A Yoga Manifesto

There is a new kind of yoga that is called Yoga For The People.

The premise is that yoga is expensive-- between the clothes, the mat, the $15 classes...it adds up quick.

In a 2008 poll, commissioned by Yoga Journal, concluded that the number of people doing yoga had declined from 16.5 million in 2004 to 15.8 million almost four years later. But the poll also estimated that the actual spending on yoga classes and products had almost doubled in that same period, from $2.95 billion to $5.7 billion.

Yoga For The People is a new kind of yoga studio that is by-donation-only. You pay what you can afford to pay. Some people drop $1 in the bucket, some drop $20.

This new, unique environment is taking cities by storm. Studios in NYC, LA and Chicago all use this business model because they believe that if more people did yoga, the world would be a better place.

I believe in this new form of yoga leadership. It allows the yoga journey to be available to as many people as possible, and opens up a means to provide positive energy and karma to everyone. I believe that if more people, especially urban residents, took time to unplug and reenergize through an hour yoga class, people would be healthier and happier.

Green Your Mind With Yoga

Planet Green writes a lot about how yoga can improve your health but also green your mind. Check it out:

In many ways the greenest part of yoga, the deeper you go into your practice, isn't what happens to your body or your health, but what happens to your mind. Each of yoga's traditional yamas (restraints) and niyamas (practices) have direct implication for how you view the natural world and how you act towards it.

Depending on which of Hinduism's sacred texts you read and which lineage of teachers you ask there are anywhere from five to ten yamas and niyamas, but in the tradition I am closest to it's taught that there are ten of each, so that's what this and subsequent posts will go into. Entire volumes could be written on each one, expounding upon its implications, but I'll try to keep this as concise as possible.

Non-Injury is the Gateway to More Aware, Greener Living
The first yama is Ahimsa or non-injury, sometimes translated as non-violence. It many ways it is the overarching guide for all action and each other yama is a variation on this theme.

Non-injury goes beyond not physically harming others, but also includes not harming them in thought and word as well. It is practiced knowing that any harm that you put out into the world unfailingly comes back to you. At its core is an acknowledgement that all life--human, non-human, sentient and insentient--is to be revered. One does not hurt what one reveres.

Vegetarian Diet a Central Part
The most obvious outgrowth of ahimsa as it relates to the green sphere is following a vegetarian diet, one free of any animal product which requires the killing of the animal--though in many traditions eggs too are prohibited.

Modern vegans may take this to the next step and eliminate all animal products entirely, but the original yoga texts do not take diet this far. There is a good discussion to be had about whether or not today's commercial dairy practices, even ones which portray themselves as humane, really are acceptable under the principle of ahimsa, but that will have to wait for another post.

This is just one example of how there is some grey area involved here. Even a person following a strictly vegan diet kills insects while growing vegetables, sometimes unintentionally while tilling the soil, other times intentionally when insects become pests.

We Are All at Different Places in Life, Which is Perfect
Everyone has to set their own boundaries here, and those may well change over time, but strictly speaking one cannot claim to fully practice ahimsa if you eat meat.

You can certainly concoct examples that would be exceptions to this, but in the overwhelming majority of situations in all but the most extreme climates, it holds true.

Which sounds harsh, but that's not the intent. Indeed talking down or judging others who don't follow ahimsa particularly well itself would, most strictly, be a violation of non-injury. You may be well along the path towards constant observance of ahimsa, but not everyone is and that's fine.

Unkind Words, Comments a Form of Hurting
Just some of the other green implications of practicing ahimsa: The protection of animal habitat is obvious, as is not polluting the environment. Perhaps less obvious is using excess electricity, buying goods you know are produced in poor working conditions, or even leaving unkind comments in the forums or on a post. Remember, we are talking non causing hurt, pain, injury or even fear by thought, word, or deed.

One more thing: Practicing ahimsa, really considering it as much as possible and integrating it into your being, is one the most powerful steps you can take to green your life.

Practicing Ahimsa Changes Your Whole Life
While my own boundaries have shifted towards stricter and looser interpretations over the years (recently towards the former), it begins to soften you, make you more accepting, make you more compassionate, make you more aware of your actions and the effects they have.

That last one perhaps is the most important one. We have largely gotten into our current environmental problems by not fully considering that impact of our actions on the natural world. By practicing ahimsa you take the first step to correct that.

Leadership + Meditation

Are you working in a company where leaders recognize the value of daily meditation practice?

Probably not.

I believe in a company culture where leaders encourage meditating to better manage stress. Studies prove that emotionally and socially intelligent leaders who frequently meditate stay calm under pressure and make better decisions.

Tonight, I am going to the Shambhala Meditation Center in Brookline. While I am fastidious about my yoga practice, I am less devout about the practice of meditation but I have been reading about the importance of mindfulness meditation, specifically in leadership positions.

Tonight, newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike will gather for group sitting or meditation instruction, followed by a lecture and discussion with special guest Tenzin Priyadarshi.

Meditation's benefits are attained by exercising unseen "leadership muscles" as you sit still. You can then exert these muscles at work and in all aspects of your life to make a lasting contribution to your world.

These skills develop with practice and can then be applied with a natural ease and familiarity. Leading others is no small task, requiring a poised, courageous, down-to-earth acknowledgment of reality. Unfortunately, many leaders hang onto delusions of control and prefer the status quo, unwilling to face the risk of being uncomfortable or fearful.

When you slow down, you gain a realistic picture of what's going on instead of speeding through your day-or worse, speeding through your life. Meditation and mindfulness are invitations to become more fully human. In everyday leadership, they confer the power to have a real impact on your organization.

My hope is to apply what I learn tonight to my yoga practice, graduate work, internship and personal realtionships and make clearer, cleaner choices.

Green Living Initiatives for the Environment: Make a Pledge

Renowned writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry once wrote: "The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

Through my own actions that model green living, practicing sustainability as a core values, and considering the impact of my actions I am trying to best to serve as a steward of our unique and irreplaceable Earth and everyone who inhabits it.

By advocating for fairness in the treatment of all living things, making decisions for the common good and our environment, I endeavor to do my part: recognize the importance of green living; choosing conservation and sustainability efforts including: buying wind-generated electricity; generating solar power; using green cleaning products and methods; recycling whatever we can (from paper to printers); replacing many of the toilets and light bulbs with green living in mind; and using our buying power to support local and organic farms and producers.

Small steps towards a greener planet.

Photo: At the Forest Hills Lantern Festival Summer 2009

Environmental dilemmas with broader sensibility in mind

I plunge from a Sun Salutation into my first Downward Facing Dog of the day. I am in my living room practicing yoga, taking a break from emailing, hoping to quiet my mind and find some inner sanctum.

Research shows that mindfulness practice enhances concentration, attention, emotional balance, physical well-being, and openness to learning. Institutions including schools, universities and corporations have embraced mindfulness as a valuable practice. Kids in elementary schools across the country practice mindful meditation- they close their eyes and focus on their breathing for five minutes per day. Work places offer relaxation classes during lunch and wellness programs for employees. Universities, like Lesley, are opening yoga studios for their students.

Environmental challenges call into question not simply our technological, economic, and political capabilities, but also our fundamental understandings of who we are as a species and how we fit into the world. In terms of environmental leadership, I believe that the health of our planet and our personal health should not be segregated. Being an environmental leader is greater than simply possessing knowledge in ecology, biology and sustainability. A successful environmental leader is equally about taking care of your body in a holistic and mindful way. Conversations about artistic exercises and contemplative practice are as important as addressing environmental dilemmas.

My yoga practice brings peace, harmony and stability to myself. My yoga practice brings peace, harmony and stability to the earth. My yoga practice makes me a better urban/environmental/leader. Namaste.

Young + Green

I nanny for Meg + Nate. Nate is eleven; he plays guitar in a band, wears skater gear and thinks that basketball and baseball are epic. Meg is nine; she wears purple high-top Converse and skinny jeans, wants to be in a girl band and open a cookie shop.

I spend two afternoons a week with them and they have truly opened my eyes in regards to youth and our environment. I am at that impressionable age of 26 where I am vaguely thinking about the possibility of having my own children sometime in the not-so-near future. Hanging out with these two stellar kids, models of idealism and action, has taught me a lot about how to include examples of sustainable living during a child's formative years.

Meg + Nate's parents are both professors at Wellesley College and clearly engaged their kids from a young age in raising awareness about the broader discourse of environmentalism, encouraging them to make environmentally friendly choices and take action. Their parental environmental education, whether it was playing outdoors, gardening, walking instead of driving, enrolling the kids in camp, has shaped these kids into conscientious, savvy young citizens, and as an outsider entering into their lives on a weekly basis, I have taken notice.

Both kids have weekly chores, which they do with passion and commitment: taking out the garbage and recycling, setting and clearing the table, feeding Bilbo the dog, cleaning their rooms, etc. They also engage in action projects at school. Meg told me today about their school's Catalogue Canceling Challenge, "The school has this contest where, like, each grade competes to cancel as many catalogues as they can. And if we cancel enough, the teachers promised to do crazy stuff like, our teacher, Mr. Lawton, dressed up in a green-frizzy wig and it was really funny." Meg spent many afternoons on the phone calling J-Crew, Pottery Barn, Garnet Hill and Land's End, canceling their names from the mailing list. Without even knowing it, her involvement displayed citizenship, respect for the environment and social action.

Tonight we made pizza which turned into a science experiment. They'd never made homemade pizza from scratch, so they were completely curious about the yeast. They watched it grow and bubble and chatted about how yeast works-- and why it makes bread and dough rise.

These kids are creative (their pizzas proved it: a colorful display of cherry tomatoes, turkey bacon, cured olives, caramelized onions and fresh arugula). They are engaged during a complicated time in ones young life when building your identity can be confusing, frustrating or too easily influenced by peer pressure.

Meg + Nate, without knowing it, have taught me about environmental education and leadership and have encouraged me to return to my inner-child.

Editor Turned Intern

I used to be the managing editor of a fashion magazine. I had interns. Now I am an intern. Strange how life ebbs and flows.

My interns were fantastic, talented girls who loved fashion and loved magazines. Before they were hired, I would quiz them on their favorite editors, whom they knew by heart (Vogue/Anna Wintour, Bazaar's/Glenda Bailey, Marie Claire/Joanna Coles, Town & Country/Pamela Fiori). As interns, their responsibilities wavered from fashion related jaunts such as packaging clothes for returns, doing pick ups and drop offs, organizing addresses, packing up trunks for shoots, and making sure the editors have all the items they need for their upcoming stories. Or, they helped with editorial work: text, pictures, captions, and headings. For me, I depended on the interns for everything from laughs to lunches to learning about the ins and outs of the hottest reality tv shows (that I didn't have time to watch).

Now, I am the intern, having quit my job and returned to grad school. I'm interning for an international company that advocates for corporate accountability. I am a communications intern and I spend most of my time blogging. Adult internships have become a hot topic recently. Due to the tough economy, these "non-traditional internships" are a way for grownups to shift career paths, gain experience during a layoff or work during school, like me.

This shift in leadership has been a radical change. It has made me think about what kind of leader I was when I was in a leadership role. At the magazine, we used a traditional top-down hierarchical style of leadership. I had higher-ups who I reported to. In turn, I was responsible for managing a slew of writers, photographers, clients and interns on a daily basis.

The notion of servant leadership emphasizes collaboration, trust, empathy, and the ethical use of power, rather than leading and managing from the top down. I like the concept of servant leadership, but having worked in an industry full of daily, weekly and monthly deadlines, I value the importance of leadership as a critical management skill. I believe I led in a hybrid-style, encouraging goals and deadlines but also utilizing team collaboration.

My style of leadership seems to have worked: my interns still write me emails, send me Christmas cards and wedding invitations and ask me for letters of recommendation.