Get Your OM On!
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Practicing Svadhyaya & Sustainability
Svadhyaya: Self-Observation
Practicing a yogic lifestyle means committing to awareness. On the mat, one becomes more conscious of consciousness, more mindful of body and breath mechanics, and more focused on the inner world. Outside of yoga class, the practice of awareness expands as the heart and mind expand. The heightened awareness of one’s “self” begins to develop into increased insight and compassion for the world outside.
We begin to understand our own impact upon other people and the environment around us. Everyday life becomes the focus of the practice, and thereafter the practitioner finds herself in a state of yoga (union) while sitting at her desk or waiting in line, or even just in caring enough to notice what the consequences of her own consumption may be.
Imagine my surprise when I tabulated my own water bottle use. Conservatively calculating, I realized by drinking just 12 bottled drinks per week, I generate 624 empty plastic bottles a year. Again, keeping my numbers conservative, if I double that to include my husband drinking 12 bottled drinks per week, the trash goes up to 1248 bottles per year. Include my son and his 12 per week, and my family uses 1,872 bottles each year! I shudder to think of what a pile like that looks like in a landfill.
Of course we recycle diligently, and have for years. I smugly thought my family’s 1,872 + plastic bottles aren’t contributing to our growing environmental problems because the plastic, glass and paper we throw away goes to a recycling plant and becomes new stuff. WRONG!
It turns out even when I recycle religiously, turn off electronics obsessively, and recluse myself in the house without driving anywhere for three days, we would still need six planet Earths to sustain everyone if everyone lived like my family. You can calculate your own family’s impact using this interesting little interactive game. You’ll be amazed how much energy you are using!
Svadhyaya, or self-observation is one of the Niyamas, or observances, of a yogic life. When we integrate svadhyaya into our practices, we are choosing to practice conscious awareness on and off the mat. When we choose to recycle, we are simply doing the right thing, but when we actually choose to do svadhyaya, we can go deeper and do better for our families, the environment, and ourselves. Needless to say, we’re drinking a lot more plain tap water out of regular glassware at my house!
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