(this was published in Yoga Magazine UK, July 2011)
How can we explore the possibility of bringing environmental awareness (and nature loving kindness!) off the yoga mat and to the outside world?
So you’ve just bought a new ‘eco-mat’ (made with recycled fibres, biodegradable, perhaps even wholly compostable, and that somewhat smells the part), your organic cotton outfit feels luxuriously comforting, and you begin your practice safe in the knowledge that a bowl of organic muesli and green tea awaits. And some of you may even be cycling or walking to the shala, thus adding a few more ‘green points’ to your already fabulously virtuous yogic path.
But once caught up in the ‘busy-ness’ of daily life, priorities and complications, how often are we able to maintain that connection with nature, the environment, and all the goodness (essentially our ‘true selves’) that we try to perpetuate on the yoga mat?
Looking back
On way to approach the issue of environmentalism is by looking at age-old Sanskrit texts and concepts, which are at the root of yoga. Scriptures like the Yoga Sutras and the Vedas may not mention being ‘green’ or purposely acting as an eco-warrior, but both highlight the importance of Ahimsa – or non-violence- and universal kindness towards all living beings. What they do also emphasize, are some key guidelines and ethical principles that should guide each and every one of us into a positive path of yoga. Ahimsa is essential if one observes Patanjali’s ‘classical’ yoga path: Ahimsa is just one of the five Yamas (restraints) - the first of the 8 limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga.
Judith Lasater explains that living ethically, according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, is the first step on the true path of yoga: “The first yama is perhaps the most famous one: ahimsa, usually translated as "nonviolence." This refers not only to physical violence, but also to the violence of words or thoughts. What we think about ourselves or others can be as powerful as any physical attempt to harm. To practice ahimsa is to be constantly vigilant, to observe ourselves in interaction with others and to notice our thoughts and intentions. Try practicing ahimsa by observing your thoughts when a smoker sits next to you. Your thoughts may be just as damaging to you as his cigarette is to him. It is often said that if one can perfect the practice of ahimsa, one need learn no other practice of yoga, for all the other practices are subsumed in it. Whatever practices we do after the yamas must include ahimsa as well. Practicing breathing or postures without ahimsa, for example, negates the benefits these practices offer.”
It is not about strictly abiding to every single rule and obligation, but rather to maintain a level of awareness and aim to follow the path of yoga beyond the mere asana. For instance, this could mean choosing to be kinder to yourself in your own practice (forget the striving and the pushing) and allow this loving kindness to hover around you throughout the day. You leave your mat with a light and open body; wherever you go next – whether it is to work, home, to the shops or collecting the kids from school, maintaining awareness for any length of time can prove to be a challenge, and being ‘environmentally aware’ may not be a top priority.
However, the sense of environmental awareness is perhaps not strictly bound to immediate ‘green’ issues: driving a hybrid car, cycling to work, or buying locally produced organic foods will not make you a better yogi nor an environmental warrior. As much as they are positive actions everyone should try to incorporate (within reason) into their daily lives, the true answer lies in practice.
But the concept of ‘practice’ may be highly individual and have different meanings for each and every one of us. When we look at awareness and environmental issues, learning to be kind, gentle and aware of the world that surrounds us, as well as practicing Ahimsa can be one answer to being an ethical yogi. Some may even argue that Ahimsa alone is enough to save the earth.
Gandhi for instance, also saw Ahimsa as self reliance – as we become less dependent on others to provide basic needs, we are able to free ourselves from the circle of production, hierarchy and need. Non-violence not only applies to humans (avoiding inflicting physical and mental pain, being kind, honest etc), but also to nature. As we practice kindness and peaceful attitudes towards other beings, we can then perpetuate the same attitude with the world around us.
So one way is to first start by connecting with the environment through simple practices of kindness and awareness, being gentle with ourselves, others and nature.
A practice of connecting
Connect with the roots of Yoga: seek to learn more about the ethical principles that lie behind most yogic practices. You don’t necessarily have to dig into Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, but learning some simple ethical guidelines can be useful.
Cultivate an awareness practice. For just a few moments each day, let go of your plans for the future and thoughts of the past. Just notice the physical sensations that arise in that moment. Then observe the sounds and smells that surround you, maintaining an awareness of your physical self as you simply attend to what you see. Thoughts may come and go, but by trying to be present to what surrounds you, connection with the surrounding environment will naturally arise.
Connect with the earth – first in your asana practice (from standing in tadasana to sitting in dandasana to resting in shavasana) and then in your daily life. When you stand, feel your feet grounding into the earth. When you sit, sense the sit bones rooting into the floor. When you lie down, be aware of your connection with the ground below you. Simple practices like these will allow you to cultivate a quality of awareness off the mat and into life. This is where your life may start becoming your practice.
Connect with the elements and your food. Once you become aware of the environment that surrounds you –whether you are city bound or a country dweller, your body will naturally tune into the seasons, changes in weather and climate. Hopefully, your mind and desires will follow. In winter, we crave (and need) heartier nutrients and food, whereas the summer months offer an abundance of fruits and colourful vegetables to feed our body and soul. This does not mean banning tomatoes from your diet in winter, but simply noticing that they may not be all so beneficial for you (and hence the environment) at this time of the year.
Shop with conscience – but don’t overdo it. The benefits of buying fairtrade, organic goods cannot be ignored, but don’t let it be your primary goal. These –however necessary- products are all part of the external ‘stuff’ which clutter our senses. When you need to shop, do so, but try not to get attached to the self-satisfaction of being a ‘good’ consumer.
As we become more aware of the environmental impact of our actions, we can progressively let this permeate into our every day thoughts and activities.
The Bhagavad Gītā 5.12 The disciplined man, having abandoned the result of action, attains complete peace; the undisciplined man, whose action is impelled by desire, and who is attached to the result, is bound.
