Did you know April is Earth Month? This spring month is dedicated to advocating for a greener, healthier earth (even though every month should be earth month). Here are a few creative ways you can celebrate and make the world a little greener this month.
Celebrating Earth Day shouldn't just be about mouthing platitudes—how about we get up and make a concentrated effort to de-stress our planet by reducing our carbon footprint and being eco-friendly?
Forgiveness. Sometimes it seems to be the be-all and end-all of spiritual practice, the goal
of every religious seeker, the easy solution to almost every experience of abuse and trauma a person can experience. Indeed, true forgiveness is a profound state—and probably a pinnacle of spiritual evolution. However, demanding that those who are on different places on the path to healing and wholeness forgive—without even understanding what that entails—and using “forgiveness” as a way to blame victims is an act of violence itself.
Mantra work has been some of the most powerful work I have done in my lifetime. The effect mantra has on the cells of the body and the DNA is so pronounced that I can literally feel the shifts in my being after I chant. The resonant tones of chanting change the physical body forever. It is inescapable and undeniable: Chanting simply transforms you!
“Although the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”
A New Moon is a time to set intentions for what we’d like to see come to fruition by the time of the Full Moon. Having a better understanding of the luminary and planetary energies allows us to make better choices and helps ensure that our actions will provide the positive results we are looking for.
A pale hand, unseasoned by sun or the wild, sat in awkward juxtaposition next to that of a tan, rough version belonging to a man from Belgium—a desperately telling picture in the consideration of the curious existence of Costa Rica’s ecotourism economy. My hand gripped the edge of a mosaic-crusted table, roughly 8 inches from the relaxed palm of Thijs Claes (pronounced Tess Class), The biologist leading the bird conservation project for Global Vision International in Tortuguero National Park.
For many, spring doesn’t come until the first flowers have bloomed—crocuses that line sidewalks, daffodils that spring up in patches next to highways, and hyacinth that bloom in delicately planted containers—but my favorite way to bring spring inside is with a fresh bouquet.
We have come to understand that yoga is present in every living, breathing moment. It is a body of knowledge, a practice, and a way of life. It dwells in many aspects of our daily existence—how we see the world, the words we use, the ways we relate, the choices we make, and ultimately how we move and act to shape our experience. Its presence is subtle and permeating. As we begin to understand the greater framework of yoga, we can look to the Yamas and Niyamas.
