Did you get a cup of coffee this morning on your way to work? To take away? In a plastic cup? What I want to write about today is a topic that my thought revolve around daily. Something very close to my heart: our beautiful planet.
The environment has always been something I was very considerate of as my parents (especially my mom) have taught me a lot about it during my upbringing. By tuning into my yoga practice deeper I have become more aware, gentler, more interested in the footprint that I am going to leave on this earth.
Did you know that in ancient India whenever you took something off a tree, may it be fruit for nutrition or wood for construction, you explained to the tree why you needed it and offered something for it in return? I find such beauty in this concept of consideration and it brings me heartache to observe how far we have all come from it. There is nothing like spending time in nature when you feel alone, upset, sad, desperate or disappointed. A quiet walk through the woods without your phone or a book simply listening to the birds sing and observing the life in your surroundings will do wonders to soothe your soul. Being in nature we cultivate awareness of the unique oneness of the universe, the connection of every single thing in this world.
Let’s safe nature so our children and grandchildren can also take a walk in the woods when they feel stressed. There is so much that everyone can do. It starts with the little things. You don’t have to turn your life around completely in order to give the earth a little breather. So today I want to share some ideas and habits I have cultivated.
- Diet! This is a huge part. We are the consumers and the root of all the problems in the food industry so we should be very careful what we spend our money on. I have cut down my meat consumption drastically because I don’t want to support mass production of meat. I try to buy seasonal, local and organic vegetables and fruit. Is it really necessary to have mangos in Europe all year around, fueling a logistics industry whose CO2 emissions are through the roof? Become aware of what you put in your body, if not for your health’s sake then at least for the environment 🙂 We have started growing our own herbs on our little balcony and next year I’d like to add some tomatoes 🙂
- Cosmetics! It’s insane how many beauty products we use daily that actually don’t leave our skin more beautiful but rather clog it with chemicals and are tested on innocent animals. I swear by coconut oil, it’s easy to get, comparatively cheap,100% natural and a ton better than any other moisturizer I’ve ever tried. Buy sugar-free tooth paste 🙂 I promise it even tastes better than the fake peppermint you get from the big companies 🙂
- Plastics! This is probably the part I’m most passionate about. Every single piece of plastic that exists in this world can never be fully degraded which means it will stay on this planet forever. Next time in the club ask for your drink without a straw. If you like your take-away coffee in the morning, bring your own travel mug and have the barista put it in there. I carry a water bottle wherever I go because I refuse to buy bottled water (especially now during summer when the sun shines on your plastic bottles, toxins are released into the water. Not cool!). If you really enjoy sparkling water, no worries: buy glass bottles! 🙂 Get a little set of bamboo cutlery so you don’t have to use plastic sets when you travel. Take a look at the products you buy at the supermarket. Stop buying the things that have large amounts of packaging. Bring your own bag to take home your groceries, don’t use the supermarket’s plastic ones!
- Transport! Ride your bike 🙂 It will keep you fit and healthy. It’s really not necessary to drive everywhere you want to go. Let’s consider our air travel! One long-distance flight has the same amount of emissions as if every single person on it drove a car for an entire year.
- Donate! Find a charity that clicks with you and make a contribution. I’m a blood donor and in Germany I get a compensation for every time I donate. Those are funds I like to redirect to a good cause 🙂
So many ways to be a little more considerate towards our planet. Please feel free to share your ideas with me, I always love to get new inspiration on the subject.
Hope you have a happy weekend. From my great soul to your great soul, xoxo
openheartedness 