“True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.  And that often takes doing the things you least want to do.” ~ Brianna Wiest

In our society, the term self-care is bounced around a lot with recommended activities like coloring, drinking tea, calling a friend, etc. 

Inherently, there is nothing wrong with this.  Afterall, the intention of investing in oneself is noble and necessary, for when we have the right relationship with ourselves, we can care for others and our earth in an equally loving way. 

However, with more honesty, one might observe that the term self-care is often misunderstood and used as a disguise for validating indulgences or escapism. 

If we want to care for ourselves in a nourishing-lasting-uplifting way, we must shift our vision of self-care from short-term pleasures to long-term practices. 

True self-care is made up of small, achievable habits that bring calmness to the body, quietness to the mind and stillness to the intellect.

This month, introspect on your self-care practices and with viveka, assess what they are feeding…the senses or the Self?  In the spirit of Dipavali, re-commit to one practice that you know is good for you that you’ve been holding yourself back from, like writing or japa.  Dedicate yourself to this daily and reflect on how you feel come December. 

Article 3: Harmony on Earth

by Hamsa Ganapathi

MS Candidate in Agriculture, Food, and Environment – Tufts University

Have you ever wondered how the lights you turn on affect the communities that live next to a power plant? Maybe you have thought about burning forests to create land for agriculture causes respiratory diseases. If you have, then you have already started thinking about planetary health!

This month’s article is all about Planetary Health, an emerging interdisciplinary field of research that seeks to understand how the immense amount of change that we as humans have imposed on the earth is affecting not only the health of the planet, but also all people.

Scientists in this field have studied what is termed the Anthropocene, a distinctive period that started in the mid-1900s in which “The Great Acceleration” of human growth increased the impact of human beings on the Earth at a rate much faster than any other point in recorded history. This period has allowed human beings to contribute to the very problems that make our entire population less healthy. 

Growing food is a great example of the implications of planetary health. In many parts of the world, growing food means clearing land for agriculture. Forests and peatlands may be cleared by burning, which causes smoke and haze and reduces ecosystem services, or all the benefits humans get from a healthy Earth system. In the short run, we might get some new farmland. But in the long run, the human population experiences respiratory problems from the haze, such as worsened asthma and COPD. In fact, during a haze event in Indonesia in 2015, the haze was so bad that poor air quality caused premature deaths of children and created conditions that residents could not safely leave their homes without wearing masks. Burning further causes climate change from carbon dioxide released into the air from destroyed ecosystems. Climate change in turn has many negative health effects on humans, including heat waves that increase heat-related deaths and more frequent natural disasters that displace so many communities.

Addressing planetary health means changing how we interact with the Earth.

The best way to do that is to change how much we demand from the Earth’s resources. For example, using reusable shopping bags and produce bags reduces how much plastic and paper we use. Turning off lights when they are not in use also reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to power our houses (and reduces our electricity bills!). But most importantly, we need to rethink our relationship to the Earth by reducing our negative impacts on our planet everyday and using our power to preserve our one and only home.

“In the end, achieving planetary health will require a renaissance in how we define our place in the world.  A new narrative will reject the one streaming into our homes—that happiness comes from relentlessly acquiring more things—and embrace what we know:  that what truly makes us happy is time spent with those we love, connection to place and community, feeling connected to something greater than ourselves, taking care of each other.”

Sam Myers, Planetary Health Alliance

References:

Planetary Health: The Future is Now– Planetary Health Alliance
What is planetary health? – Howie Frumkin
Planetary Health: protecting human health on a rapidly changing planet– Sam Myers
Typhoid and Torrents– Hillary Duff
Health and Haze– Hillary Duff
Climate Impacts on Human Health– US Environmental Protection Agency
For more information: www.planetaryhealthalliance.org

Action to Implement

🌱 April 2022: Sahasra Vrksha Sankalpa – As a CommUnity, bring your heart and hands to the ground to plant 1000 trees together. Track and share here.

🌱 March 2022: Contribute to the health of our planet and the health of beings by doing the following:

Each day take inventory of what goes in the trash.
Identify the most common item.
   Find an alternative that eliminates this waste.

🌱 February 2022: Implement the following and encourage others to follow:

• Unplug chargers when not in use

• Use the ‘Energy Saver’ mode on phones & laptops

• Use cold water for laundry & line dry

🌱 January 2022: Identify 3 actions you do that help the environment and 3 actions that harm it

Post your reflections & observations in the comments section below ⬇️

March PS Workshop

CommUnity Reflections

Article 1: On a Quest to Harmonize with Our Earth

by Lavanya Rao

As a part of the human experience, all of us may go through periods of battling stress, perfectionism, loneliness, and much more. As Vivekji shared during the October 2021 Wellness Workshop: Climate Change and Sustainability led by seeker, lecturer, researcher, and environmental lobbyist, Dr. Prakash Bhave, while we can live to manage with all the above burdens, we cannot live without our Earth (Prthvi).

As we watch the news, we see headlines of hot days getting hotter, cold days getting colder, rain storms more severe, droughts more prolonged and wildfires on the rise. The root cause of these unfavorable changes is extremely high greenhouse gas emissions. According to How Bad Are Bananas? by Mike Berners-Lee, Dr. Bhave’s recommended subject matter read, “the dominant greenhouse gas generated by humans is carbon dioxide (CO₂),which is emitted wherever we burn fossil fuels in homes, factories or power stations.”¹ The current greenhouse gas emissions are sitting at 46 billion tons/year.^2,3 Understanding one’s carbon footprint, whether as an individual or as a household, helps us get “the best estimate that we can get of the full climate change impact of something. That something could be anything- an activity, an item, a lifestyle, a company, a country, or even the whole world.”¹

So what can we do as individuals and as a CommUnity to take better care of our Prthvi? We can start by examining our own lifestyles. Do we HAVE to buy that new dress for the event or can we buy used or borrow from a friend? Are we recycling and composting in our homes? If not, can we start by educating ourselves and then implementing a system at home? Are there organizations directing efforts towards this cause that we can volunteer our time and talents?

During his presentation, Dr. Bhave presented an Action Continuum (see beside) to highlight how we can all be a part of the Prthvi Sevasanga movement. The purpose of this diagram is to reflect on our current relationship with our Earth and take steps forward in ways we can individually or collectively serve our Earth.

Presentation by Dr. Prakash Bhave, Environmental Researcher and Lobbyist

References:

1. Berners-Lee, Mike. How Bad Are Bananas?. D&M Publishers Inc, 2011
2. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions
3. https://www.realclimate.org/

Action to Implement

…a monthly opportunity to put our learnings into action!

🌱 January 2022: Identify 3 actions you do that help the environment and 3 actions that harm it

RAW for Week of May 12, 2022
1. Sit in a quiet place and write “What is Life?” 108 times. 2. Each day spend one hour in a room by yourself. Do not bring anything to occupy your mind (books, food, technology, writing utensils, etc. ).

RAW for Week of May 5, 2022
1. Each morning, look in the mirror continuously for 5 minutes and reflect on the purpose of the reflection you see. 2. Record 3 ‘small talk’ conversations..

RAW for Week of April 28, 2022
1. Each morning, write down one virtue you would like to develop. Try to keep that ideal in your mind throughout the day at all times. 2. Each day, take 1 full hour to eat 1 full banana.

RAW for Week of April 21, 2022
1. Whenever you are engaged in any task, do not look at any time-keeping device until the task is finished. 2. Wear a rubber band on your right. wrist. Whenever you find yourself losing focus, pull and release that elastic band onto your wrist.

RAW for Week of April 14, 2022
1. Maintain a simple altar in the same room that you sleep in. Observe your general mood throughout the week and record your observations. 2. Does God exist? Who or what is God? Can God be known?

RAW for Week of March 31, and April 7, 2022
1. Reflect on one personality who believes in you the most. Meet them or call them on the same day to share how grateful you are for them. If they are no longer living, write a detailed letter of your gratitude for that person. 2. Whether you believe or not, pray for the well-being of those whom you know and pray even more for those you do not know. Do not pray for yourself.

RAW for Week of March 24, 2022
1. Write the word “God” on a pocket-size piece of paper, and keep it on your person constantly. 2. Before every meal, specifically reflect on the journey of your food from its original source to being on your plate.

RAW for Week of March 10, 2022
1. At the end of the day, reflect and list every-thing and every-one that helped you make it through the day. 2. Delete the word ‘but’ from your vocabulary.

RAW for Week of March 3, 2022
1. Every morning, think about one major mistake and one minor mistake that you have made. Openly share these mistakes with someone you respect greatly. 2. Pick an entertainment medium you enjoy most. Test yourself – refrain from using it.

RAW for Week of February 24, 2022
1. Donate to a charity that you feel is doing pure work. Offer an amount that gives you an initial feeling of discomfort. In the message field, write “Simple living, high thinking.” 2. Before complaining, stop and do a cost-benefit analysis for the complaint you are about to make.

RAW for Week of February 17, 2022
1. List 10 first world problems you have. 2. Every time you shower, immerse yourself in cold water for at least 15 seconds at the very end of the shower.

RAW for Week of February 10, 2022
1. Wear the same garments for 2 days. After 2 days, change to a new set and wear it for another 2 days. Repeat. 2. Do not leave any of your own dishes in the sink.

RAW for Week of February 3, 2022
1. Take Vitamin R3 daily and start no later than 6 am. Run for 30 mins (for the body), read for 20 mins (for the mind) and research into yourself for 10 mins (for the intellect). 2. Drink a cup of hot water (not tea or coffee) and write about anything that is disturbing your peace.

RAW for Week of January 27, 2022
1. Listen actively. Allow others to speak freely. 2. Go to a local park and pick up litter for an hour. Go by yourself and be with yourself. No technology.

RAW for Week of January 20, 2022
1. For small decisions you make frequently, just flip a coin to decide the outcome. 2. Eat at least one meal alone. EAT is an acronym- Enjoy-Alone-Time.

RAW for Week of January 13, 2022
1. Count how many people you talk to face to face. Observe how you interact with different people. 2. Pick a good joke and tell the same joke to a new person each day.

RAW for Week of January 6 to January 12, 2021
Refrain from looking at yourself in the mirror. (Please use discretion. Don’t stop using mirrors while driving because of this RAW!)

RAW for Week of December 30 to January 5, 2021
Pick a food or drink that you consume too often or excessively, and fast from it without exception.

RAW for Week of December 23 to December 29, 2021
Sleep by 9 p.m. Sleep on the floor using only a simple makeshift bed (pillow, sheet, blanket).

RAW for Week of December 16 to 22, 2021
Go for a 30-minute walk or run by yourself, without use of any electronic devices during this time.

RAW for Week of December 9, 2021
At least 1/3 of each meal that you eat should consist of raw foods (fruits, uncooked vegetables, nuts, etc).

RAW for Week of November 18, 2021
Avoid touching your body needlessly.

RAW for Week of November 11, 2021
Sit down and practice keeping your body still for 5 minutes. 

RAW for Week of November 4, 2021
As soon as you wake up in the morning, record the details of your dreams. 

RAW for Week of October 28, 2021
Plan your week in pencil in minute detail. Observe and record.

RAW for Week of October 21, 2021
Write down one act of service that you performed and why you did that particular act.

RAW for Week of October 14, 2021
Observe your relationship with social media. Are you dependent on it or is it a functional tool in your life?

RAW for Week of October 7, 2021
Refrain from speaking any negative words.

RAW for Week of September 30, 2021
Record which emotion (anger, disgust, fear, joy, jealousy, sadness, greed, etc.) dominated you today.

RAW for Week of September 23, 2021
Clean and organize your car. Now observe how you feel about your car and how you feel while you are in your car.

RAW for Week of September 16, 2021
Don’t look at or use any screen before 9:00 AM.

🌿 For All: https://forms.gle/mDPsguR3C5gbSij5A
🌿 For Youth: https://forms.gle/YFgLhnqRHkNir5tA6
🌿 For Kids: https://forms.gle/hr4xWK2Af2AWFM4y9

New year, new look! We’re thrilled to share that Chinmaya Mission Niagara will be moving to a new virtual home. It integrates the best of our current Medium site with new, inspired features designed to support every Seeker on their journey to Joy.

Our new site is:

• Simplified. Navigate courses, commUnity pages, and events in one, user-friendly format.
• Centralized. Explore course notes, our monthly calendar, newsletters, and social media in a single location.
• Modernized. Share your reflections easily and engage in virtual satsang with Seekers from all backgrounds. You’ll also be able to add events to your personal calendar with ease and sign up for upcoming opportunities.

To attend official launch this Thu (Mar 4), register for our ongoing Knowledge Series, Why Do We…? We will be releasing the website at the culmination of Vivekji’s dynamic workshops!

The countdown has begun…🚀