The Oval Office

President Obama is speaking from the Oval office tonight for the first time. The President's use of this office is a symbol of immediate crisis or impending change that absolutely must take place. I'm sure he is going to address the spill in the gulf, but I hope, more importantly, he addresses our need for personal change. If I were the President, this would be my speech:

I am here tonight to engage with and empower humanity not just in America, but across our borders as well. We have entered a new phase of existence on this planet and can no longer act independently and with our own personal interests in mind. We must honor that this Earth is a Global Community that is facing dynamic climate changes the likes of which humanity has never seen.

I am saddened beyond words and yet grateful for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a dramatic representation of what our planet is facing. Every drop of oil floating in our sacred oceans represents our need to change our consumption patterns, not just in America, but across this globe. If you have sat down tonight to hear about the plans in the gulf, then I will be perfectly honest with you and tell you that I have no idea what is going to happen. I foresee that the oil will stop gushing by August. By then, we will have destroyed countless ecosystems including our own. Fishing, tourism and yes, oil exploration as an industry in the Gulf of Mexico is over. We must accept this and move forward. This means that the people affected will need to find other means of employment and sustenance. This means that the animals and creatures of the gulf will die.

I'm sure this spill is shocking to most Americans as we do not know what disaster feels like. We live far away from the terrible things going on in this world. We don't see it or feel it or sense it and therefore it is as if it isn't happening. I will tell you that 1 billion people on this planet are without adequate food and water and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the polar ice caps are melting and it is causing water shortages and famine throughout the globe and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the oil beds in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are slowly drying up and your mind will not be able to accept it.

We are predicted to have 14 hurricanes in the Atlantic this season. We have never seen this before. The hurricanes are stronger and last longer. Entire forests in Colorado and far into Canada are dying due to the proliferation of certain species of beetles. The beetles are not dying in the winter because our winters are much more mild. There is a 50% chance that Lake Meade will dry up by 2035 affecting water supply to our southwest states. Earthquake activity across the globe has increased. Lightning strikes which cause fire have increased as our weather patterns have changed. The Peat beds are drying up releasing more Carbon into the environment than our cars ever could. Methane is bubbling up from the Earth at a dramatic level as the waters heat up releasing yet more carbon. I could go on and on.

It is too late to save the Earth as we know it. It is not too late to save humanity. Every human on this planet must begin making the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that we will continue as a species. I am not going to address tonight all of the government initiatives and actions that must take place. I'm not going to discuss them because they will be met with so much resistance that we will be bogged down in discussion for months and months to come. The bottom line is that America is going to step up to the plate and lead this New Earth. It will be done. The discussion is over. Our consumption of fossil fuel is over. Our over-consumption of everything else is also over.

Tonight, instead, I want to talk to each individual who resides on this planet that has a nice life. When I say that you have a nice life, it means that you live on more than $1.25/day which is what billions of people on this planet who do not have a nice life live on. Tonight I want to challenge and empower you. The following are things that you can do to force the shift we need.

• Stop needless shopping. I realize this will put our economy into an economic tailspin for awhile. I realize this will dramatically change the landscape of employment and Wall Street. I realize this will be painful.
• Buy used, recycled and refurbished goods. This will create a new industry and jobs and benefit the planet.
• Buy new items which are needed that are made from organic, sustainable, fairly and freely traded materials. Again, this will create a new industry and jobs that benefit the planet.
• Consolidate your trips. Take the bus. Take the train. Ride your bike. Ride-share. Establish car-pool lanes in your communities and figure out how to put those metro systems in.
  
• If you are buying a new car, demand that it be a hybrid or better.
• Unscrew every other lightbulb in your house. Keep your lights off as much as possible. Buy environmentally friendly and energy saving bulbs.
• Install solar panels.
  
• Turn your cities off at night.
  
• Plant a garden. Better yet, organize your neighborhoods to support a community garden.
• Recycle.
• Don't buy another beverage that is in a plastic container.
• Compost.
• Collect rain in a rain barrel to feed your lawn.
• Buy organic and local food.
• Eat whole foods and fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Do not buy junk food. Do not buy soda. Do not eat at fast food restaurants.
• Eat at least 2 vegetarian meals per day.
• Eat more beans.
• Stop drinking milk. Replace your craving with Almond, Soy or Rice milk.
• Buy things made in America. Buy local.
• Go for a 30 minute walk every day. This will save money on health care and we can spend it on wind farms.
• Install a clothes line to dry your clothes.

These are the things that you can do now. These are the things that "seem" hard, but really cost little money and will ultimately save you money. If every person on the planet who "lives well" simply makes these changes, then our planet will shift in a positive way. Your health will shift in a positive way.

There is no other issue in our world right now more important than this issue. Make a commitment to change your personal habits. The discussion is over. It's time to act.

A heart to heart.....

I presented last night at Jewish Hospital to a group of patients and family members recovering from Heart Trauma. Many had had bypass surgeries and most had pacemakers. Limited discussion revealed that most were probably on statins for high cholesterol and there was concern for how to manage stress and relax. They were an amazing group. Some had embraced their trauma as the beginning of a new life and were grateful for their extra days. Some were still fearful and suffering through their event. I was struck by how strange it must be to live with a device in your body that you are dependent upon for your survival. The miracle of that device was more present in the eyes of the family members there to support their loved ones.

They were a gracious group. The things we think and do in yoga can seem quite strange to the uninitiated. Meditation in particular can appear difficult and until you have the actual experience of it over time, you can't fully appreciate the benefits to your mind, body and soul. An Ayurvedic lifestyle also seems foreign and some of it contradicts what we have done our whole lives. I, of course, believe it to be the most easy and intelligent lifestyle to follow.

There was resistance especially around food which I found interesting. I have been blessed to have never suffered from a heart situation, but I have suffered a back injury years ago. I view my back injury as a gift from the heavens, a wake up call to forcefully tell me that the choices I was making for my life were no longer working. Taking care of my body and learning to manage my stress levels became very very important to me as my desire to move away from pain and fear were very strong. It wasn't easy to embrace all the changes. I had to learn new things like yoga and meditation which took time and practice. I had to learn about different foods, how to shop and reinvent my kitchen skills. I even had to give up some friends that didn't support my need to be more healthy and stress free. It was hard and sometimes emotionally painful.

I think the hardest part, however, was taking responsibility for all the choices that I had made in the past to get me to the point where I could barely walk and was living with chronic pain. It was the hardest part and the most liberating. Once my brain wrapped around the notion that my choices of the past had gotten me into my situation, I knew that my choices of the present could get me out of it.

I don't expect everyone to wrap themselves up like a pretzel every day. I don't expect that people will sit in lotus position and meditate for an hour each day. I don't expect that people will never enjoy a cold beer, a cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate cake ever again either. I do wish, however, that people would wake up everyday with gratitude for the grace of God that they are walking this planet. I do wish that people would always choose the more nourishing choice for their body and mind. I do wish that people would simply try to incorporate some of the following into their life to manage stress and heal the inside of their bodies. Here's my wish list:

My Wish for Your Body

• Get up and go to bed around the same time each day.
• Eat 3 meals a day, around the same time.
• Eliminate red meat entirely from your diet. Choose chicken or fish.
• Eat at least 1 vegetarian meal per day...2 would be better. Remember that the food pyramid suggests only 3 - 5 servings of meat per week.
• Replace cow's milk with rice, almond or soy milk.
• Remind yourself that caffeine, alcohol and sugar are not food.
  
• Favor fresh veggies and fruit that are organic and grown local...they taste better.
• Eat beans.
• Eat whole grains...try something new like bulgar wheat
• Drink ginger tea.

My Wish for your Mind

• When your eyes open in the morning...be grateful.
• When your eyes close at night...be grateful.
• Spend some time outside each day. Enjoy the birds, the flowers and the trees.
• Go for a nice walk every single day. You can combine that with the above.
• Spend time in silence. Turn off the TV, the radio and the cell phone.
• Surround yourself with loving people.
• Make mealtime a time to relax and enjoy.
• Meditate...10 minutes a day..."so hum".
• Say nice things to yourself and others.
• Find something inspirational to read. Never stop learning.
  
• Know that you are walking this planet for a reason. You are important.
• Help and Serve others. Be the person to get the door, to talk nicely to the grumpy people and to forgive others that they aren't living the life of their dreams and therefore trying to cause you stress.

Summer is here

Summer has arrived at my house. Our last day of school was Friday. We have zip-lined, thrown a Hawaiian cook out, kayaked, gone to Kings Island, had sleep overs, painted tshirts and attempted to make a diggerido. I'm exhausted and it's only day four of Summer break. Yesterday, my daughter came into my study as I'm trying to work, (long pause here...I'm still running a business while being a single supermom in charge of a house, garden and now broken air conditioner with two dogs and a cat so add the fact that I worked on studio, house, yard and pets over the weekend too).......

That was way too long. Start over. So yesterday, my beautiful angel of a daughter came into my study and announced that she was bored. I didn't even lose it. I sent her to her room to truly experience boredom, made a daily chore list for both of my kids (i.e., delegated a ton of my household tasks) and went outside to sit by my pond and ponder how I am to stay in balance this summer. I can't be exhausted. I want my kids to have a nice summer. I have to work and I truly need to maintain my sense of connection to this planet.

What can you do when life gets crazy and out of your control? How do you maintain balance? Pondering at the pond, I came up with a plan and I realized it was yoga 101.

First and foremost is the fact that I am the center of the universe and I am creating my peace or my chaos. Everything is my choice and staying in balance is simply a matter of choosing the most nourishing choice.

Step 1: Ask for help. Delegating chores to my children was a good instinctive choice. Now take it a step further. Get babysitters, sign up for camps, carpool with other parents and switch the sleepovers every other night to other people's houses. Tell your spouse or ex-spouse in my case that you need a night off and would they please take all the humans out of your house so you can have a little bit of peace. Be prepared to do the same for them in the future.

Step 2: Accept things as they are. Summer is chaos. Know that your house, your yard and your kids are going to be messy all summer. Just allow it to be so. You will drive yourself crazy trying to make everything perfect. Instead, designate areas to pile things up and spend your time being present in your moments. That means playing with your kids, getting dirty and enjoying the sun on these beautiful days.

Step 3: Take responsibility. There are things you can do and do have control of that are easy to maintain. Get up and go to bed around the same time each day. If you are home with your kids for the summer, get up before them and get in a light yoga practice or walk and your daily meditation. Make this a priority for sanity. Spend time in silence. Turn off the TV, the radio and the cell phone. Make good food choices. Three meals a day. Choose the most nourishing choice available. Sometimes (frequently in the summer) that will mean choosing the grilled chicken over the braut, choosing the fruit salad over the cupcakes and choosing the green bean salad over the potato salad. Do what you can.

Step 4: Nourish yourself. Every day should include something that is just for you and not for the other humans in your realm. Go to a yoga class, get your nails done, watch a movie, get a massage or simply lay in the sun with a book. Do something everyday just for you and allow yourself to simply enjoy it without any guilt.

Step 5: Embrace joy. There is nothing more fun than summer in Cincinnati. There is so much to do. The entire summer feels like a vacation to native Cincinnatians. Because of our climate, we really appreciate summer! Savor every moment. Explore the park systems. Canoe the little miami, go to the zoo and bike the trails. Enjoy!

The Power of One

I didn't sleep good last night. Before going to bed I turned on CNN to check in on the success of cutting that pipe off and stopping this oil disaster. It didn't go so well. Apparently, things got jammed up 5,000 feet down where no human can go and now we have to try the less favorable method of cutting off the pipe which will not be as effective. The leak will officially continue until August. When I went to bed, over 32,000,000 gallons of oil had been spilled into the gulf.

I want to do something to help. I was going to take my son down with me and spend a weekend on the clean up effort, but the people cleaning things up are starting to get really sick from all the chemicals. That's not an option for my son. Going to bed feeling a little powerless I wondered what I could possibly do to help this situation. If we as co-creators have created this mess I want to know how to uncreate it and I want to know why. Where's the silver lining?

I'll start with my thoughts on why. I truly believe that this oil spill couldn't have come at a better time and to a better nation. I believe that people take action to move away from suffering. The suffering and devastation that this spill is bringing and will continue to bring will speak to our nation about the consumption of fossil fuel and the future of our planet in a way that everyone can finally hear. Americans are the most dynamic, creative, rich and optimistic people that walk this Earth. If any nation can invent, create, devise and fix, it's us. We can be a little naive sometimes because we don't have poverty, starvation and mass suffering walking our streets. Sometimes we need a wake up call and this one is big enough to wake up our entire nation.

Our planet is changing dynamically due to the effects of global warming. If you don't believe in global warming, it really doesn't matter at this point. The bottom line is our planet is changing. These changes are not slow. These changes have rapidly happened in the last 50 years with more coming even more quickly. Changes include the melting of the polar ice caps, the loss of species throughout the earth, depletion of the water table, erosion of coastline and dramatic changes in weather patterns. 14 hurricanes are predicted in the Atlantic this hurricane season. That's a record. If you woke up 2 years ago to the hurricane in Cincinnati, then I don't need to explain that these things are getting stronger. 1 billion people on this Earth do not have enough food and are starving.

You can't pollute the earth and truly think that it's going to be able to absorb or clean itself up simply because it is so big. We are all naive for thinking this or we are all irresponsible for not pausing to have the thought of this. Either way, we are all responsible. This is your fault. This is my fault. We made the mess, lets clean it up.

What can you do? Below is a list of things that you can do. Do them. Don't talk about it or think about it or justify not doing it because it is inconvenient, expensive or bothersome in some way. Stop talking and start doing.

• Replace your old lightbulbs with the new energy efficient bulbs.
• Unscrew every other lightbulb. You simply don't need THAT much light.
• Keep the lights in the roos you don't use and the lights on the outside of your house off.
• Turn your air conditioner up a few degrees. You will get used to it.
• Take shorter showers. It's okay to skip a day.
• Run your dishwasher only when full.
• Buy organic and local produce. Go to naturesgardendelivered.com for effortless ease.
• Eat two vegetarian meals a day. You will save the planet and yourself.
• Install a rain barrel.
• Plant a garden.
• Install a compost bin.
• Create a brush pile for your yard waste...the animals love it.
• Plant a tree in every empty spot of your yard possible. Use native trees.
• Do not drink bottled water.
• When you buy juice and beverages for your family, super size them. Avoid individual packaging.
• Pack your lunch.
• Recycle.
• Buy used, refurbished and recycled hard goods.
• Turn your computer off when not in use.
• Turn the water off when you brush your teeth.
• Stop shopping...you will save money and the planet.
• Consolidate your trips.
• Do less.
  
• Take your clothes to be mended when they tear, wear or break.
• Educate yourself. Pick up a book, a magazine or a newspaper. LEARN.

Please don't let this opportunity pass you by. We can't wait for another disaster to change our ways. Let's do it now.