Meditation: the low-down

Yoga and Meditation are not really separate, yet they are. You can think of Yoga as the entire practice that prepares you for meditation. Before you can run, you must walk, and Yoga prepares you to meditate profoundly. Many people these days have heard great things about meditation and want to learn techniques so that they can be even more effective in their work. They want to optimise their minds so that they can learn faster think more effectively...Certainly meditation can help with this, but it's all a little bit more complicated than sitting quietly for 30mins. You didn't think it was going to be that easy did you?

Here's a little clarification from Master Desikachar:

"Mind is synonymous with experience: mind is always something other than itself. Through the practice of Yoga, one comes to see how the form of the mind is the same as its object. By projecting itself onto its objects, the mind becomes shaped and molded by them to the point where the impressions of the objects begin to hinder the clarity of perception.

The point of Yoga is to keep the mind clear of the build up of impressions. Once we understand that the mind assumes the form of its experience, we have the opportunity to choose the objects that shape our minds. Yoga is the practical application of this ancient yet simple insight." (Desikachar)

This is incidentally why you are what you do repeatedly. What is it that you do every day? Is this who you want to be? 

Before you can meditate, you must have these 3 qualities:

- Curiosity about who you really are (Yogana)

- Go through a cleansing/purifying process (Sadhana)

- Have a positive attitude (Bhavana)

A consistent Yoga practice will give you these 3 things, and give you a good framework to work on all of them. The work is not purely physical but also mental, so you need to purify and cleanse your body as well as your mind before you are ready to meditate. This takes most of us quite a few years. It's a well worthwhile journey though, and improves people lives in staggering ways. Never underestimate its effects.

I often hear people say that the spiritual aspect of Yoga isn't for them, which is really like going to a therapist and saying as Brene Brown did "Here's the thing: no family stuff, no childhood shit. I just need some strategies". You have to do the work and in this case it's getting to know who you really are. This is the spiritual aspect of Yoga. There's a lot of confusion with Hinduism and Buddhism, and lets face it most western Yoga studios propagate the confusion. Yoga and meditation are not religious practices unless you make them so, that's up to you. Getting to know yourself: not optional.

What do you do when you meditate?

You don't have to sit, you can walk, whatever is comfortable, but sitting with your eyes closed is really easiest to begin with for most of us. Meditation is a practice of the mind, so you are focusing your mind on an object, whatever it may be. You may pick an image, a thought, a sound, an idea...whatever works for you. Most of us sit still and quiet because be we're so concentrated and its easier to keep concentrated this way. Other meditators can focus whilst walking or chanting. There are different practices for different minds. Keeping that kind of unwavering focus on something for a long time is very very hard at first. For most of us just sitting still is hard enough.

You can think of meditation in 4 stages:

1.  Come to a stop 

2. Work towards clearing the mind

3. Refine it

4. Direct it

It takes a lot of work on yourself and in your life to get to through the 4 stages. There are really no shortcuts here, and believe me I explored many different routes. I was a very reluctant meditator, because I always wanted to do things and became frustrated.  I wasn't ready.  I started Yoga and began by loving the gymnastics, and that's all it was for me. Until of course the practice did its magic on me and broke me down to reassemble me. A wiser, more compassionate, kinder and gentler me emerged. Some days I still struggle just to sit still and come to a stop. Most of the time I can clear my mind and focus it. On rare days I break new ground. 

What's up with your mind?

Everything that happens to you is dependent on the role of your mind. Everything you see and experience is filtered by the mind. Your mind can be the source of freedom or imprisonment. Everything can either be neurosis or sanity. It depends how your mind is trained to see things. Yoga is there to help you untangle things, and meditation to help you train your mind afresh. This is why we say that Yoga is about undoing rather than doing. 

What's up with your body?

It is said in the old texts "As is the food, so is the mind" for example. Mind and body are meant to work in unison. Yoga helps your body and mind remember that, because many of us have forgotten. When you eat junk food, it affects your body and it affects your mind, and not subtly. Once you are in the process of purifying both, the numbness drops away and you become much more sensitive to these things. To everything. When you say "I have a gut feeling", it really is in the gut. The body and the mind together are capable of so much. The first rung of the ladder is to reconnect them. 

 Ultimately, as Krishnamacharya said "You learn by being with people, by taking responsibility for them". If you think you will end up somewhere new, you may be surprised. I came back full-circle, but far better equipped to be with people and take responsibility for them, and the learning continues.

photo credit: premasagar via photopin 

How to be part of this change

There is a revolution going on, gathering pace, made up of revolutionaries who have had enough of mass marketing, consumption, bad food, being told they're not enough, being driven by money alone, ruining our planet, ignoring poverty and of working in jobs that turn them into lifeless drones. They are voting with their actions. Tired of waiting for change, they are making their own changes. They are designers, entrepreneurs, developers, farmers, managers, company owners, mothers, fathers, gardeners, artists, carpenters, medical professionals, architects...Many are becoming inspired by the actions of others and are changing the way they live, the way they shop, and work. Patagonia have embraced William McDonough's "Cradle to cradle principle" with their Common Threads initiative. The Boisset Winery in France is returning to horse drawn plows and using sheep to keep the grass short, so that they can restore the depleted topsoil. Volkswagen is selling 85% recyclable and 95% reusable cars. General Electric is spending 1 million dollars a year to be able to desalinate water and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. People are increasingly shopping local and the New Economics Foundation published stats that show that when people purchase produce at a local farmer’s market instead of at a chain supermarket, up to twice the money stays in the community. Soapwalla make organic products for your body by hand and from natural ingredients, voicing a clear "No" to bad chemicals. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has inspired people to eat healthier and more varied foods. Kaiser Permanente has changed the way that it provides healthcare to patients by using a human-centered design approach to its services. Aravind Eye hospital in India has re-imagined the hospital to be able to provide eye care to the poor and put an end to needless blindness. TOMS shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in the 3rd world every time you buy a pair. More in the software industry are following these practices too, and turning their eye to doing social good. This respect for the world around us is reaching more and more industries and people all the time.

What you can do in your day to day life to join in:

• Be responsible for your belongings (don't throw away electrical items, clothes, pens, shoes, toys...recycle and donate)
• Be a minimalist (don't buy things that you don't need and donate the things you have and don't need)
• Shop locally (avoid buying things online when you can get them close by)
• Make wise food choices (favour organic when you can, eat things that are in season, know where your food comes from)
• Put you talents to good use (volunteer, work for an ethical company, decide how your talents will be used)
• Grow things  (learn to grow your own food)
• Slow down (learn to undo the negative effects of modern living by meditating, practicing Yoga, playing the piano,...whatever floats your boat)
• Switch off (turn off your devices, leave home without them sometimes)
• Initiate change (If you're not happy with something, find ways to change it yourself)
• Make choices (do things with awareness of why you are doing them)
• Get out into nature a lot more (walk, bike, run, stroll...)
• Make something (software, jewellery, art, music...feel empowered)
• Know that you are enough (Explore yourself, discover yourself, enjoy!)
• Educate yourself (read books, listen, ask questions)
• Meet real people (Get out and say hello)
• Be a part of your local community

May you also enjoy taking part and seeing how the little things start to change everything around you. Voltaire once said "You have to cultivate your own garden". Start with yourself and see how changing small things changes the world.

Going on retreat at home

Retreats of all kinds (Yoga, Meditation, creative, contemplative...) have become more and more popular with all sorts of people looking to unwind and get away from their busy lives. They have also become quite expensive, and not everyone has the luxury of being able to go away and leave work, families, pets and so on for any length of time. The most awesome thing (for me) about going away on retreat, has always been that it forced me to disengage from my day to day life entirely and that I could relax back in the capable hands of a good teacher. I realised a few years ago that I could also be that teacher for myself (for a short period of time anyway), and that I didn't need to take off to some exotic location to restore and disengage. When I need it, I write myself a retreat program spanning a day or a weekend. Here is a sample of what I would consider a relaxing and restorative day:

7am - 8:30am: Yoga Asana

8:30am - 9:30am: Pranayama and Meditation

9:30am: close morning session with chanting

9:30am - 10am: Tea and breakfast

10am - 11am: Hot bath with essential oils

11am - 1pm: Reading a real book & more tea /snoozing

1pm - 1:30pm: Lunch

1:30pm - 4pm: Artist walk out in nature (take photos with a camera or find a quiet spot to draw or write)

4pm - 5pm: Come home and have tea (again) & write postcards to friends and family

5pm - 6pm: Yoga Nidra

6pm - 6:30pm: Seated Meditation

6:30pm - 7:30pm: Dinner (make and eat)

7:30pm - 8:30pm: Read a real book

8:30pm - 9pm: Restorative Yoga Asana

9pm - 9:30pm: Prepare for sleep

9:30pm: Go to bed

It's important to stick to your schedule if you can, and also leave plenty of time for each activity you pick to do. If you fall asleep for the whole day, you probably needed it, so don't worry about not making the schedule. See it more as a sign that you probably need more than a day or two in retreat. Make sure you select truly relaxing activities, that encourage you to "rest and digest" rather than anything adrenaline inducing or depleting. I love to surf and skateboard, but I leave those activities out of my retreat days, because although I'm used to doing them, they're dangerous and not quiet, safe, and restorative in this sense. If you have kids and/or a partner, send them all away for the day.

Very important:

• Switch off all your devices and your laptop
• Don't invite anyone over
• Be present - enjoy this special time
• Make sure your program is realistic (I am long time Yoga practitioner so this sample is good for me. Make sure you pick activities that are comfortable and familiar to you. This is not a time to achieve goals and strive for something new)
• Make sure you have everything you need prepared in advance so that you don't have to go to any stores for supplies

Of course early the next morning, you may, as I do, frantically run to check your email and phone only to discover that the world has survived a day or two without you.

100 ways to a better life

I make a list like this every so often, after I have been reminded of the sheer joy that is simply living. They help me when my mind is obscured by my own thoughts, or basically when I am in the way of life itself and need to step aside. The first part is being aware of when that is, and the second thing is to know how to step aside. I usually keep these in my trusty moleskin, but I decided to share this one. Maybe you can make your own and share it with the world too. I particularly loved David Good's one, it has a lot of heart. Here's mine: 1. Be the first to smile

2. Learn the Hula and share it with others

3. Greet strangers like you greet friends

4. Eat honey out of the jar with your fingers

5. Practice Yoga every day

6. Teach Yoga to those who ask

7. Exhale all the way out often

8. Chant a little every day, it's good for warming the heart

9. Sometimes drop the chanting and sing a little instead

10. Savour food

11. Name at least 5 things every day that you are grateful for

12. Laugh openly

13. Don't be afraid to touch people

14. Really enjoy this moment, the now

15. Always do the right thing

16. Take care of your feet and hands

17. Surf at every opportunity

18. Send postcards, even if you're home

19. Draw what you see with abandon

20. Attentively listen when others are speaking

21. Take regular walks outside

22. When you wash your hands, take the time to enjoy the water and the soap

23. Visit art exhibitions and observe how they make you feel

24. Always volunteer for public speaking when it's about things you love

25. Visit the fine line between fear and excitement regularly

26. Make a new friend

27. Make someone feel good every day

28. Be generous with your compliments

29. Don't judge, even if you feel judged

30. Forgive, forgive, forgive again

31. Practice non-attachment to people, objects, thoughts, feelings...

32. Be kind to those suffering (everyone)

33. Run barefoot in the grass or in the sand

34. Learn something from everyone

35. Never be too busy for a kiss and a cuddle

36. Massage others (when appropriate!)

37. Question everything but never shoot the messenger

38. Read inspiring stories and share them

39. Learn to cook something new

40. Keep your secrets

41. Not only respect, but also honour others

42. Share all your good stuff

43. Surrender - the world does not rest on your shoulders, you are the dirt of the earth :)

44. Experience nature as much as possible

45. Pay for someone else once in a while

50. Listen to music from all over the world

51. Persist

52. Don't be afraid to be different

53. Don't try to be different

54. Burn incense every day

55. Spend time with children

56. Spend time with elderly people

57. Say "no" enough

58. Say "yes" enough

59. Get good headphones and listen to music while watching sunsets and sunrises

60. Yes...get up early so you have time to enjoy the start of the day

61. Don't hide your vulnerability, it's what connects you to others

62. Read the Yoga Sutra. Read it again

63. Pick your favourite fruit and describe it in as many ways as you can

64. Close your eyes and rely on your other senses

65. Don't argue with aggressive people, walk away

66. Be prepared to change your mind

67. Paint your toes in a colour that makes you smile

68. Celebrate the successes of others

69. Sleep early

70. Grow things from seeds

71. Be colourful

72. Wear comfortable shoes

73. Don't be afraid to get wet, walk in the rain, paddle in the sea

74. Enjoy your guilty pleasures, but don't be addicted to them

75. Don't buy stuff you don't need, you're stealing from yourself

76. Sponsor a child

77. Sing or whistle with the birds

78. Have a reusable water bottle on you

79. If you are a Yogi, practice all 8 limbs, no just Asana

80. Speak to those no one speaks to

81. Meet your neighbours

82. Ride a bike or a skateboard everywhere

83. Refuse to rush

84. Sit on the floor every day

85. Buy a tube of soap bubbles and blow some

86. Gift your favourite book to someone every so often

87. Give the senses a rest and turn off the idevices at home

88. Take a class in something new and random

89. Meditate or try to

90. Moisturize

91. Doodle

92. Donate all the stuff you don't use or wear

93. Use an eye bag every so often and relax

94. Nurture your friendships

95. Call home regularly

96. Buy flowers for someone every now and again

97. Write a poem

98. Feel your breath in your body

99. Do things without attachment to the outcome

100. Love <3

Love your dragon

No death = No Life

No change = No transformation

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us" (J. Campbell)

Be willing to keep dying.

Follow your bliss.

The universe will open doors where there were only walls.

Love is what we're born with. Fear is what we learn.

Have courage.

Love your dragon.

(Notes from Finding Joe)

Learn to listen

Listening is arguably the most important skill you can have as an experience designer. Very very few of us know how to listen to others. It is not a skill that is taught very well at schools in general, or in universities. Most of us don't even know what it means to listen, which means that we don't even know where to begin to learn this precious and underrated skill. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "listening" as:

1: to pay attention to sound

2: to hear something with thoughtful attention

Many of you, I suspect, would say that the most relevant to experience designers is #2, however this is part of our problem. Before we can listen to somebody with thoughtful attention, we have to learn to pay attention to sound.  This is not as easy as it first appears, so give it a try:

1- Sit comfortably 2- Close your eyes (it will be easier if you withdraw the other senses) 3- Listen to the sounds that are very very far away 4- Listen to the sounds that are very close to you 5- Now listen to the sounds that are somewhere in between the previous two

You should be able to comfortably, with passive alertness, do this exercise for at least 20minutes without:

- Fidgeting - Your mind wandering & losing concentration - Hearing the sound of your own voice inside your head - Having a conversation with yourself - Waiting for this exercise to end - Labeling all of the sounds individually - Effort

When you do any of these things, you cease to listen.

If you cannot focus on the noises around you with your eyes closed, whilst sitting comfortably, without your mind getting in the way, then it will be very very difficult for you to be able to really listen to somebody else talking to you, especially if you are on the phone in a busy train station, for example.

When we are listening to someone else speaking, we are not waiting for our turn to speak. Harder still, we are not listening to our inner monologue whilst they are talking. If you cannot listen to them without your inner monologue going off all the time, then all you hear are your own desires, you project your own ideas onto their words, and you never really listen to them, or even hear them.

Robert McCloskey famously said:

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Listening to somebody means that you are intently focused on that person and what they are communicating. You not only hear the sound of their voice, understand the words that are coming out of their mouth, but also see their body language, their facial expressions, and develop an understanding of what they are trying to communicate, without warping their communication with what your mind thinks they are saying. It is to listen without judgement, and without commentary, to what another person is saying.

Krishnamurti said that:

"To listen, there must be an inward quietness, a freedom from the strain of acquiring, a relaxed attention. This alert yet passive state is able to hear what is beyond the verbal conclusion.  Words confuse; they are only outward means of communication; but to communicate beyond the noise of words, there must be in listening an inner passivity."

This skill is very difficult to master, and I wager that 99% of us at least (myself included) are incapable of truly listening to someone for any substantial length of time. It is certainly worth our while to get better at this, because it not only affects our work, but also every other aspect of our lives. As experience designers, we often listen to the end user, waiting to acquire that nugget of information that will help us to improve our work. When we have this attitude to listening, we are in danger of only hearing what we want to hear.

Doing the listening to sounds exercise (that I have described above), every day for at least 10mins at a time, really can help you to improve your listening skills. It is a meditation exercise primarily, as it requires your mind to be intently focused on one thing: the sounds around you and nothing else. It helps develop concentration also, and is a very peaceful thing to do. Whatever the sounds that you hear: police sirens, doors slamming, water pipes bubbling, cars humming in the distance, the washing machine churning, or even your phone going off...they are all just sounds. They're not calls to action. If you can listen to all of the sounds around you, you are no longer confining your mind to one channel. We become open and aware of everything around us. Developing this awareness itself leads to great insight.

Another important point is that when we really listen to someone, we give them the space they need, to be. Holding this space for them is a deeply compassionate and powerful thing to do.

Krishnamurti also said:

"You will find that the more you listen to everything, the greater is the silence, and that silence is not broken by noise. It is only when you are resisting something, when you are putting up a barrier between yourself and that to which you do not want to listen - it is only then that there is a struggle."

If you cannot truly listen, then all you hear is yourself.

Evelyn Glennie shows how to listen in this TED talk, enjoy - I loved this.

My retrospective: 2011

photo credit: danicuki

I have had one awesome year. It's aways fun to do a retrospective when it has been a highly successful one, full of big achievements and good surprises. It's always a little harder to retrospect about a tough one, or one where there have been more challenges than achievements. The thing is that I had to go through quite a string of years like that to plant the seeds to set me up for the success that this year has brought. Some who know me less well think that it's all seamless, but you know, as it is said "All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do."

There is of course an element of luck, for want of a more specific word. I think it relates to the happy encounters with people who inspired me, changed me, taught me something (even those people who I didn't necessarily get on well with). There's also the fact that I was born in an environment conductive to the path I took, and that I had great educational opportunities, learning opportunities, access to computers, resources, books and a lot of things that many people are not lucky enough to have.

But you still have to take the bull by the horns, seize the day, seize opportunities when they show up, and make stuff happen. And then, you give back.

ThoughtWorks:

This year I made the best decision of my career and joined ThoughtWorks as an experience designer. It has been a very rewarding and worthwhile experience, where I learned a lot and have joined a family of like-minded people. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that I feel like the context to who I am has just been added. I am working with energizing people who inspire me, help me develop into an even better experience designer, and never ask me to lower my bar. In fact, they suggest ways in which we might even raise it. I am surrounded by friends who are as passionate about software, people, our world and how we make a positive difference to it. I worked on social impact projects that are close to my heart, as well as on interesting problems for business clients. Some of those friendships run deep and change me. I am profoundly grateful to be part of this. It's a really special company.

Ph.D:

This was also the year that I finally finished my Ph.D and learnt the most wonderful thing in the world: that there is more to learn. I showed ingenuity and that I could have sophisticated ideas, working in complex environments, but above all, I showed tenacity. I had the ongoing support of Stephen Cox and Dan Smith, not to mention friends and family. A lot of people cheered me to the finish line and met me the other side with arms held wide. I learnt that as a scientist, my greatest asset was my creativity. I always felt a bit awkward amongst very "left brained" types, especially since there are typically so many in computer science. My approach was always a lot looser, more big picture, and very inventive. I found out that there is a place for me in this world too. Most importantly, I learnt what fed that creative spark: a big open heart, made so by years of dedicated Yoga practice.

Yoga teacher training:

I finished my Yoga teacher training course at the Yoga Institute. It's a year long course, with about as much work as I had to do for my Masters in Computer Science. I don't think I intended for it to be quite so transformational, but it certainly was. Just when you are in danger of thinking you know it all, you turn a corner and discover wide, wide open landscapes. Those moments are arresting and entirely beautiful. This is why I love science so much, and why I continue to be a devoted Yoga practitioner and now teacher. Those moments make you feel vulnerable, and they are brimming with opportunity. What I learnt from that place, I teach. The student-teacher relationship is sacred because of the appreciation I have for the teaching I have the honour of passing on.

Marriage:

This is also the year that I got married to a wonderful man that I have shared my life with for the past 12 years. The act of getting married can be lost in all the business of organising the meals, the invitations, the seating plan and flower arrangements, so we had none of those things. Our wedding day was about one thing: us. And as an extension of us, all the wonderful people who share our lives and inspire us. The commitment we made to each other makes me smile and feel enormously content. He is my husband.

Driving:

This was the year that I finally passed my driving test. It has been a running joke in my family, about how I seem to manage to absorb and master most things I set my mind to, but not driving. I found it really hard and still to this day don't understand why the car doesn't tell me what the speed limit is, why anyone needs to parallel park on a hill, or why other people don't indicate. Still, I have finally passed!

This year ends with family back home in Europe, and a year of new adventures begins. I cast a deep look of appreciation over my shoulder to those who are no longer on this journey, aware how much they touched my life. Then I swiftly look forwards and upwards, to the future, excited and full of plans.

It's been awesome. Thank you x

Sitting is not bad for you

photo credit: siva_nayak88

There was an infographic in Mashable this week, linking to a number of articles, saying that "sitting can kill you". The articles all reference a medical journal article (but none of them link directly to the data). The line common to all of these articles is:

"A recent medical journal study showed that people who sit for most of their day are 54% more likely to die of a heart attack." (the Journal is Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)

That is an attention grabbing stat if I ever saw one! The team analyzed the lifestyles of 17,000 people over the age of 13, and found that out of those, 54% were more likely to have a heart attack. The common thread was that these people sat all day long. I assume that they all sat in chairs, although it isn't explicitly mentioned in the article. There's a growing body of evidence that suggests that sitting all day is quite bad for you. For example, the journal of Epidemiology states that sitting for 6 hour stretches makes you 18% more likely to to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than three hours a day.

Notice that none of the studies say that "sitting down will kill you", or that "sitting is bad for you". Sitting constantly is obviously not good, as the research shows. This Mashable article goes on to say that standing up all day is therefore better for you, and suggests you get a standing-desk. This is actually not a great idea.

"Scientists in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined 17 studies on occupational sitting and cancer, and found little to no connection. And some experts in occupational health worry that hours of uninterrupted standing could be bad for your body." (Time magazine)

Standing all day is bad too. In fact, I reckon not moving all day is pretty bad for you, whatever position you're in, assuming you're a healthy individual to begin with.

I find it interesting that none of the articles or the research differentiates between sitting on the floor and sitting in chairs. In the Hatha yoga tradition, the postures that are considered the most important (see Hatha Yoga Papridika) are 4 seated postures.

Sitting & Yoga

- Asana: Every posture is called something+asana. "Asana" literally means "seat". Even standing postures like Tadasana, are considered to have a seat. It doesn't explicitly mean that you are sitting, but rather that it is a relaxed and balanced place to be.

In all the seated postures, the spine is tall, the chin is tucked in, the shoulders sink down the back, the knees are lower than the hips and it feels comfortable. If it hurts to sit like this (i.e. knee injury), don't. The most important part of any yoga posture is the breath. If you are not breathing well (as in with awareness) you are not doing yoga.

(The following links are so you can see how the posture looks, instructions would vary according to the individual)

- Sukhasana: Easy pose (crossed legs)

- Brahmasana: Half lotus

- Padmasana: Lotus

- Siddhasana: "When siddhaasana is mastered, of what use are the various other postures?" (Hatha Yoga Pradipika)

Of course, to be able to sit in any of the above postures for any amount of time, you need to have a strong and flexible body. This is why there are 84 postures (i think) described in Hatha yoga, all intended to prepare your body to take the seated postures. This can take years and years, and it usually does. There is also an array of other seated postures like Virasana, for example.

Why is sitting so important?

Seated postures allow you to comfortably focus on your breath, and also meditate. Sitting with awareness allows you to open the hips, keep the spine tall (thus giving you ample space to breathe fully) and a whole host of other things I am sure my fellow yogis will add. The thing is that every posture has a counter-posture. After sitting in one posture for a while, it's good to move and sit in a different way, that allows for your body to recover. For example, after sitting in Padmasana for a while, it might be nice to do a seated forward bend.

The real issue:

If you stay in one posture all day and don't ever move your body into other positions, you will not stay healthy. It doesn't matter if you are standing, sitting or upside down. You need to move around and mix it up. I have heard it said that "Chairs are the cancer of the west", and it is true that sitting in a chair or a comfy armchair may not be the best seated posture for you. Chairs make it hard to shift into other seated postures. In fact sitting badly is as bad as standing badly, I would argue. Additionally, sitting all day in a mental state of stress, anxiety and whatever else is also very harmful. It's not just about how you're sitting physically, but also mentally.

If you learn about yoga, you will notice that the yogis don't only pay attention to postures (asanas), but to Pranayama (breathing),and  meditation but also to nourishment and cleanliness (Kriya) and a whole host of other things like not harming (Ahimsa). Sitting in Sukhasana alone is unlikely to keep you well. There is a whole system in place that makes Sukhasana work for you.

Sitting is not dangerous, and it won't kill you. Health is all about how you sit, and everything else you do in your life too.

How to never procrastinate

photo credit: LadyDayDream

In the last year there have been a flurry of ToDo list apps, and solutions that have emerged. This is due (possibly) to a growing population unable to get everything they have to do done. Or (possibly) a lot of people are being told that they're not doing things as efficiently as they should and here are a bunch of apps that can help.

Lets be honest here, how many apps and techniques and things have you tried, downloaded, used for a period of time...and how many were actually successful? If they cured your problem, then it was probably a matter of organisation, but procrastination runs deeper than that. I have tried at least 5, and I asked myself as I looked at the shiny new interface in front of me, what exactly I expected from this piece of software. After some searching it was clear that I wanted it to do everything for me. Not make neat lists of them. In fact making the lists was the most fulfilling part, along with ticking things off.

One thing was clear, it wasn't working and I was miserable.

Some science:

A guy called Piers Steel (Univ. of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business) has done a bunch of research on the topic and he says that:

- 95% of us procrastinate at times

- 15-20% are chronic offenders

The main reasons for this according to him:

- Boredom

- Lack of confidence

- immediate reward over long-term gain

Milgram says that "technically advanced societies require numerous commitments and deadlines, which gives rise to procrastination." This is not observed in undeveloped agrarian societies. Interesting, it's a good read.

Joseph Ferrari (associate professor of psychology at De Paul University) says "Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up". Ok, so this is indeed a serious problem and my instincts about the ToDo apps is likely to be right.

My non-science:

Personally, I think there's more to it than that. There are several things that I have commonly observed procrastinators do:

- Talk about their tasks all the time, in fact fixate on them

- Lie to themselves ("my time was better spent doing x,y,z")

- Squander their resources (i.e. Blogging instead of writing my thesis)

- Take a lot of interest in helping other people out with their tasks

- Clean things

- Eat

- Develop a need to use the kettle and  make hot drinks all the time

The problem can be easy to spot and have simple solutions:

- You simply have too much on: don't try and get through everything on your list, work on reducing the amount you have to do. Talk to your boss, your advisor, and if it's self-imposed...slow down or burn out.

- The inability to focus on one thing at once: Pick an item off your list and get it done, don't worry about any of the others, in fact for the duration of the task you are working on, none of the others exist.

- You hate your job, your course, your work...Time to be honest with yourself here. A change might be what you need.

- You are tired: take a holiday, have a cup of tea, take the rest of the day off, go for a walk.

- Your tasks are too big: break them down in much much smaller steps. Be Agile.

But really...

There are loads of reasons why you might be procrastinating, and figuring out why is far more important than finding an app that will (possibly) get you through. Procrastination (for many of us) is painful, and like all pain, it protects us. It tells us something is wrong and urges us to do something about it. If you observe, listen to yourself and hear what's really going on, you will solve your problem far more effectively than if you download that shiny new ToDo app.

I never said it was going to be easy, but it'll make you happy :)

Meditation and innovation

photo credit: j / f / photos Meditation has recently made the mainstream news several times. All kinds of famous and successful entrepreneurs, businessman, actors, sports people and more are saying how it has helped them in their lives. That in itself has been compelling enough for even more people to start trying out meditation and blogging about it, telling others over coffee, or chatting about it around the water cooler (if there is such a thing in offices these days!). Some say we are seeing a "consciousness revolution". I like the sound of that, it's exciting. I can't say whether or not it's true though.

The science:

There is a growing body of scientific evidence for the benefits of meditation. the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine (at Massachusetts General hospital) found that people who meditate correctly on a regular basis enjoy measurable changes and the numbers are pretty good:

- 80% of hypertension patients lowered their blood pressure

- Infertile women who meditated have a 42% conception rate

- Women with PMS had a 57% reduction in physical and psychological symptoms

Doctors at Harvard Medical School carried out research on meditation practitioners and found that meditation has a positive effect on health and affects various body systems. Those findings are published in a book called The Relaxation Response. If you're keen to investigate the science around it, there are many resources available to you, and while it's interesting, I think that there is no better way to understand it than to experience the benefits of meditation for yourself.

Where to start?

You do not need any special equipment, not even a quiet room. I have meditated on buses, ferries, supermarket queues and even in the toilets at work. You don't have to be religious to meditate, although it is present in many religions. Buddhist centers around the world offer drop-in classes in my experience, as do some community centers and hospitals. To begin with, having a quiet room will keep you from getting distracted. With practice, you'll be able to stay focused in the eye of any storm. And in some respects this is kind of what we're trying to do. In 3 words: To Be Present.

Pema Chodron says that meditation is all about making friends with yourself. In my last post "Empty your cup" I mentioned that our preconceptions get in the way of life. Being with yourself, passing no judgement, having no opinion, and having no inner monologue going on will allow you to peel back the layers and see yourself. The real you. Just so we have some markers, that's where you're aiming. What happens after that has occurred enough times is change. That's different for all of us.

First of all, there are many many different types of meditation. Not all of them will suit you, you'll need to find a way that works for you. There is heart-centered meditation, breath meditation, mantra, mind-centered meditation, visualisation, chanting, body-meditation (of which yoga belongs to), zazen and countless other kinds. All of these different methods can be understood as different doors leading to the same place. The meditation method is there to help you stay focused on spending time with yourself and not having conversations with yourself or making up stories for yourself. This is exceptionally hard for many of us.

For this reason, you learn to crawl before you can walk. To begin with your meditation practice will be perhaps up to a minute long, and then as you become more practiced maybe several hours long. To start with many of us can't even sit still for a few minutes, let alone meditate, and so just sitting doing nothing is a good place to start. Eventually, you'll start to experience the practice. You have to experience it for yourself rather than intellectualise it. It's a bit like trying to describe how something tastes to someone who has never tasted.

Can meditation be dangerous?

Yes. If it is not done correctly it can harm you. Some people have reported hearing voices, others started feeling unsettled or panicked, there are many more individual experiences that you can read about. Dr Maggie Phillips, a specialist in pain management has been quoted saying:

“I’ve had people that went to these five- to eight-day-long retreats, and they were practically basket cases when they came out the other end. And they’re told, “You just have to be more patient.’ A lot of spiritual teachers don’t know how to look at the internal dynamics and how they interact with types of relaxation and meditation.”

Don't enrol on a Vipassna retreat as a complete beginner, it takes time to build up that kind of mental strength and flexibility. Same as you wouldn't sign up for an ultra marathon, having never run 5km before. Having a teacher really is a wonderful thing, as you will be guided and gently  progress at a pace that is suited and safe. You might think it sounds a bit dramatic, but in my experience, the first things you learn about yourself when you start to really meditate, are all the things you didn't know and don't like. I was confronted with the undeniable fact that I was really afraid of failing and that was a big can of worms (for the record, I think failing is important and useful now). It's part of the process I think and insights like that allow you to become a much better person, but it's hard work. After the initial revelations, you reach other levels, but everyone's journey is unique.

How to meditate:

I'm not a meditation teacher or an experienced practitioner, but I am a regular practitioner of several years. I can't tell you what to do in this blog post, but I can describe my usual method, which will change in time and with practice.

My preferred method is to sit cross-legged or in half-lotus, spine tall, chin gently tucked in, eyes closed. Then I scan my body and make myself really aware of what it fels like to be in it. This part allows me to "ground myself" which basically means to gain a greater level of awareness and focus. Then I bring my attention to the breath and the sensation of inhaling and exhaling (feelings like hot and cold, where I can feel the breath in my body). This process allows me settle in with myself and then when thoughts arise, I let them, but I don't get involved with them. It's sort of like standing very still on a very busy (sometimes hectic) street.

It's tough to start with because you find yourself thinking about what's for dinner, and what jobs you still have to do today, who said what to whom, and where you left your glasses and so on. Noticing you're doing this is part of the practice. When you do, just come back to the breath. Eventually, after (in my case) lots of practice, you will begin to notice yourself doing this during your day, and you'll be able to stop your mind from taking over. Many meditators refer to this as "monkey mind". Realising it's there is a pretty good start.

Then it will try to deceive you. I remember using "counted breath meditation" where you count on each inhale and each exhale. You keep going until you lose count (because your mind has wandered) and you start again at 1. My mind managed to keep count and in parallel have a big discussion about which wallpaper wold work best in my fantasy house. I'd think to myself "I must be still focused since I know I've kept count", until it because obvious what had happened. No more counted breath for me then!

My mind loves numbers and patterns, colours and vistas...I try to stay away from those things in meditation because I'm not strong enough to keep my mind tethered. Yet.

There's a nice little story I heard once: A monk kept falling asleep during meditation, so his teacher sat him on the edge of cliff. He never fell asleep again! I think we all have our cliffs...time to find them.

A brilliant book for beginners is Jack Kornfield's "Meditation for beginners"

Meditation and life as an innovator

Let's face it, if your mind is not occupied in an endless monologue about trivialities, it'll have a lot more capacity to work on matters of creativity, innovation and generate fresh and useful ideas. You'll notice that not only do you wonder what's for dinner, but you do this endlessly, stuck in some kind of loop. This is really not the best use for that brilliant tool, so stop being its slave and put it to work on things that matter.

A really useful side-effect of meditation is that you end up being a lot more compassionate towards yourself. This understanding allows you to be compassionate to everyone around you. You become more in touch with the world around you and more in synch. This is fertile ground for good ideas. Voltaire was correct when he said "You should cultivate your own garden".

A quote I have been pondering for a really long time is:

“Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists.” (Bhagavad Gita)

I guess I conclude that if you can't see everything that is present, then you are missing out on a whole lot of inspiration.

The following are deeply deeply experienced practitioners. Meet them if you can:

Jack Kornfield:

“When we come into the present, we begin to feel the life around us again, but we also encounter whatever we have been avoiding. We must have the courage to face whatever is present / our pain, our desires, our grief, our loss, our secret hopes our love / everything that moves us most deeply.”

Pema Chodron:

“What's encouraging about meditation is that even if we shut down, we can no longer shut down in ignorance. We see very clearly that we're closing off. That in itself begins to illuminate the darkness of ignorance.”

Eckhart Tolle:

"Why does the mind habitually deny or resist the Now? Because it cannot function and remain in control without time, which is past and future, so it perceives the timeless Now as threatening. Time and mind are in fact inseparable."

Jon Kabat-Zinn:

"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little."

Thich Nhat Hanh

“Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn lectured at Google and plenty of other places about meditation, his talks are a great place to start.

"No Impact Man" has an impact

I watched the "No Impact Man" documentary last week, and I found it really really interesting, as well as pretty fun to watch. Colin Beavan decided to spend a year having as little impact on the environment as possible, whilst living in NYC. His wife and little daughter were along for the ride, and the documentary takes us through the highs and lows of this year in their lives. They had no electricity and used candles, washed their clothes in the bath, used no forms of transportation other than bikes, and ate only local produce (amongst many other things). You read a lot more about the project on Colin's blog.

I thought that the experiment was pretty extreme, but then it needed to be, so that as a family they could assess what worked for them and what they really couldn't do without. The interesting thing for me is how much their life seemed to have changed. I guess that when you have to make all your food from scratch and grow it too, you are a lot more in touch with what it takes to get it onto your plate. I think that what they have at the end of their experience, that they don't at the start, is gratitude. They seem genuinely grateful for everything they have, and they know how to make the most out of all the little things that make up a day.

I can't see myself going through the same experiment anytime soon, but the documentary made me reassess how I live, and what I want to change. I think sometimes, we don't make changes because we're too lazy. I get an organic veg box delivered to my work every week. This way we ensure we eat seasonal fruit and veg, and that we get enough of it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make pumpkin soup unless I got a pumpkin in my veg box every once in a while! I don't drive, so giving up the car is no issue for me. I skateboard, bike or use public transport. Electricity would be the hardest for me. We hardly ever watch TV, although we have one, but I'm forever buried in my laptop, especially since my thesis is due next month.

There's a few little things I could improve on, so here is what I pledge to do to improve my life:

• Not buy products that have excess packaging
• Wash and reuse containers (Shampoo, washing up liquid...)
• Grow some herbs and other food on my balcony
• Find out about allotments
• Visit my local food co-operative more often
• Think about creative technology ideas to reduce electricity consumption
• Spend 3 nights a week with no laptop, phone, ipad or TV on at all - Kindle allowed.

I think that we all spend a lot of time in our heads and that we're obsessed by our own dilemmas and dramas. Realizing that we all impact the planet but also each others' lives is really very important. Taking responsibility means doing what we can. It's about what each one of us do and not what everyone else does. You might say, what's the point of me not buying bottled water if so many other people do? The point is to live by what you believe in, and not just follow the crowd.

Another kind of "No impact" project is around not having a negative impact on other people and having a fully positive impact on them instead. It's important to say hello to everyone  you work with in the morning, a quick nod of the head or a wave is fine. No need to have a 20min conversation with everyone you see. It's important to stay on top of personal emails and phone calls. People need you, and appreciate your time. Give it to them. Send snail mail! Everyone loves to get something other than bills in their postbox. Take your time and put things into perspective: I know you're busy, but is "whatever" more important than having a conversation with someone you love or spending time on yourself?

Many people will choose to live many different ways, and that's cool, but make how you live a conscious choice, not an accident. You'll feel better.

Empty your cup

photo credit: époque

There is a very well shared Zen story that goes something like this:

"The Japanese master Nan-in gave audience to a professor of philosophy. Serving tea, Nan-in filled his visitor's cup, and kept pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could restrain himself no longer: "Stop! The cup is over full, no more will go in." Nan-in said: "Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup."

You might empty your cup and then call it "empty". It is now full of emptiness. This is still not good enough, in fact, it is said that you need to crush your cup. (There's a nice essay on this here)

"Evolving" something gives you a starting place, be it tools or a concept. Innovation requires you to reinvent the world (or part of it) from the ground up. If your cup is full, you will never be able to find that beautiful pattern, that simple association of ideas, or that full on crazy hypothesis that leads to a brilliant invention. In order to innovate, we need to adapt very quickly to new and emerging concepts. It's not about gorging yourself with everything blasting through your news feeds, but rather having the ability to notice a reoccurring theme, an overall pattern, and apply that thought or insight to your own immediate environment.

We create personas in our minds that we then identify with. Many of us even cling to the ideas that we have decided define us. "I am a thinker", "I am a runner", "I am a yogi", "I am an innovator", "I am a scientist", "I am a geek", "I am a parent", "I am a t-shirt art enthusiast"...whatever you call yourself...stop it. By defining yourself you are setting solid partitions between you and the rest of the world. You then begin to live within these limitations.

Jono Fisher told a story about an experience he had at a zoo where he was working. A white tiger was kept in a 4x4 cage and he paced all day long. Jono and his friends petitioned the zoo and were able to build a huge enclosure for the tiger with trees, a pond, grass and everything he needed to be happy. When they released him into the new enclosure, he headed for the corner and then paced in a 4x4 pattern. Nobody could get him to venture into the rest of his enclosure.

We become exactly like this when we assign labels to ourselves. Identifying with being a geek might prevent you from ever discovering a real passion for watercolours or classical music for example. These discoveries may lead to new skills or perspectives that will offer you a great vantage point for truly innovative ideas. If you're a strategist and you feel like you need to be inspired, don't read a book on strategy. Read about ballet or watch a movie on marathon running for example. Anything that takes your fancy.

Listen to heart not mind. Mind is responsible (along with the ego) for all those labels you give yourself, and all those limitations you think exist. It has its place, it is a tool. Trust your instincts and use them to navigate your way around a problem. Close your eyes and feel the world around you, literally. We need to experience a solution not intellectualise it. This is why getting hands on pays off. This is why having an empty cup allows you to fill it with new and exiting things for the mind to work with. Just remember to empty it regularly, no regrets.

Alvin Toffler said it well:

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn".

6 Easy things for a happier lifestyle

Like many of you, I spend most of my week at work and during the week, all the time between work days is spent trying to stay fit and healthy, and happy. It's all too easy to get caught up in the fast momentum of our work lives though. The web has sped things up for all of us. Decisions often need to be made within hours, and of course, somewhere in the world, it is business hours (even if it's after hours for you). For the technologists around us, staying on top of such a fast moving industry can be stressful as well as exciting, and it's really easy to stay glued to the information stream. We love our jobs (if you don't it's time to quit btw), and we love what we do (if you don't it is time to do something else) but we also need to find that very precious work-life balance. It is essential to your wellbeing, happiness and success at work.

It needs to be as easy as possible though. Most of us are "time poor", so instead of trying to make drastic changes that won't last or make unrealistic plans to ensure a healthy balance, you need to change a few small things that will make a huge difference. I've struggled with this problem too, and I actually did Tim Ferris's 4hr week for a little while when I was freelancing. It didn't work for me because I realised that my work is one of my passions and I naturally want to spend more than 4hrs a week with it. I want to share with you how I improved my life. I could do better, but it's the little things that have really helped.

1 - Never wait

When you are commuting, or in a waiting room, waiting for someone to turn up somewhere or waiting in endless traffic...just don't wait. The idea is to turn this time into quality time. Use it to do something you find enriching. I take photos with my phone of the spaces around me, I have a little notebook where I draw, I listen to music and simply enjoy it, I read a few lines of a book... you can do whatever you like. The only rule is that it must not be work related. See it as playtime. You'll end up feeling like you've had a more varied day, and if you're suffering from stress, you'll feel better.

You can also use your commute to stay fit. Try biking, walking, skateboarding or running into work a few times a week. It's fun and really energising. I promise that thinking about it is harder than doing it, as for most things.

2 - Eat healthy easily

Once I get home, and I've been for my run or swim or whatever, I really can't be bothered with the trip to the supermarket and I really am hungry by then. This is when I'm likely to get takeout or have something non-nutritious. Food is important, it keeps us running on good energy and helps us stay healthy.

My solution is to order an organic fruit and veg box every week. It gets delivered with a big selection of nice fresh produce and I have everything I need to make a good meal at my fingertips. I don't have to chose everything, and wander endless supermarket aisles, although I can order specific things when I want to. It just makes the whole thing easier.

Another good tip is to pack food and water in your work bag. A few pieces of fruit, a little plastic container of dried fruit and nuts, something easy and healthy...it will ensure that you never get hungry, and that when you do, you're not tempted to snack on bad stuff.

I recommend also chopping up half a lemon and adding it to your water bottle. Lemon water is tasty and cures most sugar cravings, it also is a natural disinfectant, so your body benefits. Having it on you means you don't go for sugary drinks (including fruit juices), and that you are always hydrated.

3 - Get up

It really pays off to get up an hour earlier than you really need to. Use that hour to do some exercise or use it for inspiration and meditation. The start to your day sets the tone for the rest of it. If you begin with nurturing yourself and doing something positive for yourself, you'll approach the day differently to when you wake up, grab breakfast and a coffee and run for the bus. If you like to exercise after work, spend the hour writing morning pages, meditating, or drawing, singing,...whatever works for you. Morning pages is a simple concept I was introduced to a few years ago: write 3 A4 pages. That's all. They're not about anything in particular, the idea is to just write whatever comes to mind. It's a concept from the very wonderful "Artists way" book.

4 - Take time out

Don't sit at your desk and eat lunch, don't have 11 o'clock coffee with colleagues talking about work...go outside for some air, talk about love, life, hobbies and everything else...stretch, walk, rest. It doesn't have to be long, just long enough that you feel like there's a break in the morning and afternoon. You should enjoy this time. If you feel like it's a chore and you're anxious to get back to your desk...maybe you need a holiday.

There's a few apps that you can install on your computer that will prompt you to take a rest, and you can also set alarms on your phone. I like Time Out for Mac and on my iPhone I have the Zen timer.

5 - Sleep

Sleeping helps you recover not just physically but also mentally. Go to bed at the same time each day (getting up an hour earlier will help you go to bed earlier), and take an hour to wind down before bed. Ban all electronic devices from your sleeping area. This includes your iPhone that you use as an alarm clock. Buy a real alarm clock. One that won't vibrate periodically every time an email arrives or someone likes your photo on Instagram! If you are over-tired, you won't be able to sleep, and your mood will really suffer. A lot of people don't realise that it takes energy to fall asleep. If you are exhausted, you won't have the energy necessary to drop off peacefully. An hour before bedtime, shut off any connections to the web and the tv. Have a bath, a shower, drink herbal tea, read a book, anything that relaxes you.

Check out the NIH guide to sleep

6 - Wear comfortable shoes (ladies especially)

It's amazing what a difference it makes to spend the day in shoes that don't rub, and that keep your body in good alignment. Wearing high heels causes the pelvis to tilt forwards. The feet are flexed and positioned downwards which puts pressure on the forefoot. This leads to "plantar fasciitis", which can lead to injury to the ankle and foot, not to mention fot deformities. It also means your hip flexors and knees have to work a lot harder and they end up pretty tight. Thigh muscles shorten and contract, which leads to the flattening of the lumbar spine. The upper body compensates by leaning back, and your lower back is under pressure. Because the knees tend to stay flexed and the tibia is turned inwards, there is pressure on the inside of the knee, leading to problems.

Many of my friends wear high heels and look really fabulous in them, there's no denying the aesthetic effect. Be aware that there is a cost beyond the price of the shoes.  Save them for special occasions and not racing around the office or the train station.

7 - bonus item: Your perfect day

Write down what your perfect day looks like to you. Not a special day or a holiday, just a normal working week day. Don't make it difficult or aim to make it hugely productive or strenuous. Try to make it sustainable and enjoyable. This is Nigel Marsh's advice, and I'll let you listen to his TED talk about work-life balance.

Bin bags

photo credit: Steven Parker

As I was waiting for my turn at the express checkout at my local supermarket, I watched all the people packing their groceries in bags. Most of them had canvas bags with eco happy slogans on the front (like me), others had brought rucksacks, and some used the supermarket issued plastic bags. It's then that it occurred to me how we had all learned this new behavior, that plastic bags were bad for the environment, and that we should bring our reusable bags. We've been told about it, we've told each other about it, agencies told us about it...and we're all quite happy to point the finger at the plastic carrier bag and call it evil.

Interestingly, bin bags are ok. So as long as it's a very big plastic bag, then you can throw it away. I use bin bags too, and I'm thinking why not use plastic carrier bags instead? I don't think that bringing your own bag to the supermarket and then chucking your waste in a bin bag and chucking that out is really a solution to our environmental problem, or very responsible.

Paulo Cohelo wrote a short post which is very thought-provoking and insightful. Here is most of it:

"How can we be so arrogant? The planet is, was and always will be stronger than us. We can’t destroy it; if we overstep the mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface and carry on existing.

Why don’t they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us? Because “Saving the planet” gives a sense of power, action and nobility. Whereas “not letting the planet destroy us” might lead us to feelings of despair and impotence, and to a realisation of just how very limited our capabilities are.

Let’s be humble. Let’s respect Mother Earth because if She becomes furious with our behavior, we are in trouble."

I have the feeling we're always solving the wrong problem. Plastic bags are not evil or bad, they need to be used responsibly. We need to learn that we can't just chuck stuff away without thinking about the consequences. Also, I think it's healthy to be realistic about the fact that it's us that we're trying to save, not the planet.

Unless of course, it really is the plant that we're trying to save, and for some of us this is true. There are scientists like friends of mine, who really are out there, trying to save the planet. They are chemists, environmental scientists, ecologists, biologists...I'm not any of those. Most of the time I'm just doing what feels right ethically. It's not nice to throw rubbish in the street or on the beach, but it's also not nice to throw it in a big hole at the tip.

I've looked into composting, but I live in a one bedroom flat with a small balcony, so it's not very easy. It appears that a worm farm is the best option for us unit dwellers, and I intent to have a go at keeping one going this year. I found a good fact sheet all about building a worm farm if you're interested. The worms will eat a lot of your food scraps. Food scraps are actually one of the most difficult and dangerous waste products. They decompose in landfills and release methane gas, which is a highly potent greenhouse gas. There's a whole wiki on that here. Obviously other things we can do is recycle and also think before we chuck it in the bin. E-waste is a big problem to, so phones, computers, printers and so on need to be repaired or donated if possible, rather than ditched. There's a really good site over here about electronic waste.

There's a lot more that need to be done by my scientist friends as far as finding a good and thoughtful solution for our waste disposal goes, but I think we need to be clear with ourselves on why we're doing this rather than following the pack for the sake of it. From that clarity will come important ideas to share with others, that all contribute to solving the problem. So put your flowers down and stop it with the rainbows. We have some serious work to do here and it's going to take a while.