This is a personal account of how I said goodbye to a plastic lifestyle and actually made it happen.
No, it wasn’t easy.
At least, 15 years ago, when I became convinced that our health was being affected by plastics and petrochemicals in the environment. Now it is much easier.
It appeared that plastics and synthetic chemicals were working for everyone, except me at that time. I was sick almost every day.
I started to scour websites and books for information about the latin names on personal products and remove them from my home. I looked up all the chemicals in over the counter medications and threw them away. I threw away my ‘plasticy’ athletic wear and wore clothes that my mother stitched for me in Pakistan. I was that weird yoga instructor who didn’t wear lululemon, and taught yoga as if you are a soul. My hair turned a loverly burnt orange from henna as it greyed.
I turned to yoga, meditation, food and Homeopathic remedies and took all this hippy stuff very seriously.
I was called all kinds of things. Tree hugger. Hyper. Emotional. Weird. Sensitive. Rich. Some comments hurt, and I knew that people who don’t support you, in your efforts to improve aren’t real friends.
15 years later, people want to learn how to take care of themselves from me. But, at the time, when I actually made the changes that I knew were essential for whole living, I was that wacko person. I don’t use exotic supplements or crazy naturopathic expensive stuff. I learnt the real knowledge and applied it.
Over time, I saw how things changed. How organic became normal in Costco. How companies who sold organic vegetables sprouted up. How juicing and vita-mix blenders became ubiquitous. How natural health food stores became popular. But, I had learnt my lesson. Keep quiet, don’t say anything, do your own thing and just don’t talk about it too much.
It meant that I get used to solitude and my own company:) for a very friendly woman this was tough learning. Years passed before the world changed and I met a bunch of other very genuinely committed people, who knew and practiced that life isn’t about making money, but about living. Isn’t it incredibly sad how we confuse the two? Those are the values that have led to the total exploitation and destruction of the planet.
Somehow we have to fix this grave error in thinking. We have to rewrite this story–(Charles Eisenstein).
People are so hypnotized by the fake glamour and glitz of corporations that I am often labelled as that wacko person. I was used to it, but that didn’t mean I didn’t suffer. Somehow any new idea seems to be better received if a white man talks about it. But, I wish that more talked about it and used their power to affect real change.
I see the power games, but they didn’t stop me from doing what I believe is right for the bigger picture–our beautiful planet Earth–our home.
Just because there is entrenched racism, doesn’t mean that I allow it to influence my values. Just because the powerful are ignorant, doesn’t mean that I become ignorant. The most that anyone could ever do to me was ignore me or exclude me. But because of the internet, anyone can do anything from anywhere. People would find me. I’d find them, because deep down we know something that goes beyond time and space. We are one soul. One planet. One human race.
Because of this core vision or core value, I learnt how I need to change myself and become less attached to people’s opinions, approval and outcomes, and instead focus on the work that I signed up to do by agreeing to be born here.
Yes, I turned to spirituality. Over and over again. Not just one path. Not just one teacher. I needed all the faith and more to get here. I took energy, blessings and hope from any teacher who would give it to me. I shared it several times over. I know that there are many many more who are working on this huge project of re-writing our story. I meet more every day through social media and through my ever growing circles of hope.
They say that if you take one step towards truth, truth takes 10 towards you. They also say that unseen help comes to those who follow their heart.
I teach whatever I know—I share my heart and my energy, with the whole world, wherever you are, whatever your beliefs.
Despite our problems and maladies, we have an almost magical power to get better and to heal. It comes from source. I believe in that. I believe that we can change how we treat the planet. We can conserve our food source. We can save our home.
To learn more about my workshops, blogs, ecourses and circles of meditation and inner reflection, please visit: http://www.saimameditation.com
(c) Saima Shah.
Behind The Veil 