10
Sustainability in an Un-Sustainable Society
The focus of today’s post is around the topic of sustainable lifestyle. For me, it is all about self-reliability. Self-sustainability. Not out of a fear-based mentality, but because I find value in being able to take care of myself without having to rely so dependently on external sources, in any aspect of life. In this context, I am mainly referring to food sourcing and the ability to sustain myself without so many of the tools of domestication we have today. Yes – Primitive skills are important. Who knows what could happen at any moment, leaving you only the tools of nature work with! Say, the power goes out mid-winter, for example. It would come in handy to know the hand-drill method of creating fire, naturally, to heat your home. What about how to layer clothing to retain the most body heat possible? What is the best fiber to wear to retain this heat? The answer is wool, over and over, again! Do you know how to check for dehydration? Well, you can press your fingernail, causing it to whiten… If the pinkish color returns immediately, you are hydrated. If it takes a few seconds, you need hydration. You can use the same method with your skin: Pinch the skin on your hand, and it should snap back into place with elasticity. If it does not, you need water.
The same concept goes for food. I want to know where my food is coming from. Every part of my meal. Personally, I don’t want fruit shipped from Argentina in January, supplied by a farmer I do not know. In my opinion, the least impact I can have on my environment is by sourcing all of my foods locally, from Vermont or within the North East. This involves the least use of fossil fuels in transportation and the knowledge of who is producing the foods I choose to put in my body. I know they are safe, free of excessive toxins from transportation, and from right in my area. They are what my natural environment is providing me; Not an environment in another corner of the world, which I am not tuned into. Not only do I find it important to know my local source of foods, but I like to be able to forage foods on my own. This means, having the ability to identify wild edibles in nature, know how to consume them safely, how to trap animals for consumption in the wild, etc.
For me, self-sustainability is gratifying. Knowing that I can thrive, totally in-tune with my current ecosystem feels natural to me. I do not need papayas in February, flown to Vermont from Hawaii – Killing large numbers of animals in the process due to the toxicity produced by the methods used in getting the produce here. I would much rather take a ten minute drive to a farm near my home, to pick up some nourishing raw, organic milk and cream from some beautiful grass-fed Jersey cows who want to share their milk. Do you know the farmer of your produce? Luckily for Vermonters, we are blessed with an abundance of local foods year round. Winter time brings us tons of root vegetables, great for nourishing soups. Dairy and meat are definitely a staple for me during these cold months, especially. The animal products are always available in abundance. I know the farmers of my food. I play with the cows who give me their milk and see the whole process of where my meat comes from. I see them eating highly-mineralized grass which will be converted into minerals in my body in just a few minutes. A cup of Chaga tea, extracted by myself personally, from a mushroom that I found in the wild forests here in Vermont has healed me on a much deeper level than any supplement imported from China, California, or who knows where, ever has. I feel safe knowing how to build a snow-hut that I can sleep in overnight… Warmly, for that matter! Or how to make totally durable cordage from a plant like Milkweed, that grows abundantly all around the North East.
Yes, we are living in a highly domesticated society at the moment where it may seem these primitive and sustainable practices are useless because technology has replaced these natural methods. However, it is quite the opposite. Now, more than ever, we should be practicing self-sustainability if the whole mission itself, is to pursue sustainability in this lifetime and try and take care of the planet. Maybe we should take a second to consider where our food is coming from and what we would do if we had to survive in an extended power-outage. This world throws us curve balls regularly, and we don’t know what is coming next. It might be a good idea to delve into the knowledge and understanding of living self-sustainably, in honor of your being and Mother Earth.
I find deep passion in practicing these primitive skills and knowing the sources of everything I consume. It brings me the utmost joy and satisfaction to build a fire in my fireplace, completely by hand, for fun (and sometimes out of necessity) – Using two sticks to create a burning coal which I use to light a roaring fire. No matches, no lighters. Going to the farm, hanging with the farmers and cows is totally fun for me. I am anything but fearful! Really, I am excited. Excited to have come to a place in my journey where I am living a lifestyle that feels optimum for my health, happiness, and for the planet!
In January, I attended a primitive skills workshop where we learned how to make fire by hand, build snowshoes with natural materials, build live-able snow huts, create animal traps, etc! Below is a video of our class making the snow huts! I am featured in part of it, helping to build a hut called a Quinzee, that we slept in, in -8 degree weather!
Check out the Maine Primitive Skills School at
They are totally amazing crew up there, and recommend all of their courses!
One more video I want to share with you, was made by my friends Camille and Frank Giglio. In the video, they share their vision of sustainability and living in harmony with your surroundings. They are on the same mission toward sustainable living as I am, and bring great awareness to the topic!
Camille and Frank both host really fun and informative blogs on their websites, as well as offer great products that you should check out!
Find Camille at www.supergojigirl.com & Franky at www.frankgiglio.com
Onwards and forwards, with Love in my Heart and Passion in my Mission… Enjoy!
3
Shave it or Leave it?
The other day, a reader asked that I share my opinion on a topic that coincidentally has been on my mind frequently, as of late.
I am sure it is one that many of you consider, at least from time to time, as you see those new hairs sprouting through your external layer of skin… Body hair: Do we remove it, or leave it?
Some say, no matter the area, it is a nuisance for them. Physically uncomfortable for others… Might even feel too unconventional. Not to mention, I know there are Women out there who are embarrassed of it, while others feels hair in the armpit region draws uncomfortable attention to themselves. Some Men have corporate jobs where they are required to appear clean cut and “professional” looking. Hmm… Another demographic of people refer to the hair growth in the various regions of their body to giving them a sexy, primal feeling when they let it grow freely. Some Women I know do it because it feels natural, and feminine – Men have told me it gives them the look of age, and they enjoy that feeling. So, what do we do about this naturally occurring bodily function?
Personally, I am in controversy about this subject. I feel it to be so natural to leave it, so more commonly than not, I do let it go wild… All over. However, I can resonate with the Women out there who find that it may draw attention to our bodies, especially in the warmer months when our light clothing exposes the areas with hair, that others are used to seeing bare. With the “norm” for Women in society today, to be to shave our armpits, legs, yoni’s, etc. An image of cleanliness and femininity is associated with shaving. I guess it all depends on how much what works with our lifestyles and comfortability. I personally, am a part of a very accepting community and work scene, where visible body hair in not-so-common places is not out of the ordinary. It feels comfortable to have the natural hair present on my body… Not to mention the fact that I am way too engaged in other areas of life to worry about saving time for shaving. To be honest, I often forget it is even there… Let alone think about ridding myself of it! When I first began letting hair grow on visible areas of my body, I felt some self-consciousness come up, wondering if people wold think it was “gross” or “weird”. Those feelings passed quickly, as I moved on from caring what other people thought about me, in terms of my physicality. This past week I have contemplated the concept of peoples decisions to leave it or remove it, as I move further away from modifying my body hair. It really interests me, how others feel about it and what works and doesn’t work for them… Because as always, we are each so unique to one another!
With that being said – For all others… Do what feels best for you! I do not think there is a right or wrong when it comes to shaving. It is all about what feels most comfortable for you as a human. Traditional cultures left and removed hair from parts of their bodies. To the best of my knowledge, I think that most was kept intact, though. I would, however, like to point out that body hair IS a natural part of our physical creation as humans. This doesn’t mean that Woman or Man needs to keep it on their bodies if it doesn’t feel right to them, but no one should feel embarrassment because of it. The Creator manifested our physical beings to produce hair, all over ourselves, and in the deepest, darkest regions. It is a natural process. We all have it. I feel a twinge of pain for Women who feel they are required to get rid of armpit hair because “only Men should grow it there”. Or further, that leg hair takes away from their femininity. And for those hairy Men out there, who feel that they may be perceived as “gross” for having an excess of chest or back hair. No matter the extent, color, or location of your hairiness… It is all beautiful!
My one suggestion for those who do choose to remove body hair, wherever it may be… Please consider the process you use in taking care of the hair. Know that when you shave, you are opening up the pores on your body which you drag the shaving blade across, substantially increasing the amount your largest absorber – The skin – Is taking in. Be aware of the products you use. If you choose to use shaving cream, check the ingredients. Did you know that the Men’s shaving cream “Barbasol”, and the Women’s shaving “Skintimate”, contain propane in them? Propane, the derivative of petroleum gas, used to fuel engines, stoves, heating systems, etc. Hmm… And people are feeding that to their bodies via their major absorber? Just for clarification, ingesting propane is NOT a good a idea. Would you drink a glass of propane? I doubt it, as it would severely harm your system. Yes, there is a diluted amount in the shaving cream, but it is definitely still having a negative affect on your system. My feeling is this – If you choose to shave, try an organic, all natural cream. Coconut oil or Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap both are great natural alternatives.
If you feel compelled to share you thoughts, feelings, or own practices regarding body hair… Feel free to comment below or e-mail me personally at <strong>gaiascouts@gmail.com</strong>
I honestly would like to hear more feedback from people on this, because I think it is a suppressed topic in need of attention!
To growing and knowing… 
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