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Dear Melissa,
Everywhere I
turn I seem to
be confronted
with a re-
emerging trend
of
environmentalism.
Harmony Dawn,
the retreat
center many of
us will be
visitting
together in
June is an
ecologically
friendly retreat
center. Al
Gore's
An Inconvenient
Truth seems
to be on
everybody's
lips. April's
issue of
Yoga Journal
featured several
articles that
dealt with
greener living
and our
responsibility
to the planet.
Whole Living:
Body and Soul
lead their May
2007 issue
encouraging
their readers to
do just one
thing for the
planet. No
longer is
environmentalism
separate from a
healthy
lifestyle but an
integral part of
it.
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How
Big
is
your
Ecological
Foot
Print?
Eco-living
and
a
healthy
lifestyle
Healthy
lifestyle
and
environmentalism
are
inextricably
linked.
Making
choices
about
the
quality
of
the
food
we
eat
and
having
an
active
lifestyle
can
help
our
environment
enormously.
Walking
or
cycling
to
nearby
destinations
will
help
to
cut
down
on
your
consumption
of
fossil
fuels.
Thirty
percent
of
the
carbon
dioxide
(C02)
emissions,
the
major
source
of
global
climate
change,
are
from
transportation.
Exercise
reduces
the
risk
of
premature
death,
reduces
the
risk
of
developing
and/or
dying
from
heart
disease,
reduces
high
blood
pressure
or
the
risk
of
developing
high
blood
pressure,
reduces
high
cholesterol
or
the
risk
of
developing
high
cholesterol,
reduces
the
risk
of
developing
colon
cancer
and
breast
cancer,
reduces
the
risk
of
developing
diabetes,
reduces
or
maintain
body
weight
or
body
fat,
builds
and
maintains
healthy
muscles,
bones,
and
joints,
reduces
depression
and
anxiety,
and
improves
psychological
well-being.
Purchase
locally
grown
fresh
fruit
and
veggies
when
possible.
By
purchasing
locally
grown
fresh
fruit
and
vegetables
you
are
getting
more
nutrients
in
your
food
since
the
food
is
fresh
and
has
not
travelled
great
distances
causing
significant
reduction
in
their
nutrient
density.
Buying
local
also
cuts
down
on
C02
emissions
from
transporting
fruits
and
vegetables.
Better
yet,
start
gardening.
From
the
production
of
protoleum-based
fertilizers
to
the
cross-country
distribution
of
seasonal
fruits
and
vegetables
the
modern
food
system
accounts
for
a
lot
of
energy
consumption.
Michael
Pollan
suggests
converting
some
of
your
lawn,
abundant
and
idle
land,
into
a
personal
produce
section
"If
you
take
a 6
foot
by 6
foot
piece
of
your
lawn
and
turn
it
into
a
garden
,
you'll
be
amazed
at
how
much
food
you
can
get
out
of
it."
You'll
not
only
save
money;
you'll
be
eating
vegetables
at
the
peak
of
their
nutritional
value.
Buy
organic
food.
Organic
foods
which
are
free
of
pesticides
mean
you
are
not
poisoning
your
body
or
the
planet.
Plant
a
tree.
Those
of
you
who
attend
my
yoga
classes
know
the
importance
of
grounding
to
stay
centered,
calm,
clear
and
focussed.
Planting
a
tree
will
connect
you
to
the
earth
and
provide
copious
amounts
of
healthy
oxygen
for
your
breath
practice.
Oxygen
is
the
most
vital
nutrient
for
our
bodies.
It
is
essential
for
the
integrity
of
the
brain,
nerves,
glands
and
internal
organs.
We
can
do
without
food
for
weeks
and
without
water
for
days,
but
without
oxygen,
we
will
die
within
a
few
minutes.
If
the
brain
does
not
gets
proper
supply
of
this
essential
nutrient,
it
will
result
in
the
degradation
of
all
vital
organs
in
the
body.
Oxygen
is
critical
to
our
well-being,
and
any
effort
to
increase
the
supply
of
oxygen
to
our
body
and
especially
to
the
brain
will
pay
rich
dividends.
B.Y.O.B.
Bring
your
own
bottled
water
that
is.
Buying
bottled
water
may
sometimes
be a
necessity
but
you
can
cut
down
on
plastic
bottles
for
recycling
by
packing
a
reusable
water
bottle.
Staying
well
hydrated
is
crucial
for
good
health.
Water
is
your
body's
principal
chemical
component,
comprising,
on
average,
60
percent
of
your
weight.
Every
system
in
your
body
depends
on
water.
For
example,
water
flushes
toxins
out
of
vital
organs,
carries
nutrients
to
your
cells
and
provides
a
moist
environment
for
ear,
nose
and
throat
tissues.
Eat
more
veggies!
I
love
this
one!
Frances
Moore
author
of
Diet
for
a
Smaller
Planet
recommends
a
vegetarian
diet.
While
a
meat-
centered
diet
deepens
our
ecological
footprint
and
contributes
to
pollution,
a
plant-centered
diet
requires
fewer
resources
and
supports
long-term
health.
Research
shows
that
vegetarians
have
lower
cholesterol
levels,
lower
blood
pressure,
and
lower
rates
of
hypertension,
Type
2
diabetes,
and
prostate
and
colon
cancer!
Join
me
at
my
vegetarian
cooking
classes
to
learn
more
about
incorporating
more
vegetarian
choices
into
your
healthy
lifestyle.
To
find
out
more
about
decreasing
the
size
of
your
ecological
footprint
check
out
Earth
Day
events
on
Sunday
April
22,
2007.
You
can
also
measure
the
size
of
your
ecologocal
foot
print
at
myfootpring.org
Find
out
more....
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April
Yoga
Workshops
Balance
your
First
Chakra
Join
me
at
East
Village
Yoga
from
1:00-3:00
p.m.
on
Sunday
April
22nd
for
a
yoga
workshop
on
balancing
your
first
chakra.
The
objective
of
this
workshop
is
to
bring
energy
and
balance
to
the
first
chakra.The
main
issue
of
the
first
root
chakra
is
survival.
Our
goals
with
this
chakra
are
stability,
grounding,
prosperity,
right
livelihood
and
physical
health.
The
workshop
will
begin
with
a
meditation
designed
to
connect
you
to
the
energy
of
the
first
chakra.
In
the
lecture
portion
of
this
workshop
we
will
go
over
the
sanskrit
name,
meaning,
location,
element,
colour,
main
issues,
goals,
malfunctions
and
foods
of
the
first
chakra.
Using
a
questionnaire
you
will
have
the
opportunity
to
assess
the
present
state
of
your
first
chakra
to
learn
how
to
best
balance
this
energy
system
specifically
for
you.
Finally
we
will
finish
with
a
yoga
practice
designed
to
bring
energy
and
balance
to
the
first
chakra.
Date:
Sunday
April
22nd.
Time:
1:00-3:00
p.m.
Cost:
$40.00
To
register
phone:
(905)
250-0173.
Find
out
more....
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Congratulations
on your commitment
to a healthy
lifestyle that will
inevitably
contribute to a more
sustainable planet.
Namaste,
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