Having evolved among the Brahmin sages of ancient India some 3000-5000 years ago, Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing that is a complete medical system. It recognizes that ultimately all intelligence and wisdom flow from one Absolute source (Paramatman). Health manifests by the grace of the Absolute acting through the laws of Nature (Prakriti). Ayurveda assists Nature by promoting harmony between the individual and Nature by living a life of balance according to her laws. [Read more →]

Summer is in full swing and you’re skin knows it. Before you rush out to sample the joys of summer sun worship, make sure you are following a diet and a routine that will help keep your Pitta dosha in balance.

According to ayurveda, every individual is a unique combination of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is mainly air and space, Pitta fire and water and Kapha water and earth. These doshas govern the seasons of the year, with Pitta, the fire element, ruling the hot summer months. During the summer, even if you do not have a lot of Pitta in your make-up, you may find that you need to take steps [Read more →]

Morning Yoga

Growing up in an East Indian household, I took much of the beauty and the traditions of the Hindu culture for granted. From simple things like my mom’s freshly made naan, to the rich and colorful saris that she wore, to the classic literature of Rabindranath Tagore she enjoyed reading to me as she sipped on her steaming cup of chai — I never fully appreciated all that this rich country had to offer.From practical traditions like using honey instead of constantly seeking out over-the-counter cough relievers to practicing yoga regularly, I didn’t recognize the benefits until I moved away from it all.

Did you know, according to Ayurvedic medicine, honey can be used to improve eyesight, relieve coughs, sore throats, when combined with black pepper powder and ginger juice, it acts to relieve asthma, mixed with garlic – it has been known to reduce high blood pressure, taken with water and lemon juice, it helps to purify the blood and my favorite, [Read more →]

Since the start of 2001, Paris has seen an increase in bicycle use of over 48%. July 15th, 2007 marked the starting point of a major transformation in the way people will travel around the French capital. With the setting up of Vélib, the world’s most ambitious program aimed at facilitating bicycle access — now thousands of bicycles are available from hundreds of stations close to major public transport hubs spread out across the city.

The membership fees of 29 euros/per year increase with each 1/2 hour added, the first one being free, rendering the ride virtually free if you consider a report from”L’observatoire des déplacements dans la capitale” dated from 2005 estimating the average ride to last for 25 minutes .

The system is accessible to ages 14 and up. At the stations, the computer terminals enable you to:
- obtain one-day and seven-day subscriptions
- recharge your account (long duration)
- obtain information ( particularly which other stations are nearby and whether they are available).

Once you have finished your journey, all you have to do is deposit the bicycle back at any Vélib station.

Enjoy the ride!

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, left, shakes hands with former Vice President Al Gore at a ceremony to sign the Global Warming Response Act at Giants Stadium Friday, July 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

On the eve of Live Earth (a series of concerts around the world drawing attention to global warming, including one at The Meadowlands), Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed the “Global Warming Response Act” into law.

On Friday, New Jersey became the third state in the nation to enact a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction law Requiring the Garden State to significantly cut emissions of global-warming gases. California and Hawaii have adopted similar laws, and eight other states are considering them.

Passage of these laws can “inspire hope and build the enthusiasm necessary to get this crisis solved,” Al Gore, the former vice president turned environmental activist told an enthusiastic crowd of lawmakers and environmentalists who witnessed the bill signing. Under the new law, the Department of Environmental Protection will conduct an emissions inventory, and based on the results, devise a plan to monitor and reduce harmful emissions. The law mirrors an executive order Corzine issued in January. Emissions from fossil fuels, such as coal and gasoline, are believed by many scientists to be a leading cause of global warming.

The Live Earth concerts scheduled for Saturday were inspired and backed by Gore’s campaign to force global warming onto the international political agenda by generating a groundswell of public concern.

GRAIN a 16th year hold international non-governmental organization (NGO) which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people’s control over genetic resources and local knowledge, has just published a special issue of Seedling which focuses on biofuels, or as they like to call them, agrofuels.
In this special edition, Seedling argues that the wide-scale cultivation of agrofuels will actually make things worse in many parts of the world, notably South-east Asia and the Amazon basin where the drying of peat lands and the felling of tropical forest will release far more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than will be saved by using agrofuels.

More than 30 groups from around the world are calling for a Moratorium to stop the EU rush for biofuels (or agrofuels). They warn that agrofuel production for EU markets will accelerate climate change, destroy biodiversity and uproot local communities.
2007-06-27 | Joint Press Release by EcoNexus, Biofuelwatch, Corporate Europe Observatory.

Kombucha, the “mushroom drink”, also known as the “Manchurian mushroom” is a healthful drink made from a culture that grows on tea, sugar, and water. The increase in popularity of Kombucha can be seen with the many commercial brands now entering the retail marketplace and from the myriad of web pages about the fermented beverage. Becoming more and more common amongst the health-food and yoga set, with annual sales of $34 million according to a recent article by Katy McLaughlin for The Wall Street Journal (6/23/07), we decided to go in for a closer look.

Kombucha has been described as possessing some fantastic therapeutic qualities, if you can stand the way it looks, tastes and smells. God knows I couldn’t bring myself to drink it the first few times I tried…at least not with my eyes open. At first glance, it reminded me of the first time I tried egg drop soup as a child. It just didn’t seem like something meant for human consumption, seemed a bit too slimy. Well after much procrastination, I finally took the plunge. Conclusion: Ginger is the best flavor being that it’s the only flavor that seems to mask the yeasty acidity that I associate most Kombucha drinks with. A few tips for Kombucha selection: - Buy it from a well-stocked health food store – Whole Foods carries a great selection. - Buy a bottle that has a small mat floating on the top – this suggests that it is still alive.- Don’t be alarmed by the taste, Kombucha tastes strange.

The claimed benefits: [Read more →]

A dear friend of ours recently turned us on to a great new book called Visionary Plant Consciousness: The Shamanic Teachings of the Plant World In it, 23 leading experts reveal the ways that psychoactive plants allow nature’s “voice” to speak to humans and what this communication means for our future. Exploring the relevance of plant-induced visions and shamanic teachings to humanity’s environmental crisis, the book comes complete with winning contributions from Terence McKenna, Andrew Weil, Wade Davis, Michael Pollan, Alex Grey and Katsi Cook to name just a few.

Visionary plants have long served indigenous peoples and their shamans as enhancers of perception, thinking, and healing. These plants can also be important guides to the reality of the natural world and how we can live harmoniously in it. In Visionary Plant Consciousness: The Shamanic Teachings of the Plant World, editor J. P. Harpignies gathers presentations from the Bioneers annual conference of environmental and social visionaries that explores how plant consciousness affects the human condition. Twenty-three leading ethnobotanists, anthropologists, medical researchers, and cultural figures present their understandings of the nature of psychoactive plants and their significant connection to humans. What they reveal is that these plants may help us access the profound intelligence in nature–the “mind of nature”–that we must learn to understand in order to survive our ecologically destructive way of life.

J. P. Harpignies is associate producer of the national Bioneers conference and coproducer and founder of the Eco-Metropolis conference in New York City. He is the author of Political Ecosystems: Modernity, Complexity, Fluidity and the Eco-Left and Double Helix Hubris: Against Designer Genes, the editor of Visionary Plant Consciousness: The Shamanic Teachings of the Plant World, and the associate editor of Ecological Medicine and Nature’s Operating Instructions: The True Biotechnologies (The Bioneers Series). Interested in hearing more from JP? He will be at the Open Center in NYC on Friday, June 22^nd for a booksigning & evening lecture.

Sir Richard Branson is on a roll…the President of Virgin Atlantic has delivered the first batch of motorcycles that will help to bring much-needed medical support to small villages and communities in Kenya and throughout Africa.

The money for the motorcycles was raised by Virgin Atlantic’s patrons, the onboard charity appeal and by staff who took part in a wide range of fundraising events over the past year. The money was then donated to support the work of the charity Riders for Health. Riders for Health has been working in Africa for close to two decades and will be purchasing and maintaining the motorcycles. The motorcycles will allow a team of healthcare workers to provide rural communities with improved access to essential drugs and basic health services.

Click on http://www.riders.org/en/html/movies_ewan.php to watch an inspiring film that provides greater insight into the work of Riders for Health. The film is narrated by biker and actor Ewan McGregor. For more information on the work of Riders for Health please log onto Riders.org.

What I wouldn’t give to be a turtle some days…to be able to retreat into my hard shell, to go within when the world is too demanding, to remain calm, peaceful, and happy…going along at my own pace. Well, being that that isn’t an option currently, the Turtle Sanctuary at Le Meridien Bora Bora is a haven for the little guys — and a whole new swimming experience for us humans

The Sanctuary’s main goal: to help save the magnificent hawksbill, green sea turtles. The hotel even offers educational presentations to teach guests about these beautiful creatures, and guests can swim with the turtles in the picturesque lagoon or even “adopt” a turtle and help in the quest to return these animals to their natural wild habitat as you track its progress online.