Green Yoga
By now you have probably read our announcement that Being Yoga has “gone green.” Indeed, we have made a commitment to do all we can to leave a “soft footprint” on the earth. So, along with choosing and using materials and products that are non-toxic, biodegradable and/or sustainable, we are also reducing our energy consumption in every way possible. It is exciting to note, however that our yoga studio is not alone. We are actually part of a young but growing “Green Yoga” movement, where yoga studios across the nation are taking steps to honor and care for the earth. Please read on to learn more about this positive movement and how you can contribute to it.
It makes complete sense that a green movement is sweeping through the yoga community. After all, for thousands of years yogis have praised the natural world as a manifestation of God. Because of this belief, yogis have practiced and exhorted such precepts as ahimsa (nonviolence), asteya (non-coveting), and aparigrha (minimizing one’s possessions). In essence, all the precepts encourage us to avoid toxins, conserve resources and keep consumption to a minimum. As Laura Cornell, Founder of the “Green Yoga Association” has stated, “Yogis have always known that life is interconnected and that we must treat all beings, even the elements of nature, with tenderness and respect. Our work is to awaken this great teaching in our lives and to share it with the world.”
How can you contribute to the Green Yoga Movement? First, read up about Green Yoga Association (www.greenyoga.org). Green Yoga is “dedicated to fostering ecological consciousness, reverence and action in the yoga community.” Perhaps you can become actively involved with this organization and help further its mission.
Second, check out the many educational sites with eco-friendly tips on the web. Here are two good ones: www.recyclethis.co.uk and www.compostthis.co.uk. These websites share ideas on how to recycle and/or compost just about everything.
Also, start becoming aware of the life style choices each of us can make that will help protect the environment. Here are just a few examples: using transportation (or biking or walking) instead of jumping into a car; patching or repairing our own belongings instead of buying new ones; buying reusable water bottles and utensils instead of using throw-away ones; eating seasonal, local and organic foods verses out-of-season, pesticide-laden foods shipped in from far away.
Finally, continue to practice yoga. As Green Yoga Board Member Christopher Key Chapple states, “Through the applied practice of yoga, we’re able to understand and purify our former habits and patterning.” In other words, through yoga, we can become conscious of our destructive mental and physical habits in order to turn them around and start the healing process—beginning with our own lives and extending that healing to the earth.