world oceans day

it's been 49 days since the deepwater horizon offshore oil rig explosion on april 20th, 2010. for over a month and a half now, thousands upon thousands of barrels of oil have been gushing from the wellhead located at the bottom of the gulf of mexico, almost a mile below sea level. and sadly, not only has it reached the surface, but also the coastline. it's now considered to be the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

the owner of the oil field, british petroleum -- more commonly known as BP -- is still trying to stop the flow. top hat. junk shot. top kill. none of these supposedly well thought out plans have worked. probably because BP never really thought about how they'd fix this catastrophe if it ever happened. maybe because they'd hoped it would never happen.

by now, you've probably seen the underwater video footage of the BP oil leak (click here to view CNN's live feed) as well as the photos of the sea life that has been affected by the oil washing up on the shore (click here to view the album posted by david dunlap in the new york times). maybe you've even attempted to fathom the extent of the spill by comparing its size with your city, your state, or even your country (click here to run the mapping tool provided by paul rademacher).

yes, it's depressing. you, me, and millions of other people feel totally helpless about this catastrophe and have no idea what we can do to help stop the seemingly unstoppable flow of oil from further destroying the environment.

so maybe today, world oceans day, is the perfect time to think about what we can do to make sure this disaster doesn't happen again.

for example, you can visit the ocean project website and learn more about them and their "wear blue and tell two" awareness campaign.

or you can participate in local yoga fundraisers for environmental organizations. this way, you can help take care of the earth while you take care of your mind and body.

here are some examples:

~ ongoing at home simply yoga in santa monica:

Warriors for the Planet: Introducing the New 10+1 Class

Two missions: To make yoga accessible to as many people as possible and to support environmental consciousness. Many of our classes will cost just $11 without the need of a membership or a package; $10 will go to the teacher and studio and $1 will be donated to an environmental cause on behalf of the "Home Simply" community.

~ this sunday, june 13th, at guerilla yoga at the hollywood dance center in hollywood:

WHAT: A mixed-level Anusara yoga class with Joseph Seeman
TIME: Promptly at 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. (yes, my Equinox folks...that's 90 min.!)
COST: This is completely at your discretion. 100% of all monies will be given to Friends of the Earth. I will be paying for the rental of the space. There will be a box for you to submit your donations.
WHAT TO BRING: A mat. Any props you may need. Water. A towel. And most of all a strong desire to sweat and play!
WHY THIS ORGANIZATION? When the oil spill hit the Gulf, I was greatly concerned and, as the situation became increasingly worse, I knew that something needed to change and I need to take some kind of action. I began researching organizations to help with the cleanup. After many hours, I realized that many of them we taking donations but not using them for the cleanup because BP is supposed to be paying for it. (I hope!)
It was then that I realized that I needed to find an organization that looks at the root of the problem...the core. Again, after many hours of researching, I found Friends of the Earth.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION... Friends of the Earth and their network of grassroots groups in 77 countries defend the environment and champion a more healthy and just world. They are progressive environmental advocates who pull no punches and speak sometimes uncomfortable truths to power. It's an approach that for four decades has yielded victories protecting our planet and its people.


for those who can't make those classes, check out this press release i just received:

Canada’s top yogi, Olympic trainer and the creator of the Blissology style of yoga, Eoin Finn, launches new website and donates percentage of online sales in honor of World Oceans Day

The long‐awaited launch of the new Blissology website is finally upon us! This Tuesday, June 8, visit Blissology.com to experience all of the new features the site has to offer and for an innovative approach to downloadable yoga content. The new site features all of Eoin Finn’s dvds available for online download, which is both a green revolution to cut down in packaging and cost, and is also an easily accessible way to stay in shape when traveling, at the office or for any time when you need yoga on the go. As the launch is set for June 8, which is also World Oceans Day, all of the revenue from online video sales and new video downloads will go to support this worthy cause.

About Blissology: Eoin Finn developed Blissology in order to teach others how to cultivate harmonious relationship with their bodies, mind and heart along with the larger web of life; through the experience of connected, intelligent, and uplifting yoga asanas. Blissology Yoga provides a foundation for intelligent movement, resisting gravity to counter the compression of joints, developing better energy flow for healing of injuries, neuromuscular and energetic re‐patterning, clear thinking under pressure, and restoring the body and mind from the stresses of both athletics and everyday life.