Manduka’s eKo Mat > via Caroline Treadway
Have no fear green yogis, Manduka is here! Finally there’s a durable, good-for-the-earth alternative to “normal” yoga mats made with toxic, non-degradable, evil P.V.C.: the eKO mat. The eKO is compostable, non-toxic, sturdy and thick enough to be comfortable for all poses. Made from non-Amazon-harvested tree rubber and reinforced with recycled silk and cotton-finally we planet-conscious consumers can walk our green talk (or do yoga on it). Well worth the price tag-it’s a keeper. 

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From the Autumn 2005 issue.

We have the seasons pretty well licked in the temperate zones. We have our warm houses, our air-conditioning, insulation, central heating, our clothes, our food and drink when and what we want. But sometimes good ol’Mother Nature penetrates our carefully constructed habitat. When it hits 100 degrees or more, we notice. We’re sleepy, we’re crabby. Read the rest »

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IN LATE JUNE, I TOOK MY FIRST vacation in three years and one month. I bought my ticket—a third of it paid for by my friends at Shambhala Sun magazine—and departed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, a carry-on in each hand, laptop bag strapped to my back. I had my usual window seat, my usual prepackaged vegetarian meal (nuts). Looking out over the clouds, I saw little suburbs spreading their tentacles through tracks of forest Read the rest »

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My thoughts of American Apparel are like a tennis match within my brain. I love them. I love them not. And back and forth it goes. Read the rest »

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It turns out that sneakers have a negative impact beyond just sweatshop labor. They’re also toxic, carcinogenic and don’t last nearly as long as they should. Thankfully, there are alternatives…and you might be surprised by who is eco, and who isn’t. Read the rest »

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If only wishing made it so. Teddy: icon of the Right, beloved by the Left, a celebrity, trust-buster, war hero, our first great environmentalist…a Republican, a progressive who bolted his own party, member of the Mt. Rushmore Club…and oft-mentioned idol of Senator McCain, the erstwhile Modern Maverick. Read the rest »

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~ via Frank Berliner, professor at Naropa University and senior student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. From elephant’s Spring 2006 issue.

OCTOBER 7 & 8, 2005 AT LAST, only weeks before my 60th birthday, my first visit to Asia. As our plane rises away from Denver International Airport and crosses the Rockies toward the Pacific Coast, I’m grateful that I will not come to the end of my life without making this journey.

Three flights: Denver to San Francisco to Tokyo to Bangkok. 10 hours over the Pacific remains vivid and strange in recollection. Flying at 38,000 feet from SF to Tokyo, looking out at an unchanging tableau of vast blue sky and sea, no horizon line visible, just white puffs of cloud beyond the unmoving wing of the plane glinting like a knife blade in mid-afternoon sunlight. Read the rest »

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via Pippa Sorley, from our Spring 2006 issue.

“Every dollar you spend changes the world, for better or for worse.” ~ Harvey H. Chisolm

Don’t tell my mother, but I’m a Guppy—with a couple of serious addictions. My life revolves around how I can get from one fix to the next. Fortunately, these addictions pale in comparison to those of college days. What are they? Coffee & adrenaline Read the rest »

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 I have to admit: my first ever and most recent trip to LA was all about getting as much raw food as possible. I only had two days, however, and only one small belly, so I missed out on Cru, Au Lac and Euphoria loves Rawvolution. Just before I flew out, my sister took me to Leaf, where she used to work and learned about the transformative tales of going raw.
 
I was sorry that I wasn’t starving when I got there — the menu is mouth watering… Read the rest »

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From the Spring 2006 issue, via Todd Ansted

Is it possible for all paint colors to be green? To use an environmentally-friendly paint is much better for to our earth—but is it practical? I started my house painting business some eight years ago, upon my return from Thailand Read the rest »

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Waylon and Pangea Organics founder (and his former neighbor) Josh Onysko, 2006. 

Christians may be excused if they look upon 2006 as a dark time: for pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth are in rampant excess, for sale at every 7-11, as seen on TV.

Those heathens, the Buddhists, couldn’t agree more. They call this ‘the dark age,’ when even devoted ‘warriors’ for peace and gentleness are losing heart. Read the rest »

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Toofy is to Hollywood what elephant is to Condé Nast. Little yet gaining in momentum. Indie, grassroots, fun and irreverent. We both say what we want to say, aim to save the word from monotonous corporate-run media, and hope to make it fun enough that others will jump onto the wagon. Check out Toofy’s recent film on elephant’s mission and involvement in the fest: 

Read the rest »

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This August 23-34, Yoga World Reach—which encourages yogis and yoginis around the world to take their practice Read the rest »

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From New York Magazine, this article represents a typically American attitude. Take, well, anything…just add sex: ”Though many people attribute yoga’s increased popularity to renewed interest in spiritual enlightenment, some have discovered a much simpler benefit: better sex. About a month ago, my husband, Read the rest »