What does it mean to be green? For Kermit the frog it was the mere fact that he was green in color. For me, it means that I eat a lot of green foods and that I love the earth. I adore nature because it informs me how I feel about the world. Nature is my connection to God. Mother nature is the earth and the earth is my home– and that thrills me. But I didn’t get here by thinking green… I got here by becoming aware of who I am inside.  I am ecologically aware because it is the natural place for me to be, because of the path that I have taken towards health and self-awareness.

Does the fact that we buy more “green” products make us more ecologically conscious or does it just mean that we feel better about the fact that some of the “stuff” that we are now buying is recyclable, renewable, and a little less bad for our environment? Perhaps both. Yet, buying more things even if they are green, doesn’t make waste and unconscious behavior towards the planet go away. It just makes us have a better feeling about what we are buying.

How can we become ecologically conscious or aware of our planet? Not only by the kind of goods that we buy, but also by making an effort to buy less because we are aware of the gifts we already have, and our attitude toward ourselves is more important than what we can obtain from the outside. Lessen the carbon footprint and cherish the world we live in.

In becoming truly thoughtful in what we buy we will feed our souls far more than the idea of changing the goods we consume. Don’t get me wrong, I love that there are products in the marketplace that are made and produced with our environment in mind (and we need to support them), but that is not what helps human beings become more mindful of themselves and their environment.

We need a shift in consciousness that guides us towards a loving intention for ourselves first that really speaks to how we as individuals show up in the world. Our economy is making it easier for us to do this anyway. There is less security for many to feel comfortable with the kind of unconscious hoarding of things we engaged in the last 2 to 3 decades.

Instead of focusing on what is happening outside our lives, it feels to me like a time to ask ourselves how do we live on a personal level? How do we affect the immediate environment we live in? How do we feel in our body? The first step to becoming green is to shift our focus from what we are doing on the outside and ask the question how do I occur and feel in my body?  I love to discuss what it means to step into our environment as a conscious person. I like this kind of inquiry because it is what I ask of myself everyday.

The first step towards greening yourself is to inquire about how you feel in your inner self. How do you feel in your day-to-day life? How does your body feel when you take a walk, swim, jog, stretch, or do yoga or any kind of movement? Or have you let yourself fall away from moving your body? When you don’t move your body it is as though you are not tilling the soil of your garden. If you don’t move the soil, oxygenate it, water it and nourish it with the proper nutrients your plants become stagnant and they don’t flourish. So you can see how your first environment is your physical state. Eco-consciousness begins right where you are. Green yourself and then understand that who you are is the first step into becoming aware of the earth you live on.

Your first environment is your body and your awareness of how that feels is based on what you eat, how you move and if you take time for the ritual of observing yourself in Silence. In caring for your body in this way is how you begin to care for you. When you care for you, you are caring for the first and most important environment you have. It is the beginning of self-love. Self-love is self-awareness of how you show up in your world.

I truly believe that if a person becomes attuned to how their body is cared for, the idea of NOT caring for your actual outside environment becomes absurd. When you care for you, then you naturally care for the world you are living in, because that is your home, your temple. If you love who you are then you become an ecologically conscious person because it simply makes sense. It is the natural progression to come from self-awareness to environmental awareness.

When your body thrives energetically by feeding it well with locally grown and organic foods and your home becomes a haven for your creative and personal peace, then it is natural to want to make sure the bigger environment is cared for.  It is making choices that serve your humanity. You then want to visit farmers markets, you want to recycle and consume less because buying more holds little interest for you anymore. What you already have becomes sacred, especially your time. It becomes uninteresting to you to waste time searching for things that don’t love you the way you can love yourself.

When a person is engaged in the solace and beauty in their lives they are less likely to want to buy things mindlessly. I have had periods in my life when shopping was a way to get outside myself, to distract from the places where I didn’t feel good about who I was. If I bought something whether clothes, gadgets, or whatever, I was distracted from the reality of how I was feeling inside. I like to shop, my goodness I am healthy woman, but it is not something that I do obsessively any longer. I do it as fun or necessary and I do it with joy, not as a way to fill up a hole inside where I don’t feel complete.

When I began to feel better about the me that I am, I began to need fewer things. I am feeling so much more in tune with a greater consumption of self-acceptance that I don’t need more stuff – green or otherwise – to enhance who I am. As I am on the journey of my own self-acceptance, I am becoming more loving of everyone and everything around me. It is cliché, but it is said that you can’t love until you find love of self first, and it is true for me.

After you become aware of your body then you can’t help but become aware of your work, habits and home. When you are at work, are you at ease? How do you feel in your home, in your personal sacred space? Or does it even feel sacred at all? What does your bedroom feel like? Is it a peaceful place of rest or is it a place that has lost all definition and you don’t even know why you sleep there?  Is it too hard to get past the piled books, clothes, and things that disguise it? Is it a place for lovemaking, sleep, and meditation or has it become your office, your TV room or your storage bin? Is your kitchen a place that one wants to hang out in because the food and smells that come from it invite family closeness and a sense of comfort and well-being?

These are the questions to ask yourself about your personal environment. Get in tune with how you feel here in your life, in your body, and then you will have an easeful segue-way into the world and be naturally eco conscious.

When you make a choice to change your home you want it to reflect who you are, then you will buy necessary products that are healthy. You will want to use non toxic paints and carpets and you will think ‘wow If I change my kitchen countertops I might want to use a wood that is from trees that fell naturally in the forest’. You may want to put solar panels on your roof because you care that your home is filled with clean pure air and energy that serves this incredible being that you are.

Becoming “green” and environmentally aware is about loving yourself and then wanting your body to be housed gloriously in a healthy environment. And of course that means you become a better spouse, parent, and partner, because you are more able to care for others through the conscious choices you are making for yourself.

And of course this leads you to being aware of the desire for a healthier planet…hence you have become an ecologically conscious and GREEN human Being!

Chicken Dumpling Soup
Serves 4-6

A fresh, ginger-flavored broth with tasty chicken dumplings. You can make the dumplings the day before you need them if kept wrapped and refrigerated.

• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
• 4 green onions, divided
• 1 pound organic ground chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, minced
• 2 baby bok choy, finely chopped
• 2 egg whites, divided
• 4 rice paper wrappers

1. Place vegetable broth and half the soy sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Thinly slice half the ginger and add it to the broth. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Finely mince the remaining ginger and place in a medium bowl. Finely mince 2 of the green onions and add the bowl. Add chicken, garlic, bamboo shoots, bok choy, remaining soy sauce, and 1 egg white. Mix together until thoroughly combined.
3. Place remaining egg white into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Set aside.
4. Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Remove from heat. Dip rice paper wrappers into hot water for 20 seconds then place on a clean work surface. Cut into quarters.
5. Place a tablespoon of the chicken mixture into center of each quarter wrapper.
6. Brush edge of wrappers with egg white and fold in open ends together, pinching edges to crimp.
7. Remove ginger from broth and increase heat. Bring broth to a boil and drop in the dumplings. Lower heat and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 7 minutes. Gently stir the dumplings in the broth as you drop them in.
8. Slice remaining green onions diagonally and add to soup before serving.

Simply Delicious Ratatouille
Serves 4

This delicious and versatile vegetable mixture makes a great alternative filling for the acorn squash recipe, for omelets or over a bed of creamy polenta.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Japanese eggplant, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash, diced
• 2 tablespoons thyme, minced
• 1 tablespoons organic rosemary, minced
• 1 tablespoons oregano, minced
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh organic basil, chiffonade
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, rosemary, and oregano and cook for 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add vegetable broth and tomatoes, stirring to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Serve hot.

What does it mean to be connected to your body, to be able to listen to it at a visceral level and how does that happen? In my experience feeling into your body is a matter of intention. When I awaken I set the stage for my day by awakening my body through movement. Although I have done years of yoga and still do, most mornings I begin my day by going for a long walk in the mountains or on the streets of my neighborhood. I gather my two small dogs on leashes or without if we are hiking in the hills and I set out with an awareness of how I feel by connecting to my breath.

First of all I ask myself am I breathing? Am I taking oxygen into my lungs and letting it move into my muscles tendons and cells? I do this by visualizing the process. In my minds eye I see air as light that is making a slow journey through me to light up all of me: neurons to ligaments to organs. I do not say this as some woo woo new age crap I say it because visualizing light inside the body is a powerful intention and way to ignite your body into a better consciousness of health and a stronger metabolism. I put all my focus on what I am doing, my stride arms swinging, listening to my breath, the sounds of an awakening neighborhood or the sounds of bushes rattled by small rodents running from predators or searching for food.

Birds are always your signals that nature is alive. Their screeches and calls to one another are a reminder that wildlife is radar into the heart of humanity. Without it we can’t feel ourselves. It is a canvas for us to feel how we are connected to the earth. I am as silent as I can be tuning into the intricate world around me inside of me and beyond me. I walk tall, (okay I am tall but not everyone who is tall looks happy about it); I walk with the intention that I am going somewhere. I look up, not down at the ground and I pay attention to whether or not my ankles are crashing inwards as I step. It reveals a lack of self-esteem that I have struggled with in the past, so I am aware of it and my need for more acceptance of myself. I hold my body tall, light, eyes ahead and feet solidly planting themselves in rhythm with my breath. This is how I wake up. This is how I literally walk into my day. I consciously have the intention that my walk guides me into my daily routines or unexpected surprises and demands of work with the awareness of not only my body but every aspect of me.

I feel the gratitude of the extremely wonderful life I have that is always rich with new possibility. It feels that my walking has the ability to stretch time and give me more of myself. This is called self-love. I highly recommend that you walk into your life with gratitude and awareness of who you are through the simplicity of moving in your body.

Connect to autumn and to nature by trying this delicious seasonal recipe… I love all the yummy squashes you can get in the fall!

Be true to you.

Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash

Serves 4

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup goat milk feta cheese, crumbled, optional
4 acorn squash, tops cut off and seeds removed
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Place oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, cranberries, and apricots. Let cook for 3 more minutes.

2. Stir in wild and brown rice and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in feta if using. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Slice a little off the bottom of each acorn squash so that they stay upright. Place squash in a shallow baking dish and spoon rice mixture into acorn squash, packing mixture in somewhat. Put the tops of the squash back on top to cover.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash is tender.

For more recipes, go to http://marielhemingway.com/

And for the book, Mariel’s Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life

http://www.amazon.com/Mariels-Kitchen-Ingredients-Delicious-Satisfying/dp/0061649872/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240460021&sr=1-2

For me to be alive and happy I have had to organize my life differently. I had to find time where I would otherwise have been stressing over plans undone or future desires unmet. I have moved into a space where how I wake up becomes the template for a day well lived. I awaken with the sun most days if I have gone to bed early enough the night before. I have realized over years of trying to defy the needs of sleep that rest is the most nurturing and powerful gift I give myself. Sleep heals and rejuvenates my body. It purifies my thoughts and regenerates brain function. It also is helps me defy the aging process to a certain degree at night my body can fully relax, recharge and reorganize from a day of projects plans and expectations. I have had to learn to sleep. I used to believe that I was more efficient without sleep. I believed that I was more spiritual when I didn’­t need much sleep. This has proven to be untrue. I always felt my energy was compromised. Now I get 8 to 9 hours where I used to only get 6. I am so much more at ease now.

I drink water first thing in the morning. I drink a glass of Noah’­s water a natural magnesium spring water that tastes sweet. I sometimes spin it in an oxygenating spinner which then oxygenates my cells. I drink one full glass and then another half glass with a tablespoon of Himalayan Sea salt water mixed in to get the nutrients of good salt since beginning this practice not all that long ago I feel my immune system boosted. Water is critical to ones good health good clean water has the ability to get rid of a headache create energy and un-fog your brain especially after a night of dreams and travel.

I then sit in my garden facing the light which is still making its way into a brighter sky. I breath at first natural breaths then variations of breathing that involve retaining air or alternate nostril breathing and sometimes quick breaths. I then rotate my spine while sitting crossed legged I rotate one way then the other. A few minutes each side I go up and back with my spine arching and rounding like a cat would do upon awakening. I roll my wrists and arms to find a fluidity of movement and the kinks of sleep get undone. I stand and swing my arms up and down and round and round I roll my head each way and rotate my shoulders – these movements all to wake my body up to the new day. It can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much time I have or what my body needs.

The great joy that comes from the sun peaking over the hills and finding it’­s way to my face while the air is still crisp is like being kissed by the Beloved. It says good morning in a way that no other kiss can say. Sometime I will continue and do some yoga postures, like cat cow, sun salutations and more, until I find that I am in a full back bend and the sun is now beating down on my chest and heating every tendon that is now liquid from slow intent motion designed to oil me.

After yoga I may workout jump rope or lunge swing kettle bells and do push ups, but the important movement happened slowly and organically and was my morning introduction to the day. Then I sit silently. Bindu, my dog rests in my lap and we both sit with eyes closed or open. I tune into my breath again and I listen. The chirps and buzzing the call of busy mama birds feeding their chickadees and the racket a squirrel makes when a cat has been found looking nefariously in their direction, ready to pounce. I feel the crisp air turn warm and healing and I feel all my cells activated and I rejoice in all that I am grateful for. This is the way to begin a day. AWAKE, ALIVE and connected to myself and aware that the voice that comes to me as I sit, is my inner guidance a voice that tells me I am okay and that this new day hold tremendous possibility.