This body is merely a temporary home for the immortal elements that make up the Universe
- Prof Brian Cox.
I am obsessed with this quote and the work of Brian. So much of it aligns with Yoga and what the ancient yogis believed.
I speak about this in my classes a lot, that we are all one, the interconnectedness of everything on this planet, and thus the need to take care of ourselves, each other and this land.
This life, this planet, and everything on it, truly is a miracle.
Traveling to Iceland last year really gave me that sense of AWE for this planet. Never had I witnessed such extremes juxtaposed against each other both in climate and landscape. To see gigantic ice boulders sitting majestically on black sand with the waves lapping against them was one of the most beautiful things I have seen.
It was also a great reminder of the need for us all to do our part to keep this planet beautiful for generations to come. The ice boulders were in fact parts of the Jorkulson glacier that had broken off in part due to global warming.
Sometimes it can feel like our efforts are not enough to make a change when it comes to diminishing the human impact on the planet, but in fact, every little bit counts.
“Be the Change You Wish to See in Others”- Ghandi.
The more little efforts each and every one of us makes the greater ripple-on effect it can have on the wider community and the world.
Yoga is a way of instigating this change. Initially, for many, it begins as a physical practice, but then becomes a way of being. We become more conscious of ourselves, more conscious of how our actions influence others, and more conscious of the environment and the effect we have on it. We start to treat ourselves, each other, and this planet with the care and respect it deserves.
I am proud to support a brand such as WE-AR that creates sustainable fashion and I wish more companies were up-cycling fabric, creating organic environmentally friendly clothing and treating their workers ethically. Textile waste creates billions of tons of rubbish every year, not to mention the ‘sweatshops’ that many workers are subject to for the more globally recognised brands.
We need to stop looking at the price tag and instead look at where it's been made, the conditions of the workers, and whether they are doing their part to reduce greenhouse emissions in their business practices.
Our 'use it once and toss it' mentality has to shift, or we will be swimming in our own waste. This shift begins with awareness and this awareness comes through Yoga. It starts with becoming more conscious of our interconnectedness. Recognising that we are all one and we ALL must do our part.
Visit Kylie at Studio Red - http://studioredyoga.com/the
Photo credit: Anna Kidman