Earth Day Yoga | Hugger Mugger Yoga Merchandise

April twenty second is the day that we have fun this lovely planet that sustains us all. Again in 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, impressed by the devastation of a California oil spill a 12 months earlier than and by the power of the anti-war motion, felt that People ought to mobilize round defending our surroundings. He conceived the day as a chance for a “teach-in” in regards to the issues going through our most valuable sources—air and water. On April 22, 1970, 20 million folks took to the streets to point out help. Earth Day was largely a bipartisan effort.

The EPA was fashioned beneath President Nixon, and the primary environmental legal guidelines had been enacted throughout his presidency. Everybody understood that the well being of our planet considerations us all. Our personal well being is dependent upon the well being of the environment. Yoga may help us dwell extra sustainably on the planet.

Earth Day Yoga: Yamas and Niyamas

The Eight Limbs of Yoga communicate on to caring for the planet. As a result of yoga acknowledges the interconnectedness of us all, the primary two limbs, yama and niyama, can educate us how our habits influences our personal well being and happiness and that of everybody else. Right here’s a fast synopsis of how the yamas and niyamas would possibly communicate to environmentalism. There’s much more I might say about every one, however I need to provide only a small little bit of meals for thought. Working towards the yamas and niyamas could also be the simplest option to observe Earth Day yoga.

Yama: Moral Precepts or How We Relate to the World Round Us

1. Ahimsa (non-harming): This one is the premise for all the opposite yamas. The others are all variations of non-harming. In training ahimsa towards our planet, we take time to think about the results of our actions in relation to the planet—not just for ourselves, however for different beings as nicely.
2. Satya (truthfulness): We will search the reality about what actions people are taking that hurt or assist our planet and select to behave with the intention to help causes or practices that replenish our planet. We will communicate, write or in any other case inform others about sustainable residing.
3. Asteya (non-stealing): We will endeavor to devour solely what we’d like. Once you purchase issues, search for sustainable options to the standard mass-produced decisions. Your yoga gear could be sustainable too!
4. Brahmacharya (clever use of artistic or sexual power): We will use our artistic power to advocate and educate—by means of artwork, music, dance, yoga (examine sustainable asana observe right here), planting a backyard or volunteering to plant timber. So many potentialities right here!
5. Aparigraha (non-greed or non-grasping): Recycle, reuse, launch the belongings you don’t want. Donate your time, power and materials items. Put your good intentions to work on the planet.

Niyama: Caring for Your self with Integrity

1. Saucha (cleanliness): Preserve your individual area—inside and out of doors—free and away from litter. As in aparigraha, donate what you don’t want.
2. Santosha (contentment): This precept is on the root of sustainability. Being content material with what you’ve reduces the compulsion to devour. Replicate on the blessings in your life.
3. Tapas (dedication, power): Make investments your power into one environmental trigger that resonates for you. There are such a lot of issues that have to be addressed, it’s simple to be overwhelmed and quit. Select one factor: timber, oceans, endangered species, international warming (which impacts all of the others) and decide to serving to indirectly.
4. Svadhyaya (examine): Learn among the nice environmental writers similar to Wendell Berry, Terry Tempest-Williams, Edward Abbey, Aldo Leopold, Invoice McKibben, to call a couple of.
5. Isvara pranidhana (give up to grace—or one thing larger than ourselves): Remembering that we’re one small half—albeit a big half—of the bigger net of life helps us put our decisions into perspective. After we bear in mind our interconnectedness with every part else, we’re extra more likely to deal with our planet and all its inhabitants with generosity and caring.

We’d love to listen to your concepts about Earth Day yoga. Please be happy to remark.

You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the origins or Earth Day right here.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards in 2010.