Season greetings

It´s here. That season. Season of consumerism. I know, I know; I not going to preach about materialism right now. I know you all know it´s bad and terrible. I want to focus on the positive side even though I´m not so into Christmas myself. I don´t know why, maybe because there´s so much hustle and buzzle and so many norms and expectations.

I don´t like Christmas traditions so much. For many years I felt uncomfortable about going to the Christmas service. Thank god (pun intended) I´m not obliged to do that anymore as I´m not even a member of the parish.

However, I´ve had quite a christmasy feeling lately. I like the atmosphere around this time: days are getting shorter and shorter and we´re expecting the winter to begin for real. Today the temperature plunged down to -6 and there was slight snow fall. There was thin ice on the bay. Also, it feels more and more cosy to stay at home and do some handicrafts, maybe light candles. There are Christmas lights here and there. Even my good old sour neighbour lit a fir tree at the foot of the porch! How sweet.

 

Today I was at a café and thought how lucky I am, being able to have a coffee in peace, watching the daylight drawing in. First snow is another moment I really enjoy. There´s something grand about it. More good moments, less rush and materialism.

P.S. Tomorrow is the Finnish "Buy Nothing Day"!   

Stress and all of his friends

A couple of weeks back I was sitting on my sofa and thought about all the things I should get done. My hands were shaking. At night it was hard to fall asleep. I was undergoing stress.

Me - stressed out? But I´m the most chilled person I know!

It turns out that I was also a "victim" of the performance oriented society that we live in. I was worried about not keeping up the pace and falling behind. What was I worried about in fact? Would something bad happen if I didn´t leave a paper in time, if I didn´t go to the gym or if I didn´t prepare so well for a presentation? Even if something negative would result, is it worth getting worried sick?

Stress is indeed a sickness. Nonetheless, it´s not uncommon to hear stories about stress from friends and acquaintances. About personal experiences. Headaches and insomnia. Hair loss and appetite loss. I think stress is very very harmful if it continues for longer time. I experienced stress only for three days. After getting better I wondered why I was ever so stressed out. It´s just not worth it. If there are too many things to do you can always ignore the less important ones.

Once again, I realize the importance of slowing down life in general and taking time for listening to yourself and just being. Meditation is great but unfortunately I don´t do it very often. Instead, yoga or stretching can be as good. Anything that makes you relax and appreciate the present. As that feeling you get while e.g. meditating remains. It brings peace of mind. 

Stress and its physical symptoms illustrate well the connection between body and mind. Optimal health means both physical and mental well-being. Even more important is the mental one because everything we do happens first in our mind. That´s where everything sprouts from. The mind can make us exceed our physical abilities (not other way around) and that alone is pretty amazing.

I´m expanding on the topic so I leave it here...

Peace.  

Green is the new black

http://positivenews.org.uk/2011/wellbeing/lifestyle/4244/ten-reasons-green-people-are-happier/

I hung this article up on the toilet wall in my parents´ house when I last came back from England. I guess it´s something I hope everyone would take the time to read. The argument goes like this: green people are happier than those who don´t care about the environment. The article is written from a British point of view but all the points are universal and relevant in many cultures so I want to sum it up here for those who are too lazy to open the link. Shame on you. 
 

 1. Living a more local life

Yes, happiness can be grown beneath your very feet. By spending less time on commuting/other travel we have.. more time for our free time and socializing. Supporting local producers help to create a thriving community which brings us to...

2. More vibrant healthy communities

Collaboration is one important aspect of eco living. Having a safe community where you can feel togetherness increases happiness for sure.

3. Human powered transport

I don´t have to justify the health benefits of any sport, let alone the mental benefits.

4. Connection to the natural world

If there really is someone who doesn´t like nature can sign up in the comment box. Growing stuff makes you happy and appreciating nature makes you realize how wonderful things you are surrounded by. 

5. Choice pruning

This is a very interesting point: having too much choice makes you frustrated. When you´re leading an ecological life, it´s a lot more simple.

6. Less materialistic

It´s evident that material things don´t make you happy in a long run. “The richer the society and its individuals become, the less purchasable are the goals that bring them happiness” - so true!

7. Enjoyable pursuits

Abandoning materialistic values releases your energy and time to other things like number eight. Doing things the we truly enjoy, rather than chasing external rewards, brings us real happiness.

8. Personal development

When humans meet their basic needs they can pursue "higher ones". Personal growth increases the quality of life and makes you generally appreciate life more. By taking actions for others out of intrinsic motivation can make your life a lot more fulfilled.

9. Social actualisation

Seeking individual well-being and valuing human relationships. Need I say more?

10. Transcendence

Realizing that all existence forms an unity, we can feel belonging to the universe rather than alienation and anguish. Learning to love and nourish our environment can be a great source of joy. "The future is ours to co-create."

For suga monsters alike

A couple of week ago I sat in the basement of the local eco shop listening to a bright-eyed man in his sixties talking about sugar. But not the sugar most people know, the white unhealthy stuff. The man was Matti Kuosmanen who imports whole cane sugar to Finland. He´s done research in Bolivia and knows a whole lot about the history of sugar and its health effects.

Whole cane sugar has been used in many ancient cultures as a remedy. It has many healing effects and it e.g prevents caries (!). I already mentioned the people of Okinawa in my previous post about longevity. Well, the same long-living people use cane sugar. It´s also an Ayurvedic remedy.

What I learned from Matti Kuosmanen was astonishing. I knew about cane sugar before but didn´t know it has such amazing super powers. It, for example...

- relieves stress

- energizes

- balances hydration and blood sugar

- is a source of iron and raises hemoglobin

- provides nutrition for cells (especially in spinal discs)

- provides minerals* (white sugar contains zero minerals)

- balances pH (cane sugar is a base so it´s perfect for coffee and meat consumers)

Word of warning: not all brown sugar is whole cane sugar! Matti Kuosmanen claimed that many brown sugars in the market are fake and they can actually be bleached and coloured with molasses. Real cane sugar is sand-like powder with a light brown tone. Sure thing it´s more expensive because the production is very very slow and is done manually. But I reckon the perks are worth it... 

I dumped white sugar a good while ago and these days I immediately notice the peak in my blood sugar after some sweet treat. There are so many healthy sweeteners available now so I don´t know why anyone would use white sugar any more...?

*Mineral deficiency is said to cause numerous health problems so it´s worth looking into as well.

A great drink for afternoon fatigue

glass of water (hot or cold)
big pinch of Himalayan salt (or other unrefined food quality salt)
2 tbsp (or more) cane sugar

Stir and enjoy the rest of the autumn with full energy!