going green
every now and then, i like to liven up my yoga practice by weaving a theme into my choice of teachers/classes/studios.
there was the time i practiced a different style of yoga everyday for a week -- kundalini, anusara, vinyasa flow, iyengar, bikram, forrest, restorative -- and could have easily extended it to a two-week stretch if i had thrown in ashtanga, jivamukti, hip-hop, and others. another time i cycled through so many teachers that i didn't repeat a class with any of them for an entire month. and, of course, there's my ongoing quest to visit every yoga studio in town (go ahead, call me obsessive-compulsive; i know i am)...
so here's my latest project: starting this weekend until earth day next weekend, i'll be practicing only at studios that are doing their share to respect and honor mother earth. and with many yoga studios "going green", that shouldn't be too hard of a goal.
on saturday morning, i kicked off my earth day observance by attending the earth day on the promenade festival in santa monica. almost every major environmental group was represented. name your favorite one; there's a good chance it was there. i visited the various booths and purchased all kinds of goodies along the way -- such as organic fruits and nuts from essential living foods, a zulu basket from bridge for africa, a t-shirt from treepeople. i could have stayed longer to learn more (and maybe even buy more), but it was time to head out to the first studio on my list...
earth-friendly yoga, day one:
iyengar 1/2 with marla apt at yogaworks montana
earlier this month, i had picked up a "celebrate green" card after taking a yogaworks class. there were five energy-conservation tips listed on the card:
move your thermostat down two degrees unplug unused electronics from the wall when you go home tonight buy fresh foods instead of frozen the next time you are at the store opt for a credit card e-statement carpool with a friend (or two) to yoga
since i had successfully completed all five, i had earned myself a free class... and being able to cash it in for what could be considered a master iyengar class with marla turned it into a fabulous reward for conserving energy!
by the way, yogaworks will be opening their new eco-friendly location out in the conejo valley sometime soon. according to the studio website:
Our Westlake Village location is the latest addition to the YogaWorks family. It’s innovative, cutting edge, environmentally friendly and the best thing to happen to yoga since the yoga mat.
you know it'll be on my list of places to visit once it opens :)
then it was on to...
earth-friendly yoga, day two:
outdoor all-levels anusara with scott nelson
what better place to practice earth-conscious yoga than on lush green grass under clear blue skies?
when scott originally planned to move his sunday morning class from the closed-for-business bala studio to an open-to-all west hollywood park, it sounded like a great idea. after all, this was southern california; with global warming and near-drought conditions, we could pretty much count on the day being warm and sunny. and sure enough, it turned out to be a picture-perfect day.
but what we didn't count on was our being interrupted in mid-om by the park maintenance supervisor, who informed us that we were in violation of the law because we were holding a class in the park without a permit. who knew that you needed permission to practice yoga in a public park?
long story short -- because cooler heads prevailed, we eventually were allowed to continue with our much-abbreviated "group practice". needless to say, scott and his merry band of displaced yogis will now have to find another park for subsequent outdoor classes, preferably one that doesn't require a $16/day permit...
(to be continued)
there was the time i practiced a different style of yoga everyday for a week -- kundalini, anusara, vinyasa flow, iyengar, bikram, forrest, restorative -- and could have easily extended it to a two-week stretch if i had thrown in ashtanga, jivamukti, hip-hop, and others. another time i cycled through so many teachers that i didn't repeat a class with any of them for an entire month. and, of course, there's my ongoing quest to visit every yoga studio in town (go ahead, call me obsessive-compulsive; i know i am)...
so here's my latest project: starting this weekend until earth day next weekend, i'll be practicing only at studios that are doing their share to respect and honor mother earth. and with many yoga studios "going green", that shouldn't be too hard of a goal.
on saturday morning, i kicked off my earth day observance by attending the earth day on the promenade festival in santa monica. almost every major environmental group was represented. name your favorite one; there's a good chance it was there. i visited the various booths and purchased all kinds of goodies along the way -- such as organic fruits and nuts from essential living foods, a zulu basket from bridge for africa, a t-shirt from treepeople. i could have stayed longer to learn more (and maybe even buy more), but it was time to head out to the first studio on my list...
earth-friendly yoga, day one:
iyengar 1/2 with marla apt at yogaworks montana
earlier this month, i had picked up a "celebrate green" card after taking a yogaworks class. there were five energy-conservation tips listed on the card:
since i had successfully completed all five, i had earned myself a free class... and being able to cash it in for what could be considered a master iyengar class with marla turned it into a fabulous reward for conserving energy!
by the way, yogaworks will be opening their new eco-friendly location out in the conejo valley sometime soon. according to the studio website:
Our Westlake Village location is the latest addition to the YogaWorks family. It’s innovative, cutting edge, environmentally friendly and the best thing to happen to yoga since the yoga mat.
you know it'll be on my list of places to visit once it opens :)
then it was on to...
earth-friendly yoga, day two:
outdoor all-levels anusara with scott nelson
what better place to practice earth-conscious yoga than on lush green grass under clear blue skies?
when scott originally planned to move his sunday morning class from the closed-for-business bala studio to an open-to-all west hollywood park, it sounded like a great idea. after all, this was southern california; with global warming and near-drought conditions, we could pretty much count on the day being warm and sunny. and sure enough, it turned out to be a picture-perfect day.
but what we didn't count on was our being interrupted in mid-om by the park maintenance supervisor, who informed us that we were in violation of the law because we were holding a class in the park without a permit. who knew that you needed permission to practice yoga in a public park?
long story short -- because cooler heads prevailed, we eventually were allowed to continue with our much-abbreviated "group practice". needless to say, scott and his merry band of displaced yogis will now have to find another park for subsequent outdoor classes, preferably one that doesn't require a $16/day permit...
(to be continued)
posted by joni at 2:40 PM
2 Comments:
The suggestion above that you are doing to "go green" seem trite and not very helpful. But the suggestions probably reduce you guilt while you zoom all over the city to you next class.
How about doing something that actually makes a difference. Drive less, carpool more, don't fly, live in a smaller home, buy nothing. If you really love the mother earth you will actually take action that might make you life less comfortable but actually make a difference.
hi comets --
i totally agree with you, although with the way things stand right now, trying to do all those wouldn't be very practical. especially since i have to fly across the continent to visit my kids and across the ocean to visit my parents :)
thanks for the suggestion; it's something i can aim for!
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