non-greed, non-possessiveness and non- attachment: on our mat We may all walk into our Yoga class looking forward to practicing, setting our intention and ready to move and breathe our way towards a more peaceful mind. Often halfway through though, something happens: We lose sight of the real reason we came, and our practice is no longer about connecting to ourselves and being present, but about being better than the person on the mat next to us, or pushing ourselves into that super impressive asana…. Sound familiar? This is where the ‘non-greed’ and ‘non-attachment’ aspects come into play. If you’ve been taking part in our Yoga month challenge and have developed a home practice, then you’re already feeling the benefits of getting on the mat more often. The more we practice of course, the stronger and more flexible we become physically, but it takes a little longer for our minds to catch up. While our bodies are more than happy with this daily dose of asana practice, the mind is all too often distracted with thoughts about how we could be better, stronger, or how we could get into that fancy arm balance quicker. We never seem to be satisfied with just what is at that moment, the mind becomes greedy, and we want more.Yoga month challenge

non-greed, non-possessiveness and non- attachment: at home We can learn that we actually probably don’t need the new shirt that looks exactly like that other one we have at home, we probably don’t really need that new cell phone, or new shoes. The more we hoard/want material possessions, the more we weigh ourselves down with not only physical, but energetic baggage, and the more we become attached to and worry about losing these said possessions. Believing that the new object we buy will bring us happiness is based on a feeling of lack that all too often enters our minds. In this sense, ‘lack’ is that sense of ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m not whole without that new thing’, when really we always were and always will be good enough no matter what. If we lighten the load a little by either selling some of the things we don’t need, or even better by giving them to charity, then we move towards living a less cluttered life both in our homes and in our minds. The next time you feel you need to buy something new, take a moment to think of why you need it so much - will it bring lasting happiness? Will it help you find peace? Will it help you live in a more self-reliant and simpler way? (Hint…. This is also a great way to save a lot of money!)

non-greed, non-possessiveness and non- attachment: in our diet Many texts advise eating moderately, so as not to disturb our practice, and Yoga in particular lists over-eating as a hindrance on the yogic path. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t enjoy your favorite meals and treats, and it’s so important to make sure each of us nourishes ourselves to stay healthy, but it’s useful to listen to our bodies to recognize when enough is enough. It has been well documented that the world’s ‘blue zones’ (the places in the world with the highest life expectancy, and the healthiest quality of life) eat until about 80% full, so as to allow the body to properly digest and assimilate food. It’s not just how much we eat that is worth considering, but also how much we throw away! 30% - 50% of the food produced in the world ends up as waste, this is equivalent to up to 2 billion tons. With a growing global population of around 9 billion people, demands for food are growing, but still well over 8 million people in the world go hungry every day. The food currently wasted in Europe could feed around 200 million people, so why are we still being greedy, over-buying and wasting food?