As temperatures are rocketing in Australia we cannot
ignore the signs that Mother Earth is again giving us. Staying close to nature means looking
after her too. We can no longer
waste time leaving the problem of our suffering planet in the hands of others,
we have to start at home and be aware of what we are doing, how much power we
are using and what we can cut down on.
Living here in Nepal we experience load shedding, which means we have no
electricity for a certain amount of hours each day. This can range from maybe 3 or 4 hours up to maybe 18 hours
at times. Unfortunately this isn’t
for environmental reasons but I think it’s a great idea, it’s amazing how you
get used to it and find yourself using electricity much more wisely and being
much more aware of not leaving unnecessary things on etc. I propose that every house hold take
one hour a day to turn the electricity off, all those little red lights on
standby, everything off. Don’t
worry the freezer won’t defrost in an hour! Lets help our Mother Earth by making a real effort, she
gives us all our nutrients, isn’t it time we all started to give something
back. We can also apply this to
other areas as well, using less gas, recently I bought a pressure cooker and it
is amazing, what used to take maybe an hour to cook, like soup or dhal, now
takes 10 minutes of gas use and it tastes better too! Think about all the gadgets you have, do you really need all
of them? And try to cut down on
the amount of packaging you are consuming, plastic bags are a definite no no,
try to buy vegetables from the fruit and veg shop or stall where it is not all
sealed and made to look perfect and shiny. Try to cut down on the amount you are eating, just by a
little bit. Walk some places
instead of driving and you will feel better for it too. Get some fresh air. Lets really make an effort to make a
difference and think of the money you will save on your bills, maybe you could
put that money to a really worthy cause that needs your help, or treat someone
you know that needs cheering up.
And maybe that hour will give you time for reflection, instead of
staring at a screen; you could have a conversation or play a made up game with
your children. So I invite you to
take an hour out of power, and invite all your friends, family, work colleagues
and anybody you know to do the same.
Lets really start to make a difference.
In yoga we don’t use much but our bodies, breath and
minds, however those mats do wear out sometimes pretty quickly so here are some
tips with what you can do with your old ones, and when you buy a new one try to
go for one with a life time guarantee.
- Donate to
homeless shelters for sleeping pads
- Put under
a rug to make it non-slip
- Donate to
an animal rescue shelter they can be used to line kennels etc
- Use as a
non-slip surface whilst using drills or power tools
- Line
kitchen shelves to prevent glass wear from slipping
- Use to
kneel on to protect your knees when you are gardening or decorating
- Cut it up
to make a mouse pad or several!
- Cut if up
for drawer liners
- Cut it up
to make grip pads for opening jars etc
- Cut it to
size and use for footpads for furniture
- Use under
your sleeping bag whilst camping
- Use for a
protector whilst shipping/ packing
- Make
children’s toys, masks, letters of the alphabet, shapes for the bath or
pool
- Plug up
drafty places, windows and doors
- Makes a
great liner under house plants
- Keep in
the car for those spur of the moment picnics
- Use as a
liner in the boot of the car to stop your shopping sliding about
Have fun thinking of other ways you could use that
old mat, and looking forward to seeing you all on the mat for its other use and
that’s to exercise properly, relax properly, breath properly, meditate and to
think positively
Om Lokha Somasta Sukhino Bhavantu
May all living entities find peace and balance, and
may we help Mother Earth find it too.
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI
Mangala/nicky
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