Why Earth Day Is Now One of My Favorite Holidays

When I moved to California in September of 1998 I told myself I would check out this yoga thing. As soon as I was settled I checked out a class and was immediately hooked. I loved the way it made me feel. I wanted more and tried out lots of different classes and took my first training within 3-4 months of moving to California.

Yoga philosophies resonated with my beliefs and I quickly realized that what I put into my body and mind impacted me. As a result, I found myself paying attention more to the world around me. Combined with the experience of living by the ocean the environmentalist in me began to surface. I began recycling, I started picking up trash rather than walking past it, and I started spending more time outside - hiking, walking on the strand, and at that time rollerblading.

My love and passion for the earth continues to grow. I’m now a real ‘tree hugger’ and often cry when I see a tree being cut down. But my commitment is more than that. I no longer use toxic cleaning products, I scrutinize the ingredients and production practices of all of the body products we use, I eat mostly organic food, run all my errands at one time and purchase recycled paper products for YogaBuddies.

Yoga teaches balance through postures, meditation and pranayama (breathing). I’m finding this month I am exploring balance. I like studying Chinese medicine and am fascinated by how it teaches balance through Yin and Yang.

Yang is activity, heat, fire, brightness, excitement, stimulation, the father or masculine energy.

Yin is rest, quiet, completion, fruition, receptiveness, the mother or feminine energy.

Neither is better than the other. In fact we need both – in balance. In our go, go, go and do, do, do (Yang) society we often need to remember to take time to rest, relax, and just be (Yin).

Finding something (healthy) that allows you to let go is very important. Being in nature is often a great way to acknowledge the Yin in your life and (often very quickly) helps keep us grounded.

In honor of Earth Day my recommendations for finding balance in nature are:

- Taking a walk

- Going on a hike

- Sitting under a tree

- Walking in the grass with bare feet

- Smelling a flower

- Sitting at the beach (or near any body of water)

- Standing still outside to listen to the sounds around you

- Gardening

- If you aren’t able to get in nature, close your eyes and visualize a place