Greening using Ahimsa as a foundation

Ahimsa-non harming is the bases/foundation to my practice, on and off the mat. I guess i could elaborate what i mean when i refer to ‘my practice’- it is the constant conscious evolving that i work to be present and active in, in all that i do- cooking a meal, practicing and teaching an asana class to walking from my home to wherever it is i’ve set out for. Daily presence within my being as well with other beings. This is constant work, that i am dedicated to- and i’d like to say that i am far from perfect in this realm. The focus is on the active dedication, where mistakes are a learning.

So in working with Ahimsa, i constantly challenge myself to not get stuck in the ‘comfy zone’ that is so easy to nestle into. When i receive information that ‘recycling’ my consumed plastic bottle actually sends it to Indonesia, i have to ask myself if it is in keeping with my values? Shouldn’t we be taking care of our own waste? and if we do not have the room here in the states, solutions that are locally based are of the highest importance.

I have decided that my plastic will go into my ‘landfill bound’ pail- ah but this doesn’t seem right, because then it is headed for landfills that generally reside in areas of depressed, disadvantaged communities right here in the states. I ask- is there a difference?

What if this process leads me to the question- do i really need to buy things that are packaged in this petroleum based product? So, in asking myself this question- i find movement within my process, and closer to a solution that is in keeping with my core value of Ahimsa. This is what i mean by stepping outside the ‘comfy zone’.

I have to admit, these decisions are fairly easy for me, because i have the resources to pursue alternatives. There is a local Co-op in Seattle (Central Co-op) where i can bring my glass jars and fill them with biodegradable cleaning products, fill a jar with bulk organic maple syrup, use paper bags to purchase flours and oats, tea and beans. When purchasing veggies, i stay clear, now of the plastic bags, bringing my veggies home in a re-usable or paper bag, placing the leafy greens and such in a metal bowl with a small amount of water in it, and placing a slightly wet cloth napkin over the items in the bowl. Veggies that don’t hang out in the fridge – potatoes, onions, garlic and ginger root- they all hang out in a cool dark place in the kitchen.

My dream is to reduce the size of my fridge- to go under the counter-top near my stove. Here in the states, the fridges are far two big, and then it seems we have to purchase great amounts of food to make it look as though we have something in there! It’s a vicious cycle. My one hold-up with this dream is that to get a fridge of small size that is good quality- is far more expensive than the over-sized ones! So i will continue to work on this.

When i am not using electronics- i turn them off and unplug them! It really is only a bit of work to get the muscle memory down with this one! and it saves so much power doing such an easy task. Another alternative is to install a switch in the room that turns off all power sources in that room, so when you are sleeping, your power usage is resting as well.

The community i live in, Cascade Shelter Project, has made the choice to install ‘on-demand’ hot water heaters in each of our units. We were in the process of an overhaul to the plumbing, so it was easy for us to make this change. The first initial cost was high, but we are seeing great results in so many ways with the conversion! I’m so thankful that we made the choices we made three years ago to do this.

As i continue with the process, i will work to document what i find could be useful to share, i encourage an ongoing dialog of sharing, as we all have something that we do that will inspire others!

Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu-May All Beings Everywhere be Happy and Free. Om Shanti- Linda

~ by linda on January 20, 2008.