Little by little color yellow has entered into my life. From a flea market I bought two yellow cups to drink my evening tea. And then in a grocery shop I have a habit to grab a bouquet of yellow tulips to color up our home. This time of year it feels like yellow is giving more energy and makes everything seem lighter after the heavy winter season. Spring is a wake up call for many of us; it is a promise of new starts and new beginnings. Maybe we don’t know what is coming up yet, but surely the spring brings us some changes in life. Here is my April’s favorite list that includes new scents and relaxing moments on your yoga mat – maybe it helps you to prepare for the new season and new adventures that are waiting in a corner.
Scent: Smoke up a little piece of palo santo “holy wood” to clean up your space. They say that palo santo has a therapeutic healing power. For me, I have a habit to light up palo santo before entering on my yoga mat. It is a ritual and it makes me come into my space.
Organic cosmetics: Spring is a good period to change your perfume for more lighter and summer-like scent. For me, perfume was the last cosmetic that I changed for organic one. I used to love my Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, but now I am a fan of Abel’s perfumes. My favorite at the moment is Abel’s White Vetiver. It scents like grass, lemon and little bit like a vanilla cigar. For me it sends a message that summer is almost here.
Drink: In my yellow Kermansavi mug I drink Yogi tea’s Ginger lemon – it is my favorite at this moment.
What to wear: Light up your outfits by
wearing light blue or white jeans – they change your look completely. Easy
step, big deal!
Asana of the month: Urdha mukha svanasana ”upward-Facing dog pose”
After the pregnancy I am happy to do my sun salutation rounds completely including doing upward-facing dog pose. I have enjoyed to do a pause in this asana and to examine how it is done correctly. I remember in my teacher’s training, that a lot of students had problems with this asana. So I kindly remind you to pay attention to these points:
Check,
that the shoulders are not scrunch up
towards the ears and making pressure to the neck.
that your toes are extended and the top of
the feet is firmly down. When the feet are rooting down, the legs become more
active.
That the tailbone is pressed toward the
heels.
That you press firmly into your hands and
the chest is lifted.
That the wrists are aligned directly beneath
the shoulders. Check also that the index finger is pointed straight forward.
For my Finnish readers I have recorded a
guided meditation practice, in future I try to make one in English too.
During my pregnancy I was in my perfect zen mood: I ate and slept well. I did my yoga and meditation practice every day. I avoid drinking too much coffee, and of course, I didn’t drink any alcohol after I did my pregnancy test.
I was on a top of the mountain, but at the same time I did know, that this balance-like feeling wouldn’t last long – like any period in life doesn’t. There is always change waiting in a corner. I knew that in a couple of months my first mission was to look after the baby and my little girl, and that I wouldn’t have that luxury time to focus on my wellbeing that much. But: I wanted to believe that this balance that I had accomplish would help me when the time would be tight and I would be that busy mum multitasking in our every day life.
So, where are we now?
After nine weeks of the birth of our boy I woke up one morning feeling completely block. I had pain in my back and shoulders, and when I did my forward bent it felt clumsy. I realized that I haven’t had time to step on my yoga mat for a while. I was stuck in mentally and physically.
This is what it does to me when I don’t
have time to have my regular moments on my yoga mat.
Meanwhile my everyday life soundtrack sounds something like this: Wake up, feet the baby, make breakfast for the firstborn. Try to negotiate with her what to wear and eat. Try to get her ready to go to nursery with her father. Do the laundry, change durable nappies every two hours, maybe work two hours, and make lunch for my husband and me. Tidy the apartment. The firstborn comes home from day care. Diner. Tidy. Pyjamas on. Bedtime story. Then me getting up from the bed with the baby to feed him and then try to get sleep for two or three hours and then eat again. And bing the same all over again.
This everyday ritual and busy family life has made me forgot for a while what is really essential for me: my time on the yoga mat.
Luckily my body sent me a message to return back to my mat. It whispered to me and begged me to make that little time for myself. I learned my lesson, but I also learned a valuable lesson about busy everyday life that many of us are living. It is so easy when you have time and balanced life to give instructions to others, and as a yoga teacher I got good inside information and more understanding where most of us are coming from when they are entering in to a yoga class. Most of us enter in a class feeling tired and stressed. We have too much on our mind, and in this hectic life rhythm it is so difficult to stop and take that deep breath. Well all this I have learned.
Of course my mission for now is to look after the kids, but I do have to take care of myself so that I can be a happy mother to my children. I need to make space for my practice. So now when I have a little break (when the baby is sleeping) I enter to my mat and just do a short practice. It can be five minutes or a half an hour – you never know, but it is practice and I know that it is my petrol for life. And like in life, on my yoga mat too, I can always start all over again.
I am always been afraid of settling in just one place. In my late twenties when my friends started to buy houses and making kids, I escaped to Paris. I rented a studio from the first arrondissment, and I was happy with my 10 square meters attic apartment where I wash the dishes in the toilet sink. I knew that it was just a temporary thing. Now with family and all, you kind of have to stay and settle in somewhere. You need to enter in the system. You know what I mean, right? But what if, that is the problem.
Lately, I got myself thinking of the future. Our contract to our current apartment will end in the end of August. Before that we need to make decisions. Are we going to stay in this apartment and continue pay the rent (not so wise!)? Should we buy our own little apartment? Or should we just get a camping car and have a moving home? Or maybe go to a world tour? Of course it would be wise to buy something, and then, if we decide to do so, we could always rent it – but… there is something that makes me unpleasant about this.
Every time we start to speak about owning something, I start to panic. Also, the experience of owning a house in Spain has opened my eyes for the reality, and the heaviness that owning a big house can bring. Now in Helsinki, we actually made an offer of one apartment. A couple of days I was in panic if the offer would be accepted or not. Luckily, it wasn’t, because obviously we weren’t ready. It wasn’t for us, and that’s ok. I also accepted that right a way.
“Nothing is permanent except change” For
me, the message of this sentence has been difficult to adapt, because I tend to
think, that “oh, now we are here, and we are going to stay here forever, and
this is my life,” and then hits the panic. So when I started to actually adapt
the message of this sentence, I found it really calming, because it is so true.
Even if I would stay in the same place forever, nothing would stay the same in a
long run. Things changes, I will get older and change my mind million times, my
kids will grow up etc. In short terms I might be sad today, but tomorrow I will
laugh and dance and love the world – this is how it goes: it is all changing
all the time – and what a relief this is!
I am also lucky to have a husband who is really open mind about the future. When we bought the house in Alella, he told me, that this doesn’t have to be the rest of the life project. This I found calming, because if we do find something, it doesn’t have to mean that we are going to stay there forever.
Still, I sometimes find it stressful when someone asks “where do you see yourself in five years?” The honest answer is that I don’t know. At times I feel jealous of those who can settle in and stay where they are, and reply this question “right here”. But more I found my answer giving me freedom. I know that I will always fit in where I go, as does my family. The most important thing is that we are together. Still, freedom is also to know that everything will change, not as much, but the change rests in the air. Or it might be that my root chakra is just a little bit gipsy-like, and that my place is a little bit here and there.
It starts to be bright in the morning. Spring is definitely
coming here in Helsinki. This I found out when we came back from our winter
break from North of Finland. Asphalt is exposed under the snow and there is
smell of spring in the air. On the street I see people wearing more light
colors and they have changed their winter shoes to sneakers. I wonder, should I
too? Or just to keep my winter boots on for a couple more weeks just to be sure
not to get cold.
For me, early spring is hard. I start to feel restless and I just want to pack my bags and go for a long holiday. The nature starts to wake up and expose what rests under nead the snow — the same goes with me. After the winter the bright sun exposes all the unperfection in me: dry hair and skin. You can see the lack of the sun on my face. Early spring is a wake up call to start to do something. I started the month by reserving appointments to a hair dresser and to a beauty salon. For me and maybe for you, I recommend this months theme to be to take care of yourself. Give yourself a pampering moment in a spa and color your nails with a bright and inspiring nail polish.
Best of the month:
Drink: Squeeze lemon juice into room temperature water and enjoy the drink first thing in the morning. The health effects of lemon have been known for centuries. In short, lemon protects against disease and enhance the immune system.
Essential oil: I miss nature and walks in a forest. In my diffuser I have been using pine-scented essential oil to get more closer to trees. When I close my eyes, I could imagine being in a forest. This Frantsila’s essential oil energizes and stimulates in this early spring when I still feel tired.
Natural Cosmetics: I have been tasting this old Finnish cosmetic brand XZ, which have launched XZ-natura serie. Its shampoo and conditioner are perfect for winter-dried hair. Also the products are vegan and packed in recycled bottles.
Song of the month: Roisin Murphyn’s Ancora tu — this song makes me dream of a holiday in the sun.
Garment: Start to wear stripe shirt to freshen your
style. Stripes makes the spring! Every year this time light blue jeans and
stripe shirt makes a perfect combo for the season.
Yoga pose: Vrksasana, tree pose
Vrksasana is usually the closing movement of the standing series in Hatha yoga. This yoga pose grounds us in this moment when one foot is firmly rooted on the ground. Wood symbolizes protection and spiritual growth. Vrksasana is a position of calm: it lowers the heart rate and calms the mind. At the same time it is a balancing movement trains and it is a good hip opener.
Start in tadasana, place the other leg below or above the knee. Keep hand in prayer’s position in the heart centre, keep the pelvic in neutral position. Keep your gaze steady. Stay calm.
We didn’t plan to go on a winter holiday, but as I looked the calendar, I noticed that our girl has a winter break from nursery. So at day’s notice we decided to go to North of Finland to visit my mother. At first, I thought it is too difficult at four and especially with baby. You know, a long train trip! It would be so easy to stay home, right?
Luckily we had the energy to go for a holiday, because it was so worth it! The break has done it’s magic, maybe it is my mother’s cozy place or the effect spending time in a small town? Whatever it is, it is working for me every time, and I return back home feeling more relaxed and ready to face the challenges ahead.
During the week we have visited my favorite spot in Raahe, Mikonkari, where the landscape is always so magical – almost a dream-like. I have visited all the local second hand markets. With my girl we went to library and to eat waffles in the local café. And as a little town benefits, I made an appointment for a relaxing face and foot treatment in eco beauty salon in one days notice. The highlight of the morning has been walks with my mother’s dog alone in beautiful winter wonderland, even when it is cold, it doesn’t feel that cold when the sun is shining. And coffee: that we have been drinking a several cups a day – like we always do at my mother’s place.
It is wonderful to have this chance to return to my hometown, to return back to my roots. It feels safe to realize that some things stay the same, and my children are going to experience the same places as I did when I was little. It is a beauty to experience the slowness that this little town has in it: you know the people in the cafés and they have time to catch up, dog walkers have time to stop and say hello. You breath the slowness, and you know it is good for you.
After this leisurely holiday week, I have again realized how important it is that you have you close ones near, and you can spend time with them. I have also realized that for a holiday you don’t need to organize a big thing or too much action – what me and my family needs, it is to spent time together. The firstborn has enjoyed most of all that she can spend time with her grandma. My husband has enjoyed long walks on the iced sea and the beautiful winter weather. For me, I have enjoyed having conversations with my mother, the extra help (of course!) and by doing all the normal things that I usually do at my mother’s place.
This holiday week has once again prove, that you don’t have to go far away to go on a break, sometimes these small actions without planning and filling your days with schedule is all that your family needs. After all the meaning of a holiday is to relax, isn’t it?
For me the first signs of spring are the hints to start change the season in my wardrobe. This means I pack my autumn/winter clothes away and bring the spring ones in. This method I have done a couple of years now, and I found it really helpful in my ongoing wardrobe crisis. Also, this seasonal thinking is a responsible action for the planet, too. I will tell you why, and why you should try this too.
When I started to do the seasonal swap in my wardrobe, I started to do more findings from my closet. And why is this? Because a half of the year most of the clothes are not on my sight, so when I found them again, it is like they are new to me, and I am all excited to mix them together and create new outfits. This seasonal update has also taught me to identify, which clothes I actually wear, so I learn more about my style, too. I have also learned which clothes I wear in a particular season. For example for spring, I am always into stripes, polka dots, light and pastel colors, and I like to wear light blue jeans and button shirt. I am sure you are with me on this, because year after year women’s magazines highlights these trends – only models, lengths and widths of clothes changes and follows the fashion cycle. This is why I can assure, you do have things to wear this spring, and next one too – just go and look!
As I pointed, the seasonal thinking
of the wardrobe has also taught me to identify my style. I have more idea what
I actually wear. When I am swapping the clothes on my wardrobe and notice that
there are clothes that I haven’t wear in that season, I normally sell them on
second hand market or give them to a charity shop. Also, I try to analyze why I
haven’t wear the item and learn from it, that I won’t buy that style or color again.
For example I have learned that I don’t wear long cardigans, white button
shirts or black pencil skirts. These are the items that are normally considered
to be the basic clothes, but for me, well they are not. This is where we get to
the idea, that there doesn’t exist universal basic clothing that everyone
should own. For others black smart pants are essentials, others would never
wear them.
And finally, I think the talk about creating perfect wardrobe and about clothes and style is absurd. We are advised to clean up our closets and create that perfect style and buy only clothes that makes us feel happy and great – well is it this all a little bit too much? We are talking about clothes! Or let the antifashion old lady Vivienne Westwood put it better. In 2006 she created campaign called Get A Life against the consumerism. Westwood urged people to spend more time in art galleries instead of shopping ” to be more cultivated and therefore more human” (Press 2016, 301). Not a bad idea in this IG era.
It is also necessary to realize that we need to change our point of view about dressing and buying new stuff. The question of “how do I build a perfect closet” should be changed to the following: how do I use and combine the clothes that I own? Already, this change of perspective will serve better the planet, because you will lengthen the life cycle of a piece of clothing. And it is a fact that no one of us will ever own 100 % perfect wardrobe, that will last, because within years we will change, our life circumstances will change, maybe our living country or job will change – we might change as a person, too. Anyway, these factors will effect how we dress up. When you let go of the idea of making a perfect wardrobe, you will set yourself free and start to look with different eyes your closet.
Press, Claire 2016: Wardrobe Crisis – How we went from Sunday best to fast fashion. Skyhorse Publishing.
Okay, our son
is only about a month old, but I dare to say that being second time mother feels
so much easier than with the first one. In a way, that’s logical, but I still can’t
help wondering, how much easier it is in this time.
I was, of
course, very happy when our firstborn was born, but horrible uncertain – as many
new mothers are. I dared hardly sleep when I was afraid that the child would
not breathe. I also needed a lot of support from my husband. At that time,
though, we lived in Paris, so all the bureaucratic stuff and the bookings of
medical times were left to my husband. It was also that, I was in a hurry to
recover to be a woman again and get back in shape. I wanted to have a dinner
with my friends, have a glass of wine and go to a yoga class – partly I wanted
my former life back. Also, with the firstborn, it always changes the dynamic of
the relationship. For the first time with my husband, we argued and we were so tired.
Of course, we always made it up. In our relation, mutual trust, a similar
worldview and sense of humor, are the things that have glued us even closer
together. At that time, I was also lucky to have husband who took part in baby
care.
Now, with the second child, I have experienced motherhood easy. Before getting pregnant, I sometimes wondered if I wanted another child after all. Then, when I found out to be pregnant, I wondered: Oh god, are we ready to start all over again? I also thought, how could I share love with this second child? Would I love the second one as I love the first one?
As the pregnancy progressed and me, doing my everyday meditation, I started to feel more certainty and empowering experiences that this child has a purpose to come now. I felt this inside calmness that gave me certainty, that I will be stronger this time; I will be that lion mother who has energy to stay up with the baby.
When our baby
boy was born, I felt a tremendous sense of love that has become stronger and
stronger every day. I enjoy my partial maternity leave and lazy days with my
baby. This time waking up several times during the nights – well it doesn’t
feel that bad, I am not even that tired
that I was with the first one (of course, we kind of have got used to that
during these three years with our fist one the nights are what they are). Also,
I enjoy washing durable nappies and just do normal everyday things at home – I
am kind of modern housewife, I guess, and it doesn’t bother me. This is a short
period of my life, and my intention is to live it fully. I know that somewhere
around two and a half years it will start to get easier again. Or maybe just then
we decide to try to have a baby and start all over again. And no: this is not
an invitation to make babies, but kind of an ode to parenting and motherhood.
And what comes to that feeling of love, it has grown toward my girl and to my husband. It is lovely to kiss with my husband and to realize that I love him even more. Second baby – it is apparently good for your relationship, too.
With the New Year there always comes an opportunity to change things, chance of new beginnings. To our family the start of the year has been really about new beginnings when our baby boy was born. And after that I have literally slowed down (that is why the favorite list of the months comes now in February). In these past weeks I have lived in a baby bubble. From our sixth floor apartment I have looked when it has been snowing, listened the silence during night times. The new everyday routine left me with the feeling that sometimes I don’t even know if it is day or night. Even when I have been feeling tired, I do have to share this: I am so happy about this baby boy, and that I am now a mother of two children.
After giving birth my body is in a slow
recovering process. This time I will give it its time to recover, and try not to
rush to be a woman again. This beginning of the year is literally for me a
slowly waking up process – that is why the theme of the month is slow waking;
maybe you feel the same, too. Anyway, below you will find my good mood list of
the month. Enjoy!
Book of the month: Late Bloomers
by Eveliina Nieminen. This short novel collection is all about today’s
overachieving people who try to be the best version of them self. These short
stories dive deep into our western culture and in its sharp and sarcastic way.
Also, there are beautiful illustrations in this book and you just want to stop
reading for a while and have a pause. I even got inspiration to start drawing
again.
Natural cosmetics: Mádara’s Gloss and Vibration Shampoo and Nourish and Repair Conditioner. I have used these natural cosmetics products a couple of months, and I can assure that these hair products are the best for my thin and blondened hair. The shampoo is giving my hair extra volume and shine, and the conditioner is making sure that my hair is soft and more silkier.
3 x yoga asanas of the month
I have returned to my yoga mat with
softness and in humility. Below you can find asanas, which I do every night.
Paschimottanasana “west stretching pose”
Did you know that forwarding bend has a
calming effect to your mind? It draw us into the inner mysteries and dynamics
of our lives. The energetic effects of forward bends are concentrated in the
lower chakras, often revealing base emotions held deep in the body. When you
hold this position at least five minutes, you have a time to explore your
feelings.
Sit tall in Dandasana. Check that your
sitting bones are grounded. If needed add a towel on your sitting bones to help
you bend forward. Bring the hands toward
the feet as far as possible without bending the spine. Clasp there to leverage
the activation of the legs, lengthening of the spine, and anterior rotation of
the pelvis. Draw the torso forward over the legs. With each inhale, lengthen
the spine, and with each exhale release the torso forward. Try not to get your
head at first to your legs, instead of concentrate on drawing the heart center
up and forward. Keep your legs active. Feel how the back of the body release,
and how the posture stretch the muscles around the pelvis.
Supported chest opener
Add a couple of blocks and bolster on your
mat as you see in the picture. If you don’t have these, you can always use a
pile of pillows. Then lye down and let your upper body rest against the
bolster. Relax your arms to the side. You can let your legs rest straight or
bring the feet together. Enjoy and relax. This is a good position to do a
little meditation.
Balasana “Child’s pose”
This is a nurturing pose; we are in this
position during nine months of gestion and naturally return to this fetal
position to nurture or protect ourselves.
You can always do this asana without a
bolster, but for me with this support balasana is just heaven.
How to get in Balasana?
Release the hips back towards and to the
heels. Then lay down. Let your other cheek rest on a pillow or a bolster and
release your arms straight ahead. Relax. After a couple of minutes change your
head to other direction and let the other cheek rest on your bolster.
New year brings us a reflection of new choices that we want to accomplish. Often we want to be thinner, happier or make a move in our career path. Maybe this year you could choose another theme, maybe this year could be the year that you start to make more sustainable choices in your everyday life. Your life will be more meaningful when you do good for the planet and others than just concentrate on making a better version of yourself, I will promise!
I made a list of 15 easy steps you can take towards sustainable living. Maybe some of these habits are already familiar to you, and you have already taken the action. In the end you can count how many points you have so far, and what kind of changes you can make this year to live in a more responsible way. Use a hastag #sustainableaction2019 on Instagram, if you want to share what kind of ecological choices you will make this year.
1. Reduce the amount of plastic. Stop using plastic bags. Bring your own fabric bags everywhere you go. (1p.) Also, put in your bag little paper or fabric bags where you can put fruits, peanut etc. – little things you are buying. (1p.) Start recycling plastic, and try to reduce buying stuff that is wrap in plastic. (1p.)
2. Save water. Have you thought how much water goes just to sewer? Do you take long showers or let the tap water on while brush your teeth? Make a movement, and close the tap while adding a shampoo or brushing your teeth. (1 p.) If you have a habit to buy plastic water bottles at home, think, if you could just add a filter to your tap?
3. Start to do bookkeeping. (1p.) Yes, this
is a good way to look at where your money goes. Make a different category for
food on weekly base, cafés, clothes and other stuff. I started to mark down
everything that we buy, and even that we have cut down our spending, I want to
use less and less money every month. I promise you this is a good way to start
living more sustainable way – and you save money, too.
4. Sort the garbage. (1p.) Nowadays sorting garbage is so easy. So if you are still putting everything in the mix bin, start to recycle paper, carton, plastic, glass, metal and organic waste. If you don’t have recycling bins a near by, could you make a trip to the nearest recycling point once a week? Or are you living in a house? Could you make a composter in your garden? We did have one when we were living in Spain, and it was so interesting to se how fast the organic waste fall apart and what was growing from our composter.
5. Reduce eating meat and dairy products. (1p.) Today we have many vegetable protein base substitute for meat that there is no excuse not to try it. If this is difficult for you, start with baby steps. Try for example to eat vegetarian dish every other day or one time a week – what suits best for you!
6. Reduce paper waste. Order you
bills in electrical for and give old and read magazines to your neighbor or
friends. (1p.) Or could you read your favorite magazine on Ipad?
7. Invest steel or glass water bottle
and durable take away –mug if you are used to buy take away coffee many times a
week. (1p.) Also, if you are buying lunch, could you take with you your own box
where you put the lunch?
8. Replace normal washing powder an
ecological one. (1 p.) Fill your washing machine to its maxim and lower washing
temperature from 40 to 30 degree. (1p.) Think also, do the clothing really need
washing or could you just air? For example sweaters hardly need washing and
they stay better if you just air it. Buy little bags for clothes that can
release micro plastic to the water system. (1p.) Good tip is to try the washing
nuts, that I have been using lately. I
think they work well, and the good thing is that I can use the same washing
nuts second time and then just adding them to or organic waste bin. As a bonus,
my kid just love to participate with me to do the laundry when she can count
washing nuts and add them to this little fabric bag and put it in the machine.
9. Change everyday cosmetics to
organic ones. (1p.) If you take care of you body, why would you want to add it
a toxic products? Nowadays you can find organic cosmetic products from local
market that are in reasonable price. I started to use organic products for my
skin when I was expecting my first one and during these years I have noticed
that I have less problem with my skin and my hair is stronger. This all even
when I have changed my living country three times in these past four years.
Also, if you are ambitious, you can make organic cosmetics by yourself. Online
you can find lots of tutorials how to make them. (1p.)
10. Say no to fast fashion, stop buying cheap clothes and avoid making impulsive shopping decisions. (1p.) Get to know your style and body shape – this really save you a money and time, when you know what suits you and what you are going to wear year after year. Also, learn more about materials. Buy rarely, buy quality. Learn how to lengthen the life cycle of clothing. Learn how to take care of different materials and how to fix broken garment. (1p.)
11. Reduce buying online and support
you local stores. (1p.) Have you thought how much packaging waste it causes
when we order things that are wrapped in plastic and then again put in a
carton, talking about all the carbon footprint it causes when the package is
send from point A to your home door, and then in the worst case return from
your door to the company. Of course it depends where you live, and if you can
go shopping in your area or is it obligatory to order things. Anyway, start to
pay more attention how often you order things, and if it is really necessary.
12. Lower the temperature at home.
(1p.) In Finland, this is a case that we warm houses and apartments too much. 1
or 2 degrees less – I am sure we could all manage, and sleep better. Also,
lower a consummation of electricity: don’t charge phones or computers over
night and turn off lighting when is not needed. (1p.)
13. Reduce air travel. (1p.)This might be the hardest part for most of us. We know that flying is bad for the planet, but when it comes to our own pleasure, it is hard to say no, if you have chance to travel. Start by little steps. Count how many times you were flying last year, and then try to fly less this year. For me, I am going to reduce flying for weekend destinations. I have notices that short holidays only cause stress. My intention is travel more on the road and less on the plane. Also, I try to be more content where I am right now.
14. Instead of buying take away
lunches for work or for travel, try to make your own dishes at home. This is
one way to safe money and the planet. Also take a glass box and cutlery with
you everywhere you go. (1p.)
15. If you have children, teach them
how to recycle and live more sustainable way. If not, share you Zero waste tips
to others. (1p.)
The maximum score is 22.
How did it go? What tips are you going to try this year?
Here is some of my personal goals
that I am going to try this year:
I will try to make more cleaning products of my own.
I am going to reduce even more the plastic waste.
Also, I am going to do less shopping from flea markets and make more clothes of my own.
One goal is to use durable diapers for our newborn. I am not going to make an obsession about it, but I am going to use durable diapers during the day and the plastic ones during the night. I will write more about these topics this year and how my projects are going.
Have a wonderful start of the year!
Lets make this planet more sustainable and happier place to live.
Milan Kundera writes in his novel La Lenteur (1993) something that goes like this: When things happen too fast, nobody can be sure of anything, nothing really. Not even ourselves.
Things like
friends, family, community, connect us to this planet – and they require time
so that they can flourish.
During the
holidays I realized: I don’t want a family that communicates with notes on a
fridge, are in a hurry in the mornings and have a full schedule planned for
weeks ahead on the door of fridge. Nope! But when you start to slow down, it
also means less money. You need to give up on something and make sacrifices. For
us this means, for example, that instead of making lots of money to buy a big
apartment, we are going to get a little one – if we want to follow this path
and stay in Finland.
Last autumn, I attended to a Mindfulness course at the Adult education center. This course was important in so many ways. Because of the low price, we were a group of variegated people: pensioners, young students, middle age women and men already tired of the working life, housewives and curious minds like me. Everyone had their backgrounds and reasons to attend this course. However, one factor was common: they all seemed to suffer from a strong stress experience and a feeling of inadequacy in their daily lives. From the mindfulness course they had come to seek more conscious presence and stress management skills in their everyday life.
During the course we did meditation and relaxation exercises, we ate a candy in a mindful way (very slowly) to taste all its variations. We did a walking meditation a playground near by and discussed. At the end of the course, a spouse who had recently lost her husband stated that she had noticed the benefits of doing regular mindfulness exercises in her everyday life. She said, that she felt less stress in her everyday life and she had started to do things more consciously, such as, for example, washing the dishes.
During Christmas, I did a social media detox and went offline for some days. Although, I think my Instagram use is still under control, I did notice that without a phone in my hand every “boring time” I did get to experience sweet boredom … even when I did get things done more efficacy than usual, I did get to actually feel a bit bored – the felling that we hardly experience today. We have so many things to do all the time. I could have take my computer and write a new blog post or to advance my work projects, but this time I decided to surrender for this sweet feeling of boredom. After a couple of days when I finished my detox, I forgot to open my Instagram and I realized I wanted to be more offline. A pause did its work.
During those
days I had more time to think in clear mind and make place for new ideas.
In his book Slow – Live Slower, Carl Honoré summarizes the philosophy of slowness in one word: balance. And for that, there’s no shortcut or magic button to press. For experience balance in life we just need to practice more conscious presence in our everyday life.
After I participated in a meditation and relaxation teacher training, I find that, I have become a bit more hippie than before, but I feel that the most important thing we can do to maintain balance in our life is to practice conscious breathing, where the thoughts are guided for this moment and your breathing rhythm only. For me, this insight has helped me in everyday life and all the challenges that I have faced. Always: just take a deep breath. I recommend. Try it and make it a habit.
Instead of
starting the year in a rush and putting the barrier even higher, I decided to
lower it this time. For my family and me, our common theme for the year 2019 is
slow growing in various areas in our life.
Its cornerstones are presence, balance and enjoying our time here in this
planet.
