This past April, I exhibited at SUNY Stonybrook’s Earthstock event. A great crowd including students, professors and staff all enjoyed a great sunny afternoon on the campus mall.
EarthStock 2009
There were lots of musical performing groups including this indigenous music group. A GreendrinksLI event was held that evening on campus which drew lots of local business people and neighbors.
Performing Group
Last night I attended a GreenDrinks LI event at Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, Long Island. The wine and cheese party attracted people as diverse as school teachers, environmental educators, architects, builders, designers, attorneys and concerned citizens.
Seemed that several women and I had the same feeling: things seem to be starting to happen! We talked about our circle of
GreendrinksLI in Huntington
organizations and networks and realized that there are quite a diverse group of people banding together to come up with solutions.
I’m personally involved with Sweetbriar Nature Center and LINCK (LI Nature Connection for Kids), both non profit organizations who’s primary mission is to educated children about the natural world. Starflower Experiences is another such organization, helping to education not only children with nature programs, but two women I met are involved in an 8-week discussion course entitled “Discovering a Sense of Place.” Starflower also runs a permaculture course and series of workshops on green living.
Several people said they were involved in CSA’s (community services agriculture). Sophia’s Garden is one such CSA in Amityville.
Besides fully-developed organizations, there are many small informal groups of people that are coming together, with a common mindset to make the world a better place.
The evening was very inspiring. Thanks to Chuck and Dave for making it happen all over Suffolk County!
On my way into NYC this morning I was reading the June issue of Yoga Journal and was inspired by an article about “metacommitments”. A brief definition is required: metacommitments, according to the author, “are expressions of our highest aspirations, our deepest sense of soul. They come from what is sometimes called the ‘authentic self’.” It made me think – what are my metacommitments? What principles and values ring true to me? And if I can come up with a short list of my metacommitments, they should serve as beacons to guide me on my path of life.
A beautiful sunset can inspire you
With the “real” world constantly beckoning for my attention, I must have frequent periods of coming back to my “Center”. As with meditation, this deeper soul-searching is required (with Neptune in my first house, this is a given). I will never satiate my hunger for self-help books and material, the kind that rip down, deep into the core of my soul. At different points in my life, I am introduced to material that is absolutely perfect for my current stage of development. I also realize that, given a few years, that same material will mean something totally different to me – always challenging me to look deeper and move further down the road of discovering my true authentic self.
So this morning, this article was brought to my attention by my authentic self. Okay. So I am in need of coming up with my list of metacommitments:
To Ensure Justice/Peace – I once visited a talented homeopath that also had the gift of vision. She saw that, perhaps in a past life, I was riding on horseback waving flags for a cause – for justice. That comment immediately rang true to my core. That is me! So “fighting” for justice is definitely one – equality and justice for all humans, for animals and the earth. With a child’s naiveté, I want everyone to get along and be happy. (I’m not the only one here!)
To Make Community – With 4 planets in my 11th house of community, I have a strong need to be involved with a group of spiritual people also on a quest for their authentic selves. So making and/or being part of a community is extremely important to me. I have dreams of living in a commune-type place on the beach in Hawaii, where everyone is on a spiritual path, helping each other. It’s Utopia! I know it doesn’t exist, but that’s what I’m aiming for, in say, 10-15 years! (I think my husband will be cool with that – as long as he can play handball!)
To Deep Spiritual Inquiry – As a young teen, I started the spiritual journey of self-reflection. At some point in my college years, I abandoned this inquiry process as I got entrenched in the world of business, marriage and then motherhood, however, the spark was always there and would show up on occasion. It wasn’t my late thirties that I started the journey again. Thankfully, spirituality is now in my life for good and I am being challenged by my higher self to make further commitment to it.
With these metacommitments, I pave the way for my future. These values will help guide my decisions when reaching forks in the road. Where does my authentic self lead me? I don’t know. But I can be sure that wherever it does, it will be a fabulous ride and more amazing than I can imagine!
What are your metacommitments? What about you defines you and rings true to your core?
The article is “Go Your Own Way” by Sally Kempton, in the June 09 issue of Yoga Journal.
What a great event! One of my Green Feng Shui clients, Arame Salon & Spa in Port Jefferson, NY, hosted a local Clean Water fund raiser campaign for Earth Month. They raised nearly $1,700 to support the effort.
Art auction at Arame Salon & Spa
The funds were raised through two avenues: First, Arame donated $5 for every haircut during the month of April. Second, Arame enlisted the help of Port Jefferson High School students with the aid of Ms. Dawn DeLeonardis. Ms. DeLeonardis and her students created water-themed art projects, in various mediums, to celebrate Port Jefferson’s heritage and connection with the local Long Island water habitat. These art pieces were displayed at Arame at an Art Sale held on Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 pm, with refreshments and live folk music, provided by the students. All proceeds have been donated to Clean Ocean Action.
Among those present offering their support at the event was former Port Jefferson Village mayor, Jean Garant and her daughter, current mayoral candidate, Margot Garant, Attorney-at-law.
An Aveda salon, Arame Salon & Spa participated in Aveda’s Earth Day 2009 campaign “Clean Water: It Only Takes Baby Steps”. Aveda representatives, Jennifer Manganillo and Christine Lee were also on hand to help with the successful event. Aveda’s fund raising efforts have a goal of $3 million for global and local clean water projects. What began as a day of awareness became $11 million raised for the Earth.
Arame and Aveda team
About Arame Salon & Spa
Arame Salon & Spa, formerly Cove 7 Salon, is located at 7 Trader’s Cove, Port Jefferson Village (Phone: 631-331-6633; Web: www.aramesalonandspa.com). Arame has gone through a recent renovation into a “green” feng shui-designed salon. Constructed with sustainable, non-toxic renovation materials, with green business practices, and a beautiful feng shui environment, Arame has recently switched exclusively to Aveda’s product line.
I just attended the 1st conference for LINCK – Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids – a nonprofit organization established in 2007. The idea that “children will not save what they do not love,” guides their mission: fostering a love of nature in young children that will help them become better stewards of the environment when they grow up. Organized by Celeste Hernandez and a committee of dedicated people, the event, at Islandia Marriott in March, was attended by over 360 people from three major groups: educators/naturalists (schools, parks, nature centers, day care centers, etc), businesses, and municipal and governmental organizations (parks, libraries, community centers, etc). And for me – well, I was in the minority, as I don’t fall into any of those categories. I’m a concerned mom, citizen of the earth and Feng Shui practitioner – which is all about our connection to and reverence of the earth.
This initiative got its start in the 1990s, however, it really gained traction in 2004 with the publication of Richard Louv’s book, The Last Child in the Woods. (If you are interested in this topic, this book is a must read.) In his book, environmentalists got a catch-phrase that would help identify their cause : Nature Deficit Disorder. Another catch-phrase that Richard used in his book was “No Child Left Inside” which was actually created by the Connecticut State Park system as a formal campaign to get children outdoors, and was adopted by Richard for his book (Thanks to a correction by Robyn at childrenandnature.org). The Last Child in the Woods contains a manifesto of scientific studies that prove that our childrens disconnection from nature increasingly contributes to physical and emotional health issues. However, it also contains hope about how we can reverse this deadly trend, but bringing together the exact groups that attended this conference.
a "free-range" child
One such solution is the “outdoor classroom.” Dimensions Education Research Foundation designated Long Island as a national demonstration site for nature education for children in 2007. Subsequently, Long Island is also known as the world leader in developing these classrooms. (Yes, you read that right: “world leader.” Nature Deficit Disorder is not a U.S. malady, nor just in developing countries, but a global problem that stretches to every corner of the earth where modern technology is replacing ancient culture and practices.) John Rosenow, Founder & Chief Executive Director of Arbor Day Foundation and Nancy Rosenow, Executive Director of Dimensions Education Research Foundation, currently travel the world to share our (Long Island’s) progress in creating links between the natural environment and our children.
We were fortunate enough to have Richard Louv as keynote speaker of the event. Richard shared some of his childhood experiences, touching moments, and insights that everyone present could relate to. Richard said, “as a child, you could bring the confusion and chaos of the world into the woods, wash it in the creek, and come out with more clarity and understanding.” (Isn’t that what we do now, as adults?)
In the years since his book was published, Richard has spoken to such various organizations as environmental groups, corporate, land developers, and governmental agencies. “This is a ‘gateway issue,’” Richard explained. No matter what the religious or political preferences of his audience, everyone can deeply connect with their childhood experience of the awe and wonder of nature.
As volunteer and Board Member of Sweetbriar Nature Center, I attended the conference with the Center’s curator, Janine Bendickson, I hopes of getting advice on building an outdoor classroom. We reviewed plans and photographs of projects around Long Island, at parks, libraries and community centers and were inspired by conversations and the workshops.
LINCK offers a long-term solution grounded in practicality, common sense, as well as a moving, deep emotional sense. I can’t help but feel that, although this is only part of the “solution” to our current global chaos, it has tremendous potential on many levels. It all comes down to this: we do not function well when we, as a culture, do not respect and care for the earth. As a Feng Shui consultant, I’ve learned that ancient Chinese philosophy states that “if you live with respect to the earth, you will have good fortune.” On the converse, if you do not respect the earth, you might have short-term fortune, but it will not be lasting. Here is where you can find more information on this local movement: LINCK . Nationally, you can find some information here:
North American Association for Environmental Education.
One last thought: if you think about your childhood, who doesn’t have the memory of a particularly moving experience, a spiritual experience, in nature.
I would love to hear your thoughts!
I have a thing about judgment. Most of us are self-conscious and care what others think about us. But with me, it’s a little more. Throughout my life I’ve always wanted people to like me and when they didn’t, I have gotten hurt. I would sit and dwell on it: “What did I do to them? It must be my fault…” It’s part of my karma – and my astrology, having four planets in critical Virgo in the 11th house of Community and Friendship. Judgment is one of my major challenges in life.
Judgment is not a one-way road! I, too, am guilty of judging others. We all are. As Malcolm Gladwell writes about in his book, Blink, we make very quick, intuitive judgments about things and they are usually pretty accurate. But when it comes to people, however, our intuition is highly unpredictable. We may catch someone on a bad day or a bad moment, and then make a judgment that he is a grumpy person. We need to realize and remember this. And bigger than this – we need to practice compassion. As in Buddhist teachings, mercy and compassion are the most important virtues.
Last night, while thinking about it, I recalled a conversation I had with a stranger at a party last summer. I’ll call her Emily. We were having a rather deep conversation – the kind I like best – and certainly not typical to have with someone you just met. She was very well-dressed and articulate and told me about something that happened to her a few months back.
Emily had just returned from a beautiful vacation – the kind that brings you back to basics, to the core of who you are – perhaps your highest self. Feeling wonderfully relaxed, she returned to work as a sales associate in a high-end designer shop on Madison Avenue.
A young teenage girl and her family entered the store and Emily went over to them. Her colleagues glared at her, seeming to say “What is WRONG with you?!” You see, in her shop, Emily and her colleagues’ pay is primarily though commission. Because of this, they routinely “size people up” as they walk through the door. If they look like they have potential, the sales people practically pounce on the victim. If they look like the typical tourist, they practically ignore the shopper.
So on this day, just returning from vacation, Emily was the embodiment of her highest self. She was gracious, thoughtful and compassionate. She spoke with the family, so obviously tourists visiting NYC for the first time. The young girl asked questions about the designers, about living in NY, and anything that a typical young girl, craving to know about life in the “Big City,” would ask. Emily was especially kind and spent more than the average time speaking with them and then they left, without buying a thing.
A few weeks later, she was called into the managers’ office. The manager said that corporate had just called. They had received a letter from a woman regarding their recent trip to NY and a visit to their flagship store on Madison Avenue. They had visited several other stores that day but were largely ignored. Only in their store were they greeted and treated so well by Emily, a sales associate. Their time in her shop was the highlight of their trip. The woman explained that this trip was paid for by the Make-a-Wish Foundation, for it was her daughter’s wish to visit designer stores in NYC. She had wished to become a fashion designer one day, but has been diagnosed with a severe illness.
As Emily told me this, we both had tears in our eyes (in fact, I do now). It was so moving and I am sure that her story, which she must tell to many people, has the same affect on them as well. The more we remember the message this story brings, the better we will be.
Okay. We all have WIFI, cordless phones, cell phones,, etc. It appeals to our need for movement and multi-tasking.
I am studying Building Biology and learning about toxins, their effects, and how to remove them as much as possible from our environment. I have known that WIFI technology was not healthy, but, perhaps it was the diagram in my manual that really struck me: the radiation from these devices is actually “cooking” my brain and body, as if it were in microwave! (I may be the last person in civilization that has made this connection!) Our maybe it was the caption “Crisp human beings in a microwave oven.” Umm. Yum.
I’m a firm believer in synchronicity. Just as I’m reading this chapter, I get a call from an old colleague about a potential marketing project, which I still occasionally do on the side. Of course, I was interested. Then he told me what the product was: WIFI for cities! I turned the project down, but only after a few days of deliberation – especially in this economic climate. Like before, when I left my full-time job it was because I didn’t agree with the philosophies of the accounts I was working on.
I know that I single-handedly cannot stop “progress”, and I know that I will benefit, at some level, from having access to this WIFI system, but I will not actively participate in things that go against my beliefs. Have any of you had similar synchronicities, or “tests” of your beliefs? I would love to hear about them!
A few weeks ago, I attended the Hamptons Greendrinks event at 75 Main in Southampton, NY. Run by Chuck and Jill Schwartz, founders of LI Green, it was attended by nearly 100 like-minded people, wanting to make a difference in this corner of the world.
One of the new people I met was Dorothy Reilly, co-founder of soWISE.org which stands for Women’s Initiatives for a Sustainable Earth. Her organization is presenting their first NY Women’s Conference for Sustainability from March 27-29 at StonyBrook Southampton campus. Their mission is to “bring women together to inspire action for climate stabilization”.
This event will be a weekend-long developmental and interactive conference, interspersing keynote speakers with conversations, round tables and presentations. A kick-off dinner on Friday night, an all-day session on Saturday, and wraps up Sunday afternoon.
(PHOTO COMING SOON!) I am pictured with Dorothy (on right) and Diana Pepi-Stott (middle), a graphic designer and founder of Pepi Design Group, a division of Steelbone Design Company in Southampton. Diana and her husband, Ric Stott (CEO and chief architect), are frequent Hamptons Greendrinks attendees and are active sustainability proponents. Ric is member of U.S Green Building Council, LI Chapter and AIA and is frequent speaker on sustainable building practices on Long Island.
I am currently finishing a certification as a Building Biology Practitioner, through the Institute of Building Biology & Ecology. I’ve been learning a lot about the types of toxins in our built environment, particularly our homes. It’s amazing the array of poisons that we routinely subject ourselves to and their effect in our lives. Some people manage okay, but many of us struggle against the toxins, from insomnia and stress, to allergies and fatal illness.
I’ve just been aware of this new book “The Super Natural Home.” From what I’ve read, this is a good book for everyone to read. Here is some information on it:
Did you know that every single day, you and your family may be exposed to hundreds, maybe thousands of dangerous chemicals right in your own home? It’s razy, but there are untested additives in your food, your soap, shampoo and lipstick, and things you come in contact with, like your mattress, your sofa or even your pots and pans.
So says Beth Greer, award-winning journalist, holistic health advocate, former President of The Learning Annex, and author of the band new book “Super Natural Home.” It’s endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Ralph Nader, John Gray, Peter Coyote, and many others.
The information in this book is critical for you to know if you want to keep you and your loved ones safe! It shows you how to identify and eliminate toxins that go in you, on you, and surround you every day.
Beth thought she was leading a healthy lifestyle and then seven years ago she was clinically diagnosed with a sizeable tumor in her chest. Miraculously, by following the ultra-practical advice you’ll read about in her book, she was able to eliminate it without drugs or surgery.
If you have allergies, are feeling tired or have children with learning disabilities, you might be sensitive to the chemicals in your home, just like Beth was. The fact is, many of these chemicals have been banned in Europe but are sold here in America without warning labels. So, it’s up to us to watch out for ourselves and our families.
Don’t wait for a serious health problem to happen to you before you make changes in your life. Buy Beth’s book today, (and buy one for a loved one), and make your home a safe haven. You’ll find tips for making the safest, healthiest choices in personal care products, cosmetics, toys, household cleaners, furniture, food, and water, and much more.
If you follow this link www.supernaturalhomequiz.com you will get free gifts when you buy the book today. A host of top authors, teachers, and thought leaders will be giving recordings and e-books of their work for free – all to encourage people to buy the book today.
Here’s just a few of the many testimonials:
“Beth Greer has written an invaluable book, filled with practical solutions on how to eat healthier, breathe cleaner air and transform our home into a safe haven, free from toxic chemicals.” – Deepak Chopra, Author, Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment
“Super Natural Home seeks out the silent violence (i.e., toxins) in and around the place where you spend most of your time, awake and asleep. We should have learned its contents as a natural part of our high school education. But, better late than never. Required reading for anyone with a home and a healthy desire to see the unseen for the whole family.” – Ralph Nader, Lawyer and Consumer Advocate
“Super Natural Home is a concise and helpful book for people who want to lead a healthy life. I love it and think everyone should read it.” – John Gray, Bestselling author, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.
I recently participated in a local “Green Event” in Port Jefferson, sponsored by SUNY Stony Brook Center for Humanities and the Village of Port Jefferson. There was a ‘green’ fashion show, demonstrating how to re-purpose old and/or damaged clothing items to get new life out of them. There were lectures about how to be more mindful in buying products and recycling garbage and how the Village of Port Jefferson is committed to improve recycling procedures.
Vendors and Attendees at Event
Port Jefferson High School students along with the Port Jefferson Free Library, local green businesses and Audubon participated in educating attendees.
One of the most moving aspects of the event was the passion that exuded from the exhibitors and attendees. What was once on the fringe is now definitely becoming mainstream: people, finally, understand that we need to change our destructive habits. It takes all areas of the community to work in support of this idea: from the Village government, to the Library, to residents and business owners. We all need to take responsibility and do our part.
I was there with my consulting firm Luminous Spaces, to educate about green renovation and creating healthy spaces using Feng Shui principles. With samples of green textiles and green renovation information I spoke to residents not only about a concern for the earth, but a concern for human physical and psychological health. Feng Shui practices look to create balance and harmony, therefore reducing stress.
One of my clients, Arame Salon & Spa, also exhibited. A local business in Port Jefferson Village, they have recently gone “green”. The owners, Phyllis & Ron Schlumpf, have taken a huge step in reducing their impact on the environment. I have worked with them to do a green renovation of their salon, using principles of Feng Shui. With renewable and sustainable cork flooring, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint to improve indoor air quality, and bamboo wall covering, they created a treat for the senses while being environmentally conscious. Recently signing up to be an Aveda salon, they now carry all-natural, organic hair and body products and even recycle the hair for compost!
The next event is Saturday, May 23rd, called Green Fest! It will be an outdoor fair on East Main Street. Anyone interested in participating can contact me at maureen@luminous-spaces.com. We need sponsors and vendors!
