Small Print Source 5

For this week, I wanted to learn how yoga and the Earth really connect, and I got a better understanding fo that when I read, "Get Your Green On", by Allison Wellner. This article was a list of descripitions on how a part of yoga can help the eniviroment. It also gave examples and stories from yogis. Recycling which is very popuar for those who live a green lifestyle is also popular for yogis, because they can pracitve greedlessness, and nonstealing. Astyea, one of the yamas, is referred to as nonstealing because it teaches you to use only as much as you need and to make good use of the leftovers. The greedlessness, Aparigraha, reminds us to respect others' rights to sare a clean enviroment. For most people that take yoga, they find that they suddenly have an urge to save the planet, because they can realize how deep the connection is between humans and nature. Others can feel like the world is changing in class, because they can, "Feel everyone breathing and moving through the postures. There are people in my class I may never talk to, but I feel bonded to them. I realize that if I do my part, and everyone else does their part, then together we can create change" (Wellner). This bond that you can get in a yoga class is motivating, maybe not in changing the world, but to get you to do something. It also mentions that way back in the day, yogis use to go to deep extremes to take care of the environment, such as not doing the followoing things: mold lumps of clay, disturb a puddle, dig in soil, or anything that might cause a bad affect to any organism. They would sometiems even wear mask to make sure they didn't breathe in tiny bugs. Nowadays no one is likely to go to such deep extremes, but by liviing in a no harming lifestyle then you can affect greener daily choices.

I've never been involved with too much go green projects, but I have bought some things that were 100% recycled. I really like the way Wellner did thsi article; it was filled with information and stories. She had it all divided up into sections and then under each section, she had people's stories that told you how they got involved with helping the planet through yoga. Since I've started thsi project I've been ready to take a yoga class, but now I'm pumped to try out a class. I don't think I'll be one of those tree huggers that are all about saving the planet. I think I'll stick with the idea of going green though; I might just end up changing into eating less meat a week, or just buying recycled notebooks.

Wellner, Allison."Get Your Green On." Yoga Journal. Web. 20 April 2010.
http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/2586?utm source=DailyInsight&utm medium=newsletter&utm content=b&utm campaign=DI 2010-04-16