“When asked what gift he wanted for his birthday, the yogi replied: ‘I wish no gifts, only presence.’” ~Author Unknown

In a society that is becoming increasingly fast paced, business oriented, and destructive to humans and the environment, both yoga and environmentally friendly living have emerged as principal points of focus. Their existence in people's lives varies on an incredibly wide spectrum, incorporating those who embrace one or both to the extreme, those who dabble here and there in exploration, and those who reject both in preference of ‘happy’ ignorance.

Wherever you yourself fall on this spectrum is the right place for you to be at this point in time. I have not labeled it with the intention of judgment, but rather as a way of identifying the vast scale on which we differ in our individual lives. Regardless of whether you embrace some or all of either or both lifestyles, consider the fact that they are not as separate as they may initially appear, but are rather very closely intertwined.

The simple remark in this quote I have included in the beginning demonstrates the core value of yoga, one that can also be observed in green living: Presence. Awareness. Consciousness. Although a number of the yoga offerings in metropolitan areas have extracted and honed in on the physical aspect of yoga, at the heart of the true tradition lies the practitioner's personal quest for cultivating increased awareness and development of his or her body, mind and soul.

Likewise, green and eco friendly living requires a similar quality of awareness. The only difference is that in this regard, the increased consciousness is directed externally towards the well being of the planet, rather than internally towards the well being of the individual. Yet the motivation behind the action is strikingly similar. Practicing yoga asanas (poses), meditating, choosing organic products, and reducing your negative impact on the environment and yourself, all require a sincere interest in the development of health and vitality in oneself and the world.

Viewed from these eyes, it becomes clear that one cannot exist without the other. We are connected in mind and body, and we are similarly connected to the earth. Each of our actions makes an impact. When performed from a heightened awareness fostered through the practice of yoga and extended to the world, we begin to make more positive choices, creating an improved quality of life for both ourselves, and our society as a whole.

As stated by renowned yogi, Desikashar: “Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked”.

Where do you begin if you are new to yoga or green living?

Try these simple yoga exercises to learn to expand awareness:

1. Simple meditation: When you have some time, even 5 minutes, pause, focus on your breathing, and allow your mind to take a rest from its normal flurry of activity. Discover stillness. Start to notice the sensations in your body without judgment. Allow them to be. During yoga asana practice, direct your attention to remain on your breathing as you move, notice the ease it brings to each posture.


2. Explore how it feels to surrender to an unobstructed flow of gravity throughout the body: Lie on the ground and start to feel the sensations arising in your body. Adjust so that you feel settled. Notice if there are any areas that resist the pull of gravity or hold tension. If you notice this, let those areas go. Suggest to your logical mind that there is nothing to change or fix in what you observe. Just notice. How heavy are your bones? How heavy are your feet as you release them towards the ground? Follow your awareness slowly up your body until you reach your head and face. Allow yourself to release more and more with each exhale. Allow your awareness to travel and expand throughout your entire body, relaxing more deeply with your breathing. When you feel you have explored enough, stretch long and inhale deeply. Slowly come back to sitting.

These small exercises begin to broaden the normally narrow focus of our minds to encompass the body and its messages. They are a first crucial step in developing a conscious attitude, and living a conscious life.

To our lives, to our planet.

“Life should not be a quest to merely survive, but to be fully alive”