Occupy London: If You Don't Like Sleeping in a Tent...

Occupy Wall Street Protester

 The Occupy movement has taken a hit in London last week. How they move forward will determine whether or not Occupy London fizzles and fades completely or transforms into a force to be reckoned with. I think Larry Cornies has very succinctly summed up the way I feel about the whole movement in London, so I won't bother to try to say it all again in my own words. I do know that if I were in NYC I would've joined the protest being that Wall Street is one of the main arteries of corruption in the U.S. and globally –although I probably would've only lasted a week before I became restless and felt like I needed to see some progress and then wandered off trying to find a way to make it happen. I guess I'm impatient that way.

However, I do believe all of the Occupy protests serve a purpose and need to happen.  Every angle needs to be covered if we are to create lasting change. Protesting is necessary, activism is necessary, education is necessary, informed personal choices are necessary. Above all else, dialogue is necessary. It won't happen over night, but if we're relentless, change is inevitable.

I've been asking myself, what can I do to contribute to the Occupy movement? I can: stop participating in things that are contributing to the problems we're trying to put an end to and start supporting the things I would like to see be a part of the world we're all trying to create. No, I'm not part of a mob when I do it, but it's still effective. I know you also have a vision of a better world, but what are you willing to do to make it a reality in your personal life?

As I continue to take action upon action toward making my vision a reality, my life continues to transform. The twenty-something I used be no longer resembles who I am now. Never would I think I would stop eating fast-food and drastically reduce the amount of meat I eat or get rid of Javex, Tide, Vim, Glade ( etc., etc., etc.) for natural household alternatives. I do need to start walking and riding my bike more and I know I will because everything I do means I'm breaking a cycle and contributing to something better. It takes patience and effort to create a new habit, but I'm committed. That's how I plan to Occupy Earth.


If it's the environment you're concerned about, what are you doing to stop harmful chemicals from the commercial products you use to no longer go down your drain or pollute the air in your house or seep into your skin? If you buy it, they will make it.

If it's community, when is the last time you have volunteered? Got to know your neighbours? Spoke to your councillor? Joined a grassroots initiative that was working to create positive change? If you knock on the door, someone will answer it.

If it's the corporations you are going after, why not turn your attention to local businesses instead?

Last week on Twitter, J.D. owner of P'lovers tweeted about the 3/50 project which is a simple action we can all take. Pick 3 local businesses and spend $50 at each of them each month. The economical and ecological impact is worth it. And although I'm not physically at the Occupy protest in our city, this is one of the many ways I choose to show that I agree something has got to change with how our world operates. It's something we can all do and with the Christmas shopping blitz in full effect, what better time to start than now?

If you go to the 3/50 project page they ask you to think about the three independently owned businesses you couldn't live without. I have more than three that I like to spend my money at, but here are my top picks:

P'lovers
Curiosities Gift Shop
Jaydancin



What three independently owned businesses would you not be able to live without? I would love to hear from you so I can discover new treasures to support in our city and thereby also support sustainability, fair trade and eco-conscious production.

I would also like to hear some of the actions you have been taking to create the world the Occupy movement is making space for. The more we share, the more we learn. I look forward to your positive and creative suggestions.

Whatever social issue or problem you would like to see change, there is something you can do about it now, so get busy!

P.S. Complaining doesn't count.

Yoga in All the Right Places

Recently, my friend and mala bead maven Diana Charabin of Tiny Devotions joined me at the gym for one of my yoga classes. Afterward she blogged about it and Diana was right, the environment was noisy... at first.  As she also mentioned, the noise eventually faded away and all that was left was us practicing our asanas together.

I'm not going to lie –a fitness gym is not the "ideal" environment to be practicing yoga in. Personally, I prefer to practice in one of the beautiful studios at the Downtown Holistic Yoga Centre with my favourite teacher, Ajith –whenever I get the chance, that is.

So why do I teach yoga at the gym? Well, as Diana wrote, the gym is where my love of yoga began. Ten years ago, I happened to watch Late Show with David Letterman and Madonna was being interviewed. I listened to her talk about her new passion for yoga and then watched as she twisted herself into scorpion pose. That was enough for me to walk into my first yoga class at the gym I belonged to at the time. I was far from a believer. I just wanted to be ripped like Madonna, not sitting in lotus pose chanting "OM". But my beautiful teacher, Kiran, introduced me to the artful practice of yoga and it changed my life in more ways than I could ever anticipate. What made it even more a of a pleasant surprise was I didn't see it coming. I just thought I was attending another group exercise class. After all, yoga was just stretching, right?

My yoga practice has been such a gift in my life that I vowed I would share it with others who would be as least suspecting as I was, which is why I teach yoga at the gym. As far as I can tell, people who take their practice seriously enough to go to a studio are already familiar with the depths of what yoga can offer. I find no joy in preaching to the choir; I'd rather open the door that leads to a studio experience. Teaching at the gym gives me a front row seat where I can have the pleasure of watching men and women transform into yogis. It also allows me the privilege of putting my practice to the test as I apply this pearl of wisdom: find inner peace amidst chaos and you'll be able to find peace anywhere.

Namaste.