Nature Appreciation
Can’t sleep – lunar eclipse
Please excuse the terrible shiny crappy photo that I took from my front door. It’s the middle of the night and I’m sitting in my front doorway watching the moon that happens to be keeping me up. I’ve been lying in bed awake for hours thinking about sleep, meditating, doing breathing exercises and nothing seems to be working. I’ve finally given in and decided to view the incredible phenomenon that’s keeping me sleepless.
She’s a beauty the moon – so bright and shiny. As I sit here I think back to my teenage years when I would lie awake in the yard looking up at the moon and ponder life. I wanted to understand why. Why does it all exist. What is conciousness.How can anything really be proven other than your own existence. What are we meant to be doing here? What really matters in the world. I’m still asking myself these same questions now – a decade later. I’m glad that I am – it means that I’m at least keeping myself in tune with nature and not really getting caught up in what i’m buying, who i’m spending time with and how i’m earning a dollar.
Living in London for the past few years I’ve been missing having a real and true connection to nature. I find myself yearning to swim in natural bodies of water, getting lost amongst the trees, searching for critters big and small just to watch them go about their business. I want to forage, frolic and explore new places that are wild and free unlike the urban jungle I’ve been calling home.
Thank you moon – you’ve given me much to think on. Now how abouts letting me get a bit of shut eye?
If you’re sleepless like me tweet me @jessicaswander or instagram me @jessicaswanderlust
Until next time dreamers… x
What is Sustainability?
We live in a world of excessive consumption, unnecessary production, that is completely full of man-made waste. Currently we are taking more resources from the earth each year than she is able to reproduce which means that sustainability has never been so important as is it right now.
So what does sustainability really mean?
The dictionary defines sustainability as the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed. In environmental science sustainability refers to the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.
It’s currently estimated that 50,000 different plant and animal species will become extinct in the next decade – the destruction is so relentless that 60,000 plant species could be lost by 2025! Just to put that into perspective for you that is 25% of the worlds total plant life. Just imagine the effect that will have on the individual and interlinking ecosystems around the world. Not to mention the erosion, pollution, lack of food, quality of water… I could go on.
I believe we all have a responsibility to act in a sustainable way – take sustainability into consideration every day of our lives – because it affects our lives in every way – think about it when you eat – when you drink – when you travel to work – when you take a holiday – when you shop… because I know I want future generations to be able to enjoy the beauty of this world – the diversity – the people – even the food and unless we all start to shift towards living more sustainable lifestyles that just isn’t going to be possible.
I’d love to speak with you about sustainability and hear your thoughts – so please leave a comment below or tweet with me @JessicasWander.
Peace and love wanderlusters x
Stargazing – Our Amazing Universe
I don’t think there is a person on earth that doesn’t look up to the night sky in awe. It’s just one of those things. It’s beautiful, haunting, unreachable, enchanting and mind boggling. I know I’ve often spent hours and hours just staring up at the stars and thinking just how mind-boggling it is.
We are on a tiny little planet rotating around what is comparatively a tiny ball of burning gas suspended in nothingness. We look out to billions upon billions of other stars – some of which have their own planets and moons rotating around them. We do live in a very small world. We can travel it all quite easily and see the world at our leisure. We’re all connected by this modern technology and it’s as easy for me to contact someone in Semporna as it is for me to contact someone in Australia. There are people who view my blog that are from countries I’ve never heard of before – but somehow we are all connected. That much I can grasp in my mind – but when we look to the stars we realise just how small this world is.
When we look to the stars and think of the hugeness of the universe it makes me think of the earth as a whole – no countries, no boundaries, no races or religion. We’re just one.
Chew on that thought for a while Wanderlusters. x
One more reason why travelling changes your life.
I had an “ah-ha moment” a few years back when I was in Bali for one of Eoin Finn’s YES (Yoga Ecology Surf) retreats.
It was the final day of the retreat and I was getting dressed for our last dinner together in one of the bigger houses. I’d already packed up my backpack in preparation to move on to beautiful inland Ubud for the next week or so and I realised just how little I had with me and just how little I actually needed.
Fast forward to November 2013 when I was packing up my bags and getting rid of all my possessions. It was absolutely liberating. I don’t want to waste money on trivial things like more handbags, ornaments, clothes, shoes, jewellery, cosmetics or perfumes. When you really think about it how much do those things actually add to your life? How many hours working did you spend to be able to afford that watch your wearing to make sure you catch your train on time? Now I’m not saying I’ve gone all minimalist and have gotten rid of all my material possessions because I haven’t. I just realised that some of the best things in life are not all that expensive and I’d rather spend my money on a grand adventure than a grand gown that will sit in my closet until I find somewhere to wear it. I’d rather work hard at what I love doing then spend each day commuting in to a job that I don’t enjoy just so I can afford the Claude Maus jacket I’ve been lusting after.
Less is almost always more,
Jessica xx
p.s. I always love to hear from you guys, so please leave a comment below, or tweet with me @jessicaswander
Earth.Body.Yoga with Eoin Finn
Get Excited lovely humans!
My dear friend and mentor Eoin Finn has released a sneaky peek from his new DVD Earth Body Yoga
CHECK IT OUT HERE: http://vimeo.com/77073328
Eoin is an incredible yogi, surfer, ocean worshipper, blissologist and generally an all round FUNderful human (FUN+ Wonderful… it’ll catch on I’m certain).
Going to Eoin’s YES retreat (YES stands for Yoga Ecology Surf) in Bali in November 2011 was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done for my mind, body and soul. Getting to know him and his family was just magic. His philosophy on life is awe-inspiring so I totally recommend you all go to one of his retreats or at lease check out his DVD’s and TEDx Talk.
Just spreading the bliss..
Jess.
SEE EOIN ON TEDx HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsIZ69msvOQ
Discovering my bliss video update.
Video Posted on
Thank you to everyone who has contacted me in regards to my initial post about discovering my bliss.
Hope this answers some of the questions.
Have a beautiful day,
Jess.
SHOULD YOU EAT MEAT?
CLICK HERE to watch PETA’S amazing video on factory farming narrated by Paul McCartney.
Vegans/vegetarians/meat eaters could argue until the cows come home over this subject (hopefully for the cows sake they come home to a vegan/vegetarian) but in the end every person has a right to choose exactly what goes into their stomach.
We are both vegans, but our journey was a step-by-step process and we certainly didn’t wake up one day and just become vegan.
In fact both of us ate copious amounts of meat for over 20 years!
We would often have eggs on toast for breakfast, tuna sandwich for lunch, and steak and veggies for dinner. This is such a ‘normal’ diet regime, however sickness, illness, and disease have also become very normal. So the question had to be asked, if this path we are taking isn’t working for everyone else, then why would we follow it?
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Nature Appreciation
Nature Appreciation has become a big part of my daily practice.
All you need to do is take some time each day to appreciate something in the natural world. Easy!
This is a photo I took yesterday when I was at the St Andrews Market. It was such a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air felt fresh and cool and the sky was such a magnificent blue.
People who take time in their day to appreciate the natural world are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Not only this but by actively observing nature we become more connected to who we are and giving us the opportunity to connect with our own spirituality.
“It’s nice to see that it shows that, that the closer humans are to the natural environment, that seems to have a healthy influence,” -Dr. David Rakel director of integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
This was introduced to me by Eoin Finn in November 2011 when i was on a YES (Yoga Ecology Surf) Retreat in Bali, Indonesia. Nature Appreciation is one of the 6 “Bliss Commitments”. These are small daily actions that you can take to help create yourself an Upward Spiral.
To read more about Eoin Finn or to join the 4 week Blissology Project Program follow this link:
http://www.blissology.com/community/the-blissology-project/the-4-week-program/
I encourage you to try this and see how connecting with nature can transform your life.
with love,
Jessica
Jessica's Wanderlust 