Earth Day?
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Here I am in the garden with my subject before I started my work. I'm trying to stay warm with my tea. During a recent vacation, I had the opportunity to spend some time with an artist and learn the art of watercolor. I am not a painter or artist in any real way, although it can be fun, therapeutic, and sometimes freeing to reconnect with this part of ourselves. In elementary school I had one of those mean art teachers. You know the kind - the ones that tell you that everything you do sucks - no matter what the project. I'm sure this is why I have shied away from all forms of art for a very long period in my life feeling that I didn't have an ounce of skill or artistic creativity. Harshly judging whatever I attempted. But recently I found a pulling desire to free my inner artist. I was ready to dissolve the negativity surrounding my art experience. Several years ago, I attended a workshop and began a creative journal combining collage with words and doodles. Since that time, I have been longing to take up an art project. I wanted to paint something. So when the opportunity arose on a recent trip to Maine with my husband, I was all too eager for the undertaking. We spent several hours with the artist learning the basics of watercolor. After picking our subjects, the first step was to sketch it out. I had a blast drawing and was surprised that I didn't hate the results. In fact, I really liked the whole process and my work. By the time the painting began it was later in the afternoon and it was very cold and windy. My easel blew over countless times as I mixed colors trying to find the right combination. After spending most of our day hard at work, neither of us had finished our pieces. Determined to finish them, we headed back out to the artist’s shed the following afternoon. It was so cold that only crazy people would try to finish an art project in this weather. The previous day I had been set up in the garden facing my subject, but it was way too cold to be outside, so I took refuge in the shed with a portable heater. Although I did leave a small crack in the door to view my subject from afar, bundled in coats and hats, we painted until after the sun had set. Pleased and excited to have completed my "masterpiece," I now can't wait to tackle new artistic ventures. Who knows what will be next? As I look forward to continued creative projects back at home, I am happy there are local places to support me. WCA is a great place to try out new art options. I also have been wanting to check out the Wine Palette. Wine plus art - I wonder if that would make my creations better or worse. Can't wait to find out! What gets you inspired and feeling creative? Have you allowed others to damper your gifts or make you afraid to try? What have you done to overcome it? I came home late at night several weeks ago after a wonderful evening of teaching, followed by al fresco dining with some of my workshop students. Mind tired, but belly and heart full, I went outside to take in the beauty of the night before turning in. While I was outside with the dogs, I saw a strange creature on the fence. I quickly came inside to grab a flashlight, and my husband, so he could check it out too. In the dim light of the night, my imagination had already begun to go wild. I was sure it was a small alien creature attached in this awkward pose on our fence and was doing my best to keep the dogs away for fear that it might attack them. They, of course, were paying it no attention. Note to self, these dogs will do no good in event of an alien invasion. To our delight (and horror), it was a Cicada in full process of molting. Yikes! But at the same time, what an opportunity to see this in action. I still have half a cringe on my face as I am typing and with good reason. That shell is certainly alien in nature as it still hangs empty and lifeless on our fence. But it's definitely got me thinking, is this how we view change for ourselves? Change can definitely be ugly, foreign, and certainly feel alien in the midst of it all. If we shed that layer we are certainly moving out of a place where we are comfortable. I mean, shedding your entire shell? That's got to feel like losing your home, your safety, and security. That's definitely how it feels during change. As we crack through those outer shells of our own being and shed the layers of ourselves that we no longer need, we are really letting go and opening up to a part of us that contains more beauty and more awareness. Sometimes removing that ugly layer can be truly scary. But if this is what we are leaving behind each time we change, maybe we shouldn't be so afraid after all? |
AuthorJenn White, Yoga Educator, Meditation Teacher, and Owner of Embodied Bliss, began her journey of yoga and meditation in 2004 while recovering from a back injury. Feeling lost, restless and seeking something more from life, she found her path through meditation. Archives
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