Namaskar - Apr09

Yoga off the Mat
More ways to Be Green
Leah Kim
Growing up in California, environmental consciousness was
simply part of everyday life. From when I was a child,
every household had a recycle bin for recyclable products
such as paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass. Nowadays, the recycling
program has grown so that every house has multiple bins for the
different types of recyclables, a separate yard waste bin, and the
rubbish bin is the smallest of them all. I remember learning about
the 3 R’s at school: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, singing songs about
recycling and wearing a t-shirt with those three green arrows that
form the triangle that marks something as recyclable. Californians
have always had to be conscientious about water usage as well,
especially these days as the State is experiencing severe drought
conditions.
Our education system plants this seed of eco-consciousness and
certain Government practices encourage this lifestyle. Californians
are known for being “green”, perhaps even ridiculed for having
turned it into a trendy way of living. But I personally am proud to
be stereotyped as a tree-hugging, canvas bag-toting, hybrid-driving,
water and energy-conserving yogi!
All that said, there is much debate about the efficacy of recycling
programs, and there is much criticism about the enormous carbon
footprint we all – Californians absolutely included – are leaving
behind. The focus of my thoughts here are not along these lines of
debates and criticism, or of statistics and global comparisons.
Rather, I would like to ask you to check in with your own daily
practices and see if they resonate with the world you wish we were
living in, the world you envision in the future.
We are all aware that the wellbeing of our planet is at a major
tipping point. From Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” (and
many other documentaries urging environmental consciousness) to
Park n Shop’s “I am a plastic bag” plastic bags, the green movement
is presently happening, but the planet needs more support from
each of us on an individual level. Many of us – especially readers of
Namaskar - definitely acknowledge this on an intellectual level, but I
wonder how much of it is practically applied? In other words, what
do you do with that “I am a plastic bag” plastic bag? And what
about other people in our lives who still don’t think twice about
how their personal actions are directly contributing to the landscape
of our shared planet? How can we truly effect and inspire change?
How can we all, as Gandhi so famously said, “Be the change you
wish to see in the world”?
According to the Environmental Protection Department of Hong
Kong, “Hong Kong is running out of landfill space far earlier than
expected, and the existing landfills will be filled up in early to mid
2010s if waste levels continue to increase at current levels. Unless
solutions are identified immediately, we could face a crisis in the
next decade of having nowhere to put the thousands of tonnes of
waste thrown away each day.” This possibility alone ought to stir us
into true, conscious change.
Both the Dalai Lama and Yogi Bhajan have said before real peace
can flow through the world, we must find peace within ourselves.
Likewise, for us to clean up our planet, we must clean up our own
acts. Of course there are many ways each person can contribute to
the cleansing and protection of our planet. The “Save the Human”
campaign, recently launched in Hong Kong, urges sustainable,
vegetarian eating, even if only for a day or two out of a week. Yogis
look to balance their inner selves, as that clean energy will then
radiate out to the world around them.
What’s closest to my heart is a growth from the seed planted by the
3 R’s I learned in grade school. Inspired by these lessons, I offer the
following suggestions as a direct and practical way to bring more
global consciousness into our daily habits. Some are so simple that
you can implement change immediately!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Boycott straws (do you really need them?), disposable utensils,
styrofoam, and other unnecessary takeaway packaging. Do a beach
cleanup to see why this is important.
• Say “No” to plastic and paper bags as often as possible. Always
carry around a reusable shopping bag.
• Reuse plastic and paper bags.
• Reduce your use of plastic bottles. Get a reusable water bottle,
preferably an aluminum one by brands such as Sigg.
• Recycle recyclables such as paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass.
Look for that triangle of green arrows. More things are recyclable
than you might think.
• If there are no recycling bins near you, inquire about initiating a
recycling program in your workplace, school, or neighborhood.
• Be mindful of taking more towels than you need at your yoga
studios. Much energy and water goes into washing thousands of
towels that are often unused and carelessly thrown into the bin.
Perhaps consider taking your own towel that you might even be
able to reuse before washing.
• Pause to consider where your rubbish ultimately goes.
• Go organic when possible: food, cleaning products, fabrics. Less
toxins for the world within you and our shared global world.
• Support green companies.
• Opt for sustainable alternatives, such as bamboo disposable
utensils and recycled paper.
• Never underestimate how your seemingly
simple actions will inspire and influence
everyone around you.
Leah is a native Californian now living in Hong
Kong. She loves exploring the planet,
connecting to Big Mind, breathing in and
breathing out. www.beyoga.org
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