Resources
This page is dedicated to books, links, organizations and media that promote sustainable and healthy lifestyle choices, higher consciousness, ecological awareness, as well as social justice education, outreach, and information on just plain being good to ourselves, each other and our environment. Awareness is the first step towards transformation both inward and outward. ~namaste~
Recommended Reading
Light on Yoga — by B.K.S. Iyengar, This is the classic treatise on Iyengar Yoga.
Published in 1966 with photos of Mr. Iyengar in all of the most important and
therapeutic poses, including detailed descriptions and therapeutic sequencing. A
must have for anyone interested in exploring the benefits and practice of the
Iyengar Yoga system.
Yoga, a Gem for Women — by Geeta Iyengar, This is the extensive women's guide to
Iyengar Yoga. Find out which poses are good to practice during menstruation and
pregnancy as well as menopause. Detailed information is given on the therapeutic
benefits of the poses here as well.
Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness — by Eric Schiffman, A
great approach to beginning or enriching a personal practice. With a strong
emphasis on combining the breath with the poses, this book gives a great
overview of Hatha Yoga philosophy as well as detailed instructions for many
poses at different skill levels.
Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life — by Judith Lasater. A
great overview of yoga philosophy based on two ancient yoga texts: Patanjali's
Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad-Gita. Judith translates these teachings and shows
how to aply them to modern, daily life.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success — by Deepak Chopra, Presents an effective
and easy to understand approach to creating a life of harmony and success.
Explains the laws of pure potentiality, giving, karma, least effort, intention
and desire, detachment, and dharma and includes useful suggestions on how to
apply these fundamental, natural principles.
Mastery of Awareness — by Doña Bernadette Vigil, based on the teachings of the
ancient Mexican Toltec Indians who have developed a powerful system of personal
liberation and empowerment. This book is a great spiritual handbook with a
complete set of easy-to-follow exercises for becoming a “spiritual warrior.”
The Power of Now — by Eckhart Tolle, This is a journey through the psychology of
how we can create our own inner peace and contentment by living in the present
moment. Contains the simple message that living in the now is the truest path to
happiness and enlightenment.
This Light in Oneself — by Jiddu Krishnamurti,
Krishnamurti's perspective on meditation is revolutionary as he encourages us to
approach meditation without using a methodical technique. Instead he suggests
that true meditation is a more spontaneous experience that requires every ounce
of our awareness and energy and culminates in choiceless awareness. This is a
refreshing, non-denominational, approach to enlightenment.
You are the World — by Jiddu Krishnamurti, Looking at the state of the world
many people are taken with a sense of wanting to change it somehow, but
Krishnamurti suggests that the only power we have to change the world is to
change ourselves from within, and that the only way to really change ourselves is
to find a true understanding of ourselves, by first understanding the mechanism
of thought.
Introduction to Tantra — by Lama Yeshe, This is a beautiful journey into the
heart and principles of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama's description of enlightenment is
easily absorbed and brings the reader to that place inside.
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of knowledge — by Jeremy Narby, This is
an anthropological journey that correlates much of the ancient symbols of the
past with our modern psychology, mathematical sciences, and biology. The
implication is that the human mind is capable of tapping into a vast reservoir
of internal knowledge that is only barely glimpsed at by modern science today.
Healing With Whole Foods — by Paul Pitchford, This is the comprehensive diet and
nutrition handbook based on ancient Chinese Medicine theory. It is a valuable
resource guide for learning how to use food as medicine. Included are recipes,
food preparation information as well as the nutritional and curative properties
of fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, and legumes.
Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth — by James Lovelock, This is a scientific
exploration on the theory that our planet
is one living, breathing organism and traces the 3.5 billion year history of life
on Earth.
The Ecology of Commerce — by
Paul Hawken, This is book contains ideas to reform our economic system by
demanding that First World businesses reduce their consumption of energy and
resources by 80 percent in the next 50 years. He proposes a culture of business
in which the real world and the natural world are both allowed to flourish, and
in which the planet's needs are addressed.
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World —
Michael Pollan, Using the histories of apples, tulips, potatoes and cannabis to
illustrate the complex, reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural
world, this book shows how these species have successfully exploited human
desires to flourish.
Recommended Links
Global Exchange — a
membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting
social, economic and environmental justice around the world.
Democracy Now — Hosted by award-winning
reporter Amy Goodman. One of the hottest national daily radio programs
on the air today. Get the real news.
Yoga with Mitra — Mitra's
website including current schedule of yoga classes and international workshops.
Eco-cultural Yoga Retreats —
Yoga retreats/vacations in Costa Rica offered by Costa Rican Yoga Instructor
Nango Murray and Biologist Karla Johanning. These unique retreats include
workshops and presentations of Costa Rican artists with professional dancers,
musicians, painters and writers from Costa Rica. Come enjoy Yoga with Costa
Rican cultural experiences and varied excursions within tropical rain forests,
high mountain tops and active volcanoes from a biological perspective!
ClimateCrisis.net — The average
American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year from
personal transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce
all of the products and services we consume. Calculate your global impact to
see how much CO2 you produce each year.
StopGlobalWarming.org — The
world's leading science journals report that glaciers are melting ten times
faster than previously thought, that atmospheric greenhouse gases have reached
levels not seen for millions of years, and that species are vanishing as a
result of climate change. They also report of extreme weather events, long-term
droughts, and rising sea levels. Fortunately, the science also tells us how we
can begin to make significant repairs to try and reverse those impacts, but
only through immediate action.
Sanskrit Spiritual Scriptures —
Listen to Sanskrit chanting and recitation for some of the most powerful, holy,
and ancient spiritual scriptures from India.
International Institute for Ecological
Agriculture — Permaculture is
the design of sustainable human habitats while conserving natural resources. It
is an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human
endeavor. It teaches us how to build natural homes, grow our own food, restore
diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities, and
much more.
Organic Consumers Association — Get the
facts about organic foods and organic standards. This is a great website for
keeping up to date on legislative issues and the controversy of Genetically
Modified foods or GMOs. Know what's in your food and where it came from.
LocalHarvest — Use this
website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of
sustainably grown and organic food in US communities, where you can buy
produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
Nomads United — International
theatrical group based in Latin America, traveling from Argentina to Mexico on
horseback committed to reforestation, sustainability, outreach and education.
VI Reggae — Listen to the uplifting
messages from the freshest reggae music coming out of St. Croix and the Virgin
Islands. The sight offers free streaming music and lyrics by numerous artists
including Midnite.
Power to the Peaceful —
Michael Franti's annual non-profit event. This benefit is dedicated to creating
a world without war. Site contains many inspirational links and resources.
Papaya Music — Manuel Obregón y
la Orquesta de la Papaya are leading the way for world music in Central
America. Based in Costa Rica, the musicians behind the project have started a
label that is releasing great roots music of Central America. They cover the
fiery rhythms of Panama and Honduras, the African-rooted songs from Belize, the
more melodic sounds of Costa Rica and traditional songs from Guatemala and El
Salvador. Check out “Simbiosis”, Obregón's environmental video performed live
in, and in combination with, the rainforest of Costa Rica.
Documentary Films — Food for Thought
These educational films are food for thought about the possibilities of human potential as well as the global issues that affect us all. As the human population continues to grow and technology continues to make the world smaller we begin to realize that we are all in this together. Forming cross-cultural ties within our global community we discover that we human beings actually share more commonalities than differences.
It is my hope that these educational films will help bring about a shift from the old paradigm of “get what you can for yourself” to the new paradigm of working together to form networks for peace and sustainable living. There are enough resources on the planet for everyone to have a life of dignity and prosperity. It is a matter of using our resources fairly and not for profit. The medium of film is such a powerful means of getting insight, information, and inspiration from across the globe.
Latcho Drom — This is a musical documentary that follows the roots
of the Romani people (gypsies). Using only music and image it is a compelling story of Romani migrations
from Northern India to Europe and the rest of the world. Beginning with a
gathering of lavishly dressed nomads singing across the harsh deserts of
Rajasthan, viewers are transported through the lush oases of Egypt into the
ghettoes of Turkey, from the muddy lanes of Eastern Europe through lush French
fields to the windswept coastal cities of Spain.
Rivers and Tides — Stunning documentary behind the scenes of the art of Andy
Goldsworthy. Amazingly beautiful footage of artwork produced in relationship
with nature, revealing the process of trial and error that makes these amazing
creations possible.
An Inconvenient Truth — The PowerPoint lecture that Al Gore has presented to
attentive audiences all over the world about the increasingly desperate crisis
of global warming and what we need to do to reverse it. Global warming is real,
man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don't act now.
A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil — An informative,
inspirational documentary aimed at sharing ideas to provoke environment-friendly
and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide. The documentary focuses on
innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable
housing, seasonal parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of
the most livable cities in the world.
The Take — This is an exciting look at workers taking charge of their own
economy after the 2001 economic collapse in Argentina.
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil — When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's
economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half — and
food by 80 percent — Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly
mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of
farming and local, urban gardens.
Coconut Revolution — A documentary about the
fight of the people of Bougainville against Papua New Guinea and imperialistic mining
corporations that exploit Bougainville and its people, leaving the environment of
the island totally devastated.
Elite Globalization vs People's Globalization — A look at the difference between
two kinds of globalization: elite globalization and grassroots globalization.
Breaking the Bank — a look at the protests against the IMF and the World Bank.
Unlike the corporate media coverage of this historic event, this video explores
the issues that drove the protests.
Life and Debt — exposes the detrimental effects of free trade and foreign debt
on ordinary Jamaicans. The movie makes a compelling case for reexamining the
sustainability of unfettered market competition in developing countries, and the
role of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO in promoting policies which are costing
many ordinary Jamaicans their livelihoods while driving the country deeper and
deeper into debt.
Maquilapolis: City of Factories — A documentary about the lives of factory
workers in Mexico that produce televisions, electrical cables, toys, clothes,
batteries and IV tubes, as they confront labor violations, environmental
devastation and urban chaos. Know where your toys come from.
Recommended Docu-Dramas
Whale Rider — This is a coming-of-age tale for one young girl and also for the
Whangara people struggling to maintain identity and cohesion in the modern
age. Set on the east coast of New Zealand.
Rabbit-Proof Fence — Based on a true story, the title refers to a 1,500-mile
fence separating outback desert from the farmlands of Western Australia. It is
here, in 1931, that three aboriginal girls are separated from their mothers and
transported to a distant training school, where they are prepared for
assimilation into white society by a racist government policy. Gracie, Daisy,
and Molly belong to Australia's “stolen generations,” and this riveting film
(based on the book by Molly's daughter, Doris Pilkington Garimara) follows their
escape and tenacious journey homeward.
The Wooden Camera — Two thirteen-year-old boys play along the railway line in
Kayelitsha, a township close to Capetown. A dead man is tossed from a passing
train, clutching an attache case. Inside, the boys discover a gun and a video
camera. One Takes the camera and the other the gun. The film follows the
consequences of each boy's choice. Excellent social commentary on life in post
Apartheid South African slums.
