February 2007 – Issue 44

Keeping Up With Heather-An Inconvenient Truth

Article: Great Health and Fitness for You and the Earth

Article: Long Term Planning for Long Term Fitness Success

Updates: Yoga Classes in Canberra, YTT Canada

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Keeping up with Heather

Hello Friends,

I hope that this newsletter reaches you healthy and happy and enjoying the year so far. I realize that I am far behind many of you who have already seen Al Gore's environmental film "An Inconvenient Truth", and thank you for continuing to encourage me to see it. It is finally available on DVD here in Australia, and it was well worth the wait. Gore speaks passionately but reasonably about the concerns that we are all feeling these days about the state of the Earth and the many changes that we are undergoing as a planet. Just this year alone we have seen some significant climate changes around the world; no snow in the alps, widespread droughts, severe storms and flash flooding, that are compelling people across the globe to begin to realize that we are responsible for a great deal of this climate change, and that we are equally responsible for effecting positive change in order to reduce the impacts of our growing population and its need for resources, and sustain a healthy life on Earth for many generations to come.

I highly recommend seeing Gore's film, and then of course taking action in whatever areas are available to you to assist in reducing our impact on the global environment, and creating solutions for long-term environmental care. I also might suggest that you read a novel by Michael Crichton called "State of Fear" which appears to take the opposite view of climate change, but (for me at least) served to remind me that the change is in the hands of individuals like you and me in our everyday lives, and is not a cause that we can simply throw money at.

With that said, "The Inconvenient Truth" offers a few tips on what you can do, today, to ensure that your own home and habits are environmentally friendly, I share them with you below:

Ten Things To Do

Here are ten simple things you can do, and how much carbon dioxide you'll save by doing them.

Change a Light: Replacing six regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs will save 400kg of carbon dioxide a year.

Drive Less: Walk, bike or take public transport more often. You'll save 1.5kg of carbon dioxide for every 5km you don't drive!

Recycle More: You can save 1000kg of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

Check Your Tires: Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve your car's fuel efficiency. Every litre of petrol saved keeps 2.5kg of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Use Less Hot Water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing an energy efficient triple A rated showerhead (3 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (225kg saved per year).

Avoid Products With a Lot of Packaging: You can save 545kg of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

Adjust Your Thermostat: Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. You could save about 900kg of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

Plant a Tree: A single tree will absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

Turn Off Electronic Devices: Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.

Be More Active: Learn more and get active at www.climatecrisis.net.

Reproduced from "An Inconvenient Truth" 2007 Paramount Pictures.

Well, with that, I offer this month's Messenger, with a few of my own suggestions for a healthier Earth and a healthier body

Namaste, Heather.

Great Health For You and the Earth

Metaphysically the Earth has a relationship with our own physical bodies. The world mind could be seen as a macrocosm of our own individual mind, and the physical body could be seen as a microcosm of the Earth as a physical body. This concept is found in many indigenous traditions, ancient philosophies, and traditional medical practices. And whether you believe this concept or not, the better you care for your own physical being, the better you will be on our Earth...you can't help it...the two go hand in hand.

Think about it, if you want to have a healthy body you eat fresh fruits, vegetables and grains; fresher foods that come with less packaging and hopefully have traveled a shorter distance to you and have been exposed to less harmful chemicals. Fresh fruits and veggies have been grown with more care (especially in the case of permaculture or biodynamics) and are thus better for you, the land, and the people growing, harvesting and processing your food. If you want to have a healthy body you start thinking of walking or cycling to work to get a bit more exercise. Surprise...this is another surefire way not only to trim down your waistline and tone your muscles, but will also decrease the amount of carbon emissions that you contribute each year. And, if you want to be a healthier person you consume less snacks, junk foods and convenience foods, which usually have the most packaging and are prepared with the most chemicals. So, a healthier lifestyle for you means a healthier lifestyle for Earth herself. Here is my "top seven" list for a health plan for you and Earth as lifelong fitness partners:

You and the Earth; A Health Partnership for Life!

Exercise. Exercise is a huge factor when it comes to physical and mental health, longevity, and reduced usage of health care systems. You will put less strain on your own body, less strain on the community, and you will be less of a burden to the Earth's resources in the long term if you are physically fit. Being physically fit means being active most days of the week. Walking is the easiest, cheapest and most effective way to prevent most of the major causes of illness today, including stress-related ailments. If you can, walk outside instead of on the treadmill. It saves all the energy of producing the treadmill (which is considerable) and the energy required to power it, and it gives you a chance to connect with nature.

Shop Right. When you are shopping bring your own bags. There are great cloth and canvas options now on the market that are inexpensive, convenient, and even come in pastel shades. There is no need for plastic bags anymore. And, please try to fight the urge to put all your fruits and veggies in their own plastic (what's that for anyway?). Buy as much fresh, organic, locally grown produce as you can. Fill the bottom section of the cart with fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains, and use the smaller top section for canned, bottled and packaged foods.

Get Fresh. Source out a local food co-op or health food store where you can bring your own containers to fill up on essentials like nut butters, legumes, cereals, rice and grains year round. And, perhaps they will offer seasonal veggies, dairy, eggs and organic meats from local growers. Decreasing the number of steps from the food to you will increase its vitality and decrease the environmental impact, so choose local as often as you can.

Water. In many communities your tap water and bottled water have the same source, so why not cut out the middle man and all the packaging and enjoy your tap water in a glass or steel bottle? If you want to improve on the quality of your tap water, having a distiller or reverse osmosis system installed will save you a great deal of money over the long term, will save you the harmful chemicals in plastic, and will save the world the huge amount of energy required to recycle the many bottles that we use each day.

Join a CSA. A Community Supported Agriculture program can provide you with beautiful locally grown organic produce at a much cheaper rate than you would pay in the grocery stores, and you will be supporting a community effort to farm sustainably. There are many such programs around the world, why not hop on the net and see what programs are in your area. There may even be one that will deliver right to your door.

Get in the Garden. Start your own backyard or balcony garden, or if you live in a city, join a community gardening project. Get your hands in the Earth and grow your own food. Nothing is cheaper, more nutritious, or more satisfying than growing your own produce. If there isn't a community garden in your area, perhaps you can be the pioneer and take a leadership role in developing a community of gardeners in your neighborhood. A great way to meet new people, develop skills, get some exercise, and grow delicious sun-ripened food for your family.

Ask For It. Talk to your local grocer about bringing in organic foods, environmentally friendly cleaners, and recycled paper products. Remember that grocery store owners/managers are people just like you and me, and have their own interests in having healthy and sustainable habits. But, even the most revenue-oriented grocer will respond to a demand for more organics and fresh foods...the law of supply and demand still applies when our consumer habits become more eco-friendly. If you will buy it, they will stock it!

I look forward to hearing your own suggestions for better health for you and our planet...please forward your thoughts to heather@yogatrinity.com

Long-Term Planning for Long-Term Health

With the end of "Resolution Month" I am always eager to hear how you are all going in your quest for better health and fitness. January is a booming time for gyms, diet centers, and magazines touting the latest "weekend detox" plan. But, as we all know January comes and goes in a flash and we are often left wondering why our "quick fixes" weren't so quick! The truth of the matter, and yes you already know this, is that great health is not a short-term proposition. It requires long-term thinking and long-term action to effect real change to our health, and to maintain that positive change.

One of my clients who has achieved a great and lasting success in her weight loss and health endeavors - on her own in her own home gym - told me that after many years of achieving quick success with short term actions, and then just as quickly returning to her old weight and state, she finally came to the realization that what she did to lose weight was going to be pretty similar to what she had to do to maintain that weight loss and fitness level. And, she was right. We can't just exercise for a few weeks and then enjoy the benefits of that exercise for the rest of the year from the sofa. Exercise, to be truly beneficial, must make a space in our lives for the long term. Thus, when we are creating our own health plan, we must consider making a plan that we can stick to (and enjoy) for the long term. And, of course, the same is true for our nutritional choices. We will see no success in our health endeavors if our approach is short-term and short-sighted. A few weeks of healthy eating will result in great improvements to your health and your weight. But, if not sustained, this change will also not be sustaining. So, as we enter February perhaps it's time to start thinking about where you want to be in December, and what steps you can take to arrive at December with a healthy body, relaxed mind, and fulfilling lifestyle.

I recommend making a long term plan, like at least 6 months, and taking some time to really reflect on what techniques and programs will really fit into your lifestyle and have staying power. One of my clients who travels a lot for work and couldn't set out a specific day and time for exercise had a brilliant idea. He decided that he wanted to run a certain number of kilometres in the year, and then broke it down into monthly and weekly averages and then if he missed a few days, he could always make it up. With this kind of plan, no matter what happens in your life, you can make exercise fit into your lifestyle, rather than trying to fit your schedule around exercise.

Another very inspiring exerciser told me that she and her husband had created a "points" system. Each session of exercise added a point, and each "extra" in their diet, like wine, sweets or fatty foods removed a point. They figured that if at the end of each day they came out in the positive, they were reaching their goals, and from what I hear so far they are doing great.

A client I worked with many years ago lost 15 pounds and was freed from his asthma inhaler by creating a "lead weight" list. Anything he ate that felt like a lead weight in his stomach, he put on the list and didn't eat any more. Over time this removed all the foods from his diet that were not being digested well and upsetting his system, and he found great health and vitality through this simple step.

My point here is this, you don't need any more information, education or exercise trends achieve a healthy lifestyle. But, perhaps with a little creativity and a longer-term vision you can make all the nutritional and exercise knowledge you already have work for you. Look at the issues that are holding you back, and then try to plan around them. Planning ahead for exercise, grocery shopping, cooking healthy meals and taking some time for relaxation is an excellent way to begin to develop healthy habits for the long term. And, adding an element of flexibility is essential if your plan is going to work in today's hectic lifestyle. Setting out your goals in writing will make them more present in your life, and will help you to regularly re-assess how your plan is working for you. Here is a sample:

Goal: Lose 10 pounds in 6 months

Action Steps:

Walk 3 hours each week (this can be broken down into segments that fit your ever-changing schedule)

Eat only 2 extras each day (and plan for them so that you can look forward to your favorites!)

For one of my meals each day I will have a large fresh salad.

Re-Assess

I will re-assess my plan every month to determine any changes to my program, and re-evaluate my plan.

This type of planning allows you to think long term, and will help you to achieve long-term benefits while allowing for changes in your schedule, and giving you a chance to regularly assess your progress. I hope that February brings you great inspiration for long term health and vitality, and I look forward to hearing your success!

Upcoming Events

Yoga & Pilates Classes Canberra

Yoga and Pilates Classes begin January 30 in Canberra (12 week block)

• Venue: ACT Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Yarramundi Reach, ACT
• Location: On Lady Denman Drive between Clunies Ross/Parkes Way and Tuggeranong Pkwy - totem poles out front
• Cost: $15 drop in, $12 per class 1 class/week, $10 per class 2+classes/week

Schedule:

• Tues: 6pm Core Yoga, 7:15pm Hatha Yoga
• Wed: 6pm Hatha Yoga (Beginners), 7:15pm Ashtanga Yoga (Intermediate)
• Thurs: 6pm Core Yoga, 7:15pm Hatha Yoga

Please note due to unavailability at our venue there will be no classes on Feb 13, 20 & Mar 1

For details, class descriptions and registration information please visit http://www.yogatrinity.com/schedule.html

Yoga Teacher Training Canada

There is an opportunity for another Yoga Teacher Training program in Tottenham, Ontario Canada this autumn, so if you are interested in taking part in this unique program, and becoming a Registered Yoga Instructor, please contact Shira Harrison MacIntyre of Balance Yoga Studio at info@balanceyogastudio.ca or write to heather@yogatrinity.com