Ahimsa for Our Planet and Her Beings

Hello Dear Ones! April is Earth Month the time of year that we are reminded to be good stewards of our home planet. The Sanskrit word ahimsa means non-harming and when put into action it results in compassion: compassion for yourself and all beings. Here is how I practice ahimsa for our planet on a daily basis:

1. I follow a ninety-eight percent plant based diet. I eat pasture raised eggs on occasion and some dairy rarely. This is both a way to show self-compassion (studies show that plant-based diets are healthier) and compassion from our planet. Meat production often involves the removal of forests in order to make room for grazing which perpetuates the warming of our planet. This planetary warming often results in the displacement of humans and animals, especially humans that live in low-income countries. Of course compassion is also given to animals that get to live instead of being eaten.
2. I reduce my use of plastics. This is as simple as taking reusable produce and shopping bags to the grocery store, buying products packaged in aluminum, glass or paper (more likely to be and infinitely recyclable) instead of plastic. This reduces the use of products made of fossil fuels whose extraction is a leading cause of global warming.
3. I wear natural fabrics. If you've been with me for some time, you may have noticed that I've transitioned from yoga leggings to Buddha pants. One reason is because Buddha pants are 100% cotton or organic bamboo. Why does this matter? When we wash our clothes, our clothing sheds micro-fibers that end up in our water supply. Most of us in the States now have micro plastics in our blood and this is partly due to our wearing clothes made of performance fabrics, i.e. plastics.
4. I eat organic and local when I can. Organic farming helps bring nutrients back into the soil and keeps harmful chemicals out of the soil and air. If we are able to restore our soil, we can recapture much of the carbon in our atmosphere.
5. My yoga mat is made of rubber and my blocks out of cork. The rubber yoga mat helps the environment in two ways. One, it isn't made out of a fossil fuel like the vinyl mats. And, two, it is durable! I have been practicing on the mat that you see in my videos since 2010!! That's twelve years of keeping a vinyl mat out of a landfill as they wear out pretty quickly. With daily practice, I would have sent 24 vinyl mats to the landfill by now! Also, the blankets and strap that I use are made of cotton.

We'll be theming around our precious planet all month long! Please join me. Register here: https://www.toembodyyoga.com/offerings

If you can't make it live replays and meditations are available here: https://www.toembodyyoga.com/online_store

Om Shanti Om,

Julie