Underwater Joy - In Pictures

I'm back! I had a fabulous break in neighbouring Indonesia and spent a great deal of my time underwater in and around Komodo national park.

Scuba diving is one of my favourite ways to spend my time.  It's a visit to another world teeming with amazing colours and creatures. It's blue and you get to blow bubbles.  It's a breath-centered moving meditation.  In short, it's like a  form of yoga - but with fish!

This holiday I was blessed to spend some time with some of the rarest creatures beneath the waves: the majestic rays.  In particular, a large and beautiful Eagle Ray, and a gathering of Reef Manta Rays.  Be still my heart!!  Witnessing the magnificence of these creatures underwater is an absolutely amazing experience and one I will never forget.  It really hits home just how precious the oceans are and just how little we know about them and the amazing creatures who live there.

So here are some pictures for you all to enjoy!

Eagle Ray

Manta Rays!!

Did you know...

• Rays are related to sharks, but they have no teeth!  They use a type of filter to feed exclusively on plankton and other microscopic organisms.
• Manta rays and stingrays are related, but Mantas no longer have a stinger.
• Mantas are the largest rays. The Giant Manta can be up to 25 feet in length, and they "fly" through the water using their wing-like fins.

Also...  Today is my birthday!!

Namaste~~~

PS - yes, I did see a Komodo dragon.  Horrible lizard.  I much prefer what's under the water.

Yoga for Africa

Stand aside, all ye who think that yoga is for rich white folks.  Because thanks to the Africa Yoga Project, yoga is rocking the worlds of slum communities in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

The BBC's Focus on Africa posted this story yesterday which, as you can tell, has got me all fired up.  So I went to the Africa Yoga Project website to check it out.  The website says that the style of yoga is inspired by Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga, with a bit of Acro-Yoga mixed in.  The project is working with a larger umbrella organization dedicated to combating poverty with culture and arts.

The best part? The classes are free, and the teachers are paid by the organization.  And even cooler, the teachers are all Kenyan, although if you want to volunteer you can co-teach, donate mats, or help out by fundraising or assisting with the administration of the a project.

The innovative spirit of the project is totally inspiring to me - this yoga is all about community and personal transformation, and not about the profit.

Is the future of yoga here? I'm into it...  And while we're at it, maybe we in the west have a lesson or two to learn from such a venture...

What do you all think?

In other news, a Swiss man has engineered a low-cost solar cell that mimics the way plants turn light into energy.

There is hope for humanity yet, don't you think?!

Save the Planet Sundays - Green Air Travel?

Wow, is it Sunday again?  How time flies.  And speaking of flying...  With the huge shutdown of air travel in Europe, I thought I'd muse a bit on the environmental impact of air travel.  Living overseas and far from my family, I fly long-haul at least once a year, and more often 2-4 times, as well as taking shorter flights in the region for work or simply to get off the island.

According to several web sources, air travel is responsible for between 3 and 10% of global carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions per year, both of which have been linked to global climate change.  Aircraft rely on fossil fuels, of which they burn huge amounts, and release these gases into the lower and upper atmosphere (troposphere).  While there seems to be little data available on exactly how much is emitted and what the impact is, like any other fossil fuel-reliant industry, the folks who make planes are under pressure to make air travel greener by reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency.  However, with the number of air passengers set to double by 2020, even the ambitious 50% emissions reduction for that year targeted by the EU (see here) would basically bring us back to square 1!

Air travel is linked to the food industry, allowing us to eat foods that come from far-flung corners of the globe, and increasing as we then demand more.  On the other hand, it also allows us to receive mail, transport medicines and emergency supplies to those in need, and conduct search and rescue operations, to name a few worthy causes.  How much slower would the relief efforts in Haiti or Aceh have been without air travel?  How many lives would have been lost in remote communities without planes to fly the sick to hospitals?  And while the hordes of sunburned tourists on far flung beaches might look like they'd be better off back home, millions of families around the world depend on revenues from global tourism, trade and other ventures made possible by the speed of air travel.

If you've a mind to avoid air travel, you can look for opportunities to travel by train or bus instead of flying.  While it might take longer, you can sure see a lot more on the way!  Would-be air travelers are also encouraged to take local holidays - see the sights that you never see right in your backyard.  And when you do fly, some airlines offer passengers the option to add a few dollars to their ticket and support carbon-offsetting ventures.  Air New Zealand, for example, runs an Environmental Trust that buys and plants trees on conservation reserves and supports sustainable farming initiatives, has a carbon offsetting program, and is conducting research into more environmentally friendly fuels.

While these airline-conducted ventures are far from perfect, the eco-conscious traveler can certainly do some research before hand to pick a more environmentally aware carrier for their long-haul flight.  And, if you really have a mind to, some charities these days (at least in Canada!) allow you to calculate the environmental impact of your specific flight, and to make an 'equivalent' donation to preserve forests or plant trees to (in theory anyway) offset your individual emissions footprint.  (Full disclosure - I have yet to make use of these but if I do I will be sure to report back!)  There is a list with links to a few of them here!

And, of course, for the intrepid traveler looking for a fully sustainable form of travel, for those truly interested in the journey rather than the destination - there is sailing. :)

The lovely S/V Dany II

Well readers... what are your thoughts on the skies?

Save the Planet Sundays

Living a green life is not always easy. In my case, it's made more complicated by living in a third world country! On the one hand, my 'footprint' is probably lower than it would be if I were living in a western city - I don't ever have to drive very far, there are no malls or shopping plazas with air-conditioning that I can go to, no pre-packaged sandwiches I can throw away the wrapper to, no junk mail (actually there is no mail delivery system at all...), no Chinese takeout!

But on the other hand, there are no recycling facilities in this country (sigh), so all my trash goes straight to a landfill, even glass and paper. There are no public transportation options, and cycling around town as a white woman can be dangerous and certainly not something I risk my laptop for! With limited choices (only 3 supermarkets) I don't always have the option to buy organic or fresh - I certainly can't just pop down to the local health food store and press my own peanut-butter like I used to do when I was studying in Montreal! And of course, environmental consciousness is just NOT a part of people's mentality here - we're still talking throwing plastic bottles out of car windows, and trash bags into rivers, people. *Sigh*

Will this be a regular feature? Maybe, maybe not. But for today, here are 7 every-day things that I do to help save our Earth.

1. I use my reusable shopping bags every time I shop, and carry one around in my purse so I never have to take home a plastic bag!
2. I take water in my own bottle to work every day, and refill it at lunch, so I never have to buy a plastic water bottle!
3. I consciously try to avoid buying products with too much packaging, especially plastic or styrofoam.
4. I turn off the shower when I don't need the water e.g. when shaving.
5. I turn off all the lights and appliances in my house whenever I am not using them or am not in the room.
6. I car-pool whenever possible, and my car is pretty fuel efficient.
7. I compost all my organic waste and use it to fertilise my garden.

My footprint is still a lot larger than I'd like it to be - but for today I'm celebrating these small steps and all the improvements I've made in recent months.

What about you? What every-day Earth-friendly things do you do?

The gift that keeps on giving

For this yogini, a fundamental part of practising ahimsa is non-harming to the environment. Thus, one of my major life resolutions this year has been to cut down on my trash - especially plastic bags and plastic bottles. I'm proud to say that since January I have only brought home about 3 plastic shopping bags (although some of my trash still goes out in plastic garbage bags), and have consistently rejected things with too much packaging involving plastic or styrofoam. This is no easy feat in Asia, where environmental consciousness is still in its infancy (actually, more like fetal stage!) and the general rule of thumb seems to be the more plastic the better.

A few months ago when traveling in New Zealand, I came across this little gem of a product - Envirosax!! Envirosax are reusable shopping bags that roll down into a tight little packet and are easy to slip into your pocket or purse, so you never forget to have a carry bag with you!

I bought one and am so in love with it, I carry it around everywhere! And every time I roll it out in the supermarket I get "ooohs" and "aaaahs" from those nearby. No more of those bulky, ugly and hard to carry shopping bags for me! These bags come in an astounding array of beautiful patterns and colours - they are so stylish and striking that on occasion I just use them as a purse and have even used mine as an airline carry-on bag.

The other thing that makes these bags stand out for me is that they have wide shoulder straps, so you can carry a heavy load over your shoulder and the straps never dig in. Finally, they roll down into a teensy little packet that can easily be slipped into your purse so you never forget your shopping bag. You can even get a little pouch of 5, all rolled up and packed tightly together. What a cool gift for yourself or a loved one!

Most of the bags are made out of lightweight polyester (yes, this is a plastic, but the company argues that this makes them affordable, durable and even recyclable) but they also have an organic series with lovely bags made out of cotton, linen, bamboo and even hemp.

I'm not generally one for product placement, but this one I just had to share! Check out their website here... and enjoy!