Happy New Year - around the sun!

One of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics is known as 'Feng Shui'. Feng Shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe before the invention of magnetic compasses. The purpose of Feng Shui is to create an environment with good qi. Qi in Chinese martial arts, refers to 'energy', in the sense of (positive and negative) 'life force'. When we have good design in our homes, our rooms are filled with vibrant energy.

'A traditional explanation of qi as it relates to Feng Shui would include the orientation of a structure, its age, and its interaction with the surrounding environment, including the local microclimates, the slope of the land, vegetation, and soil quality.' -excerpt from wikipedia

To begin creating this type of living space, it is always recommended to have a professional Feng Shui practitioner guide you in achieving this harmony effectively. However, here are a few ways to start putting some of these techniques into practice:

1. Find the room in your home or apartment where energy is strongest (such as where guests like to hang out in). This area would be used as a working space that will help bring you popularity, success and money.
2. Sleep against a solid wall, the headboard should be against the wall and the foot of the bed should never be in line with the door.
3. Place air cleaning plants around the home to reduce anxiety and remove toxins.
4. Clean the front entrance. The front door should be well maintained and solid and the front area of your home should be clean and not cluttered. Make it welcoming and from this focal point, you should have beautiful pieces of art and furniture that feels pleasing.

Happy New Year!

image source: http://www.decoist.com/2013-09-25/feng-shui-tips/

Information sources:
http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/home-garden/home/feng-shui-for-good-energy-1.1954611
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui
http://www.vogue.com/13383560/how-to-feng-shui-your-home-easy-ways-beginners-guide/

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The Interconnection Of New Ideas

 Youths and entrepreneurs are leading the way in developing ideas about environmental and sustainability issues that are vital for solving the current problems we are faced with. The Global Landscapes Forum recently held alongside COP21 in Paris, included a diverse group of people that discussed (technological) ideas for resolving these current issues of environment and health. Participants included 'The Nature Conservancy', who showcased the latest tools and technologies that were being used for increased production, improved livelihoods, protection of forests, landscapes, watersheds and for more biodiversity.

Other participants included 50 youth innovators that teamed up for 4 days in order to brainstorm ideas that would develop solutions to five real-world land-use challenges. Their ideas, which included an exchange program between smallholder farmers where they share resources, such as storage facilities and centralized distribution centers, can immediately be implemented to solve these land-use challenges. A speaker worth noting, named Salina Abraham said, " To us this wasn't just an exercise... These could be real-world solutions to real-world challenges. So, I want to ask from you two things: the first is to concretely integrate youth into the work that you do and the solutions we have to offer into your organizations; the second is to support our Youth in Landscapes initiative so that we can continue to grow and enable youth, so that we can become the leaders that we will have to be in the world."

 All over the world, discussions and actions are taking place, whether it be a group of people or a single individual, such as in the case of Samuel Malinga. He is a 26 year old from Uganda who recently received the Tony Elumelu Prize for Business at the Future Africa awards for his development of a full-cycle sanitation system. This sanitation system was built of local low-cost but highly hygienic toilets. In an effort to protect the environment through reducing and reusing waste, he also developed briquettes as an alternative source of energy to charcoal.

“The exposure we gain by traveling to other countries is also priceless. It widens our perspective, introduces us to new ideas and links us up with like minds from faraway lands.” - Samuel Malinga (interview with Onyedimmakachukwu Obiukwu)

Samuel is driven by "designing an effective marketing, distribution, and profitable business strategy that can be brought to scale." He cites Albert Einstein in saying, "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of minds to think." He says, "Agricultural Engineering has well packaged courses with design, business training, other engineering disciplines, agriculture, farm power and machinery, environment, water, energy and social fields. I had to apply the knowledge I acquired from university studies to develop technologies that are solving community problems. For sustainability, every good technology has to be accompanied with a decent business approach to enable people to buy it."

 Youth and entrepreneurs can provide different, innovative and new ideas that can help solve the problems we face today in addressing climate change and sustainability. These problems are interconnected and cannot be understood or resolved within our "academic disciplines and government agencies".

"A resolution can be found only if the structure of the web itself changed, and this will involve profound transformations of our social institutions, values, and ideas. As we examine the sources of our cultural crisis it will become apparent that most of our leading thinkers are outdated conceptual models and irrelevant variables…The shift from the mechanistic to the ecological paradigm is not something that will happen sometime in the future. It is happening right now in our sciences, in our individual and collective attitudes and values, and in our patterns of social organization. The new paradigm is better understood by individuals and small communities than by large academic and social institutions...To facilitate the cultural transformation, it will therefore be necessary to restructure our system of information and education, so that the new knowledge can be presented and discussed appropriately. " - excerpt from The Turning Point 1982 by Fritjof Capra

"Government also has to create public awareness about the effects of deforestation and importance of environmental conservation. It can do this by encouraging the teaching of subjects on climate change in schools and also by funding research towards cleaner energy options." - Samuel Malinga

Image above taken from http://pure-consciousness.com/2012/11/30/the-thinking-universe-interconnected-consciousness/

Sources: 
http://venturesafrica.com/features/what-drives-the-young-african-entrepreneur/ 
http://blog.nature.org/conservancy/2015/12/09/civilization-without-destruction/ 
http://www.landscapes.org/salina-abraham-closing-keynote-way-forward-glf-2015/ 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pieter-van-de-sype/thinking-landscapes-and-t_b_8754710.html

Related:
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/09/02/generation-y-not-these-10-young-entrepreneurs-didnt-let-age-hold-them-back/ 

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It Is Our Earth, Yours and Mine.

"I don’t know if any of you have noticed, early in the morning, the sunlight on the waters. How extraordinarily soft is the light, and how the dark waters dance, with the morning stars over the trees, the only star in the sky. Do you ever notice any of that? Or are you so busy, so occupied with the daily routine, that you forget or have never known the rich beauty of this earth—this earth on which all of us have to live? Whether we call ourselves communists or capitalists, Hindus or Buddhists, Muslims or Christians, whether we are blind, lame, or well and happy, this earth is ours. It is our earth, not somebody else’s; it is not only the rich man’s earth, it does not belong exclusively to the powerful rulers, to the nobles of the land, but it is our earth, yours and mine. We are nobodies, yet we also live on this earth and we all have to live together. It is the world of the poor as well as of the rich, of the unlettered as well as of the learned; it is our world, and I think it is very important to feel this and to love the earth, not just occasionally on a peaceful morning, but all the time." - Jiddu Krishnamurti





Photo of sky with buildings by Gabriela. Photo of mountains taken from http://photographyblogger.net/incredible-landscapes-by-colorblind-photographer-kilian-schonberger/

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"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened"

Quote by Anatole France
Ever notice how unhappy some of the zoo animals look? And why are some dying of cancer - that would be impossible in the wild. In the zoo they are fed and exposed to the same toxins that society is exposed to, causing cancer. It's definitely an eye opener. I know the zoo keepers are trying to help these animals but we have to rethink all our practices now that we are aware of the toxins in our air and food.

"Zoos represent an ethical dilemma, which each reader must resolve to the best of his or her individual ability. Zoological collections now assert that they serve an essential conservation role. Others dispute this, not least upon the grounds that animals in the wild outlive their captive counterparts. Whatever the rights and wrongs of keeping animals in zoos, the inmates can fall prey to disease and, when they do, they then require and deserve the best treatment available." - excerpt from http://www.alternativevet.org/zoo_animals.htm

"The modern zoos we know today are a far cry from those of the past but despite all that we have learned and all that has changed, AZA-accredited institutions are still keeping many of their animals in incredibly unnatural habitats with minimal space and minimal enrichment leading to a number of abnormal behaviours. - excerpt from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/zoos-bringing-endangered-species-back-from-the-brink/

I loved going to the zoo to see the animals. I've seen elephants up close, but it's not worth seeing if they are unhappy and medicated half the time. Samantha, a 37-year-old Western Lowland Gorilla, was the eldest female at the Toronto Zoo. She died of a stroke. Strokes are not common among gorillas, yet three female gorillas have had strokes in North America in the past few years.
Read more about Samantha here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/gorilla-dies-at-toronto-zoo/article4388880/

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"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit"

Quote by: Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are two equinoxes annually, vernal and autumnal, marking the beginning of spring and fall. They are opposite for the northern and southern hemispheres. The autumnal equinox happens every year on September 22, 23, or 24, when the sun crosses the celestial equator. In China the September equinox is celebrated during the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival. This year’s harvest moon on the evening of September 27 is a super moon that will also display a rare total lunar eclipse. The last time a total lunar eclipse coincided with a supermoon happened was in 1982, and it won’t happen again until 2033! - '12 things to know about the autumnal equinox'. Read More...

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'To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light"

"To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light. Once one has experienced a few times what it is like to stand judgingly between the opposites, one begins to understand what is meant by the self. Anyone who perceives his shadow and his light simultaneously sees himself from two sides and thus gets in the middle." - “Good and Evil in Analytical Psychology” (1959) Carl Jung

"We carry our past with us, to wit, the primitive and inferior man with his desires and emotions, and it is only with an enormous effort that we can detach ourselves from this burden. If it comes to a neurosis, we invariably have to deal with a considerably intensified shadow. And if such a person wants to be cured it is necessary to find a way in which his conscious personality and his shadow can live together." - “Answer to Job” (1952) Carl Jung

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'Red sky at night, sailors' delight'

“You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.”
- Jiddu Krishnamurti

Photos from Wednesday night (balcony view) Enjoy!

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Sunday At The Lakeshore

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The weather has finally gotten warmer in the last couple days. I took a little trip down to Port Credit Lakeshore with a friend. Enjoy the pics below!

 

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'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated'

Quote by Mahatma Gandhi
"Animals have always played an important role in agriculture. Not only do they provide us with food and fiber, but they also help to recycle nutrients and add to soil fertility. Over recent decades, however, the farming of animals has become increasingly separated from its natural existence on the land." Read More...
More on helping farm animals: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
 

Image taken from http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/

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"The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it. "

Quote by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

BLOG UPDATES: Our Earth Land Blog will be going through some minor changes in the next few months ... stay tuned! I apologize for the lack of posts.

Above: Photos taken at Lakeshore Toronto (Winter 2015)

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A Butterfly Dreaming

"Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things." - ‪Zhuangzi‬ (As translated by Lin Yutang)

Chinese music :Guo Gan - Butterfly Lovers 梁祝 (ErHu Concerto)

image © 2015 ourearthland

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Be As King

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -
Quote from Matthew 7:7-11
In today's news, a headline reads: 'Thousands in Sierra Leone are violating Ebola quarantine to find food".
Ever since the first Ebola victim was announced, disturbing images have unfolded due to ignorance. The thought of people being shut away and starving, when they need nutrition from real food (not medicine or vaccines) to help strengthen their immune system, is sickening. Based on my knowledge and research, I find many claims of this Ebola virus crisis to be untrue. A major source of my understanding of how viruses work, came from Chiropractor John Bergman who makes time to research and teach the public about health. I find him easy to understand and I appreciate that he backs up what he says by providing the source of his information. When we ask questions, we get answers. What are the efforts we place in finding out true and accurate information that help our well being? Dr. John Bergman explains how viruses work (e.g.West Nile Virus)...

You sneeze on a person. For the virus to grow in her, does it need her DNA? 
It does, because it is not alive, it doesn't reproduce. 
So if she were to pass it on, to another, will it grow in them? OR does it need their DNA to reproduce? 
So does that mean that each successive passing changes that virus structure? (Because it's using that hosts DNA. )
So does that mean that if this is true, that viruses are a parasite, that it would be impossible to make a vaccine because everybody's host DNA is different?

When asked if viruses are alive, Immunologist Fabio Romerio of the instate of Human Virology said, "It's not a living organism. It's simply a well organized molecular parasite."

'They have never isolated a virus, which means they have never identified it. No evidence exists that a virus called West Nile exists. The West Nile virus has never been isolated. They cannot know that 1500 people were infected with the virus, it has never been identified. A virus lacks the ability to replicate on it's own. A virus needs help of a host cell's duplicating equipment, borrowing enzymes and other molecules to concoct more virus. It's not the fungus or virus that causes disease, it's the weakened immune system.' - John Bergman

Ebola video by John Bergman

"Liberian Women Push Back Against Ebola Scare"- article here.

(images above taken from: http://www.cp24.com/world/thousands-in-sierra-leone-are-violating-ebola-quarantine-to-find-food-1.2085674, http://whatsupic.com/life-culture-usa/1413789438.html)

'Every man has two educations. One, he receives from others. And one, more important, that he gives himself.' - Edward Gibbon

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Picking Apples In September

Back in September, we drove up to Avalon Orchards for some organic apple picking! We love the opportunity to pick our own organic fruits. Freshly picked (raw and ripe) fruits contain energy that can heal the human body. Organic apples have proven to decrease oxidation of cell membrane fats. This is important in our cardiovascular system since oxidation of fat in the membranes of cells, is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular problems. Avalon Orchards is a Certified Organic Apple orchard located in Innisfil, Ontario. Avalon Orchards apples and apple cider is available at Trinity Bellwoods Farmer's market on Tuesdays.

Below: photos from the orchard- enjoy!

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Birds And Beans Café - Mimico by the lake

We dropped by the Birds and Beans Café today, where we spent a pleasant afternoon on the patio and then over at the Lakeshore! We purchased a couple of teas to try that are organic and fair trade. The owner also sells organic, fair trade and "Bird-friendly" certified coffees which meet the requirements for organic certification, as well as ensures that they maintain the forest cover - which provides habitat for birds and other wildlife. You can learn more about "Bird-friendly" coffee here.

Below: Photos taken while hanging out at the Birds and Beans Café patio and the Lakeshore at Mimico. Enjoy!

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The whole of nature and it's beauty

“Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it's beauty.” - Albert Einstein

Below: photos of wood ducklings in High Park pond - enjoy!

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"Words are finite organs of the infinite mind."

Quote by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Robin on a tree in High Park on a beautiful morning! Enjoy.

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"Every man is the builder of a Temple called his body..."

Quote by: Henry David Thoreau

The 'singing' sounds of the Tibetan Singing Bowls are powerful harmonic hums that can calm and energize the body, balancing the body's chakras (energy centers). Antique bowls are mainly made of high quality bronze with other metals such as gold, silver and iron. They are more accurately called Himalayan Bowls, and are used throughout the Himalayan regions such as Tibet, Nepal and India. I recently discovered these powerful harmonic sounds, that have helped me drastically, to relax and explore my body's energy centers. These sounds are used for Healing and Auric alignment by using specific musical notes as related to the Seven chakra system. The notes are C/D/E/F/G/A/B. I absolutely love the effects of the Himalayan Bowls and strongly recommend that you take the time, each day and night, to meditate to the different chakra notes. 

You can find all seven notes in these videos by Temple Sounds. You can also purchase your own Singing Bowls at the TempleSounds' website. Enjoy!

Image above taken from http://www.studio-shankha.com/tibetan-singing-bowl

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'Circumstance does not make the man. It reveals him to himself.'

Excerpt from 'As a Man Thinketh' by: James Allan

James Allan is the author of 'As a Man Thinketh'. He was a British 'philosophical' writer who inspired and motivated others through helping them realize that: 

'A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.... As the progressive and evolving being, man is where he is, that he may learn, that he may grow... When he realizes that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being, out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself.' 

For a New Year's resolution,  I strongly recommend reading 'As a Man Thinketh'. The audio file can be found here. Enjoy!

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'Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail'

Quote by : Ralph Waldo Emerson

Winter Has Arrived! Check out one of our favorite Winter recipes - Vegetarian Red Cabbage Casserole. Read the recipe here. Enjoy! 

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Relationship With Nature

'When one loses the deep intimate relationship with nature, then temples, mosques and churches become important.' - Jiddu Krishnamurti

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