Barbados is a world class surfing destination and island getaway for anyone looking to experience the true island life. As the Eastern most Caribbean Island, Barbados is considered part of the West Indies — although locals will tell you that they do not belong to the Caribbean because the island sits so far outside of the chain so usually associated with the Caribbean. Barbados lies just over one hundred miles to the East/Northeast of Venezuela and it is a coral reef rock island.

The island is very small, only about thirty miles long and fifteen miles wide. You would not realize the size though if you visited the country because it is packed with things to do, businesses, and roads that can have you driving around the island for days.   This tiny country is made up of eleven parishes (Christ Church, St. Andrew, St. George, St. James, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Lucy, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Philip, and St. Thomas) and one capital city named Bridgetown. Bridgetown has the most history as well as industry. The capital was once the main port for early settlers and English colonial rule. Today Bridgetown is the main port for cruise ships and cargo ships; it also is home to the majority of international business headquarters and market places.

There are many reasons to visit Barbados. Most tourists come to experience an island paradise getaway revolving around delicious world class dining, tropical cocktails poured by authentic mixologists, and duty free shopping at high end boutiques. However, there are many other reasons to travel to Barbados such as surfing. Surfing is actually fast becoming the premier attraction in Barbados with epic breaks that crash all over the island. World class waves break on all sides of the island and come in consistently for experienced surfers and beginners alike. While visiting the horse race track, the sugar cane factories, the party spots, or the historical cultural element, surfing is a culture in Barbados all to itself.

Where to Find The Best Surfing In Barbados

Each side of the island has different conditions. Typically the east coast is epic from August through December but when the wind switches to onshore it can get big and messy, onshore Soup Bowl is no walk in the park. The strong trade winds blowing from the East/Northeast create clean textured conditions on the South Coast at spots like Freights, South Point, and Brandons.

If you are lucky, you may get the West Coast when a strong North swell comes down. North swells wrap around the West Coast and combine with the East winds which offer up some of the cleanest rights and lefts you could ever surf. Once you surf Barbados, you will not want to surf anywhere else!

The east coast is the place to be for rights which do break pretty much ALL YEAR ROUND!

When a good North Swell comes down, the West Coast will fire and you will have to experience it. Try Duppies at the North West tip, or go a little further down the West to Maycocks. Maycocks breaks in front of the cement factory at the Northern part of the West Coast.

The cool thing about the West Coast on a good North swell is that there are tons of little nooks and crannies to explore.

You can still find lefts breaking on the east coast and if you are an experienced surfer then you can always hit that quick left that breaks to the other side of Soup Bowl. When the swells come from the East or South lefts are abundant. Between August and March you will find the best conditions for lefts. Usually between December and March the trade winds are a little too strong onshore for the East Coast so the South will be your best bet.

Occasionally a large North swell comes down on Barbados. When this happens the West Coast lights up! There are a couple world-class lefts that work with a good North Swell like Tropicana and Sandy Lane plus you can easily find a perfect nook up and down the coast.   With the strong trade winds blowing from east to west, the west coast gets perfect offshore conditions.

So, if you’re looking to travel to an island paradise then look no further than Barbados. If surfing is your passion then you have found the right fit with a getaway to Barbados. The locals are very friendly, the food is great, the drinks are abundant, the waves never stop and the same goes for the party. Anytime of the year is good but the best time to visit would definitely be between October and May.

The Must-See Places in Barbados

• Surfer’s Bay Beach Bar
• Café Sol (Mexican themed restaurant and bar)
• Tapas (higher end dining and proper mixology)
• Brown’s Beach
• Crane Beach and The Crane Resort
• Bathsheba and Soup Bowl (premier surf spot)
• Miami Beach on the south coast
• East Point Lighthouse
• Brandons Beach at The Hilton Barbados
• Oistins, Friday night fish fry (enormous outdoor party every Friday)
• Barry’s Surf School (ask for John Reece!)
• Jason Cole and his Stand-up Paddle school located on Pebbles Beach
• Surfer’s Point (Home to Zed Layson, local surf legend)

So go experience a vacation like no other, experience the real Barbados on your own terms!   The cheapest flights always depart from JFK in New York and are non-stop flights with an air time averaging 4 hours and 45 minutes. JetBlue has been the most consistent airline and charges the least amount for surf bags (US $50).

So what are you waiting for?! Go experience Barbados now! And visit www.therealbarbados.com to receive a free travel consultation before you go.

She’s the kind of CEO who brakes for salamanders, has bottle-fed rescued squirrels and spent her vacation building furniture for a rural school in Costa Rica. She believes in the future and in the people who will build it.

After weathering hurricane Katrina and losing her teaching job at Tulane because of flooding, she did what any social entrepreneur would do — start a company to save the planet. But it was her deep passion for Vermont’s furniture industry and sustainable forestry that fueled her often challenging rise to success.

Now Peggy is the Founder & Chief Executive Believer at Vermont Woods Studios where she’s grown the company exponentially towards fulfilling their mission of raising environmental awareness. We sat down with her in this exclusive interview to find out why you should buy green furniture and what it takes to get a real social business off the ground.

Conscious Connection: What inspired you to start Vermont Woods Studios?

Peggy Farabaugh: The Siberian tiger.

I was raised by parents who loved animals, especially wildlife. I remember we used to watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins every Sunday night. I’ve always wanted to work with tigers and other wild animals or at least do something to help conserve them.  About 20 years ago I started learning about endangered species by becoming a member of the World Wildlife fund.  Their literature made me aware that all the big cat species (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, and more) are critically endangered.  All the big ape species are critically endangered (chimps, gorillas, orangutans and more).  All sea turtles are endangered.  And the list goes on.

A common thread in this problem is habitat loss (most notably forest destruction) and for many years I was consumed trying to think of a way that I, being just one person, could make a difference.

Oddly enough the answer came to me after Hurricane Katrina, one of our country’s deadliest and most destructive storms blew through the South in August of 2005.  I had been developing and teaching an Environmental Safety and Health distance learning program for Tulane University in New Orleans at the time and I lost my job when the whole university shut down due to flooding.

I had to find new work.  I was approaching my 50th birthday and I felt that if I was ever going to do something  to help change the world, this was the time to go for it.  I wan’t getting any younger.  So I decided to start a company that would be driven by a mission to save endangered species by conserving their habitats.  My first attempt was “Kids Saving the Planet” a non-profit environmental education initiative to support rainforest conservation (did you know that half of the world’s species live in the rainforest even though rain forests occupy only 2% of the planet’s surface?).

But I wasn’t able to raise the money I needed to get Kids Saving the Planet off the ground.  My husband Ken helped me come up with a plan for a for-profit company.  Vermont Woods Studios was born as a way to promote forest conservation by raising awareness about where your furniture and flooring come from.  I felt we could use the beautiful, sustainably handcrafted furniture Vermont artisans were making to raise awareness about where furniture comes from.  We would focus on persuading people to purchase furniture and flooring made from sustainably harvested North American wood– not rainforest wood that was clear-cut from endangered wildlife habitats.

We would help people see how their choice of furniture can save endangered species like the tiger.  We would help them see that one person can help change the world.

Conscious Connection: Tell me more about your company’s commitment to the triple bottom line.

Peggy Farabaugh: Before creating Vermont Woods Studios, I had read a lot about companies (like Patagonia, Ben and Jerry’s, and Seventh Generation) that were working to make the world a better place.  I became (and remain) convinced that socially and environmentally responsible commercial businesses would be the force to tip the balance in man’s efforts to save our planet.  At Vermont Woods Studios we use the framework of People, Planet and Profits to present an organized view of how we demonstrate our commitment to social and environmental responsibility:

People: We have commitments to the people who work in our office, the craftspeople who build our furniture, the people in our local community, the people who power national and global conservation groups like the World Wildlife Fund and of course the people who are our customers.  To all of these people we offer our passion, our hard work and our commitment to be part of a mutually beneficial partnership.

Planet: I think it’s probably fair to say that, these days, every furniture store is advertising it’s “gone green”.  But at Vermont Woods Studios we like to recall that we were “born green” with a mission of forest conservation from the start.  In fact, Vermont’s been know for it’s eco-friendly furniture for over a century.  30 years ago when all the big furniture companies in North Carolina and the midwest (like Bassett, Broyhill, Lane, LazyBoy, Thomasville) were moving their manufacturing operations to China, Vermont’s furniture companies were staying right here in the Green Mountain State.  They continued to make high quality American made furniture, remaining true to their communities and their local economies.

Profit: I started Vermont Woods Studios with a passion for wildlife and forest conservation but I knew next to nothing about how to run a business.  My husband, Ken is a good financial manager but he has a second (full time) job.  So after losing money for a couple years we wised up and hired Douglas Fletcher, a former banker to be our business manager.  Douglas likes to say that he looks after “the other green” part of the business and lucky for us–  he does a great job at it.

Conscious Connection: Why is it important to use products made with wood that is sustainably sourced in the US?

Peggy Farabaugh: American forests are managed sustainably according to federal, state and local regulations. At Vermont Woods Studios we source our wood in Vermont when practicable although we will reach out to neighboring states when we can’t find what we need here in Vermont.  Local sourcing helps our local economy and provides jobs and a better quality of life for Vermonters.  Alternatively, sourcing wood or furniture from overseas means supporting a system where corruption and organized crime are well documented.   Illegal logging in Indonesia, the Russian Far East, Burma, the Amazon, and the Congo Basin is rampant causing rainforests and their inhabitants (both animals and indigenous peoples) to be systematically destroyed.

Real Wood Furniture = Green Furniture

Conscious Connection: Vermont is known for a rich history of furniture craftsmen — can you tell us more about this?

Peggy Farabaugh: Vermont furniture making history can be traced back to the 17th century, and by the 18th century almost every town in Vermont had woodworkers making furniture, tools and utensils. Wood products became the single most important manufacturing industry in Vermont during the 19th century.  It was then that Vermont-made, quality wood products began their long history of export to customers all over the U.S. and abroad.

Today Vermont furniture makers are still known for their dedication to quality and authenticity.  The Green Mountain State is home to over 1000 furniture companies plus nearly 2000 independent woodworkers operating out of small shops, barns and garages.  Vermont ranks #1 in furniture makers per capita.  Together they have earned a world-wide reputation for innovative, natural styles and green design.

Conscious Connection: What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get Vermont Woods Studios to where it is today?

Peggy Farabaugh: It’s always been challenging trying to persuade people to believe in us and in our mission.  Eight years ago the idea of selling handcrafted furniture online sounded ridiculous to most people.  “Fine furniture is a product that has to be seen and touched and sat on.  It would be impossible to sell it online.”   That’s still true for many customers.  But not all.   Personally I prefer to research products independent of a salesperson and I often use the Internet to do that. I felt there were enough others like me to create a market for us and that’s proved true.

The other big challenge we’ve had is finding people to help build and grow the company.  I’d guess this is true for any small business.  Besides finding smart people who believe in our mission, we need staff who are  willing to live with all the craziness and ambiguity that go with creating a new way of doing business.  We’ve been lucky to find extraordinary staff members and we’re so grateful to them for the work they are doing.

Conscious Connection: Any final advice for other aspiring social entrepreneurs looking to make a difference in the world?

Peggy Farabaugh: Selling furniture (or anything else) on the Internet is extremely competitive and you have to adapt to a dynamic environment where technology is always changing.  Customers shop online because it’s the place to find exactly what they want and companies must continuously improve their technology to serve that purpose.  People are going to search through all your competitors’ websites (and hopefully your own) to find great design as well as the best quality, the most responsive and friendly customer service, the lowest price and best overall value.  When I first started Vermont Woods Studios I thought we would find customers just because we were selling eco friendly furniture.  It took awhile to understand that, although sustainability is a priority for our customers, it’s just one of many essentials for a great piece of furniture.

My only advice is to define your niche as one that you love and one that you can eventually accomplish better than anyone else in the market place.

We had the unique opportunity to speak with Mike Squirrell, the founder of an innovative new company called Me System. Their first product, the ME Clock, is launching this summer as a personal training program for your mind that embodies the next-generation of wellness technology.

As a leading health futurist and integrated medicine expert, Mike’s main focus areas are mind-body healing and lifestyle coaching. Originally trained as a Physiotherapist, Acupuncturist and Naturopath, he has been a celebrity healer in London’s Harley Street for the last 10 years. We caught up with Mike to learn about how he achieved life-changing impact for his patients and how you can experience the same benefit by using his revolutionary new product, the ME Clock.

Conscious Connection: Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us, Mike. Can you give us a brief background on yourself and discuss what inspired you to get into all of this?

Mike Squirrell: My journey began when I was young and living in Byron Bay, Australia. Byron Bay is similar to Sedona — a place for alternative therapies, yoga, meditation etc. My mother was also a Buddhist and both my parents were very much into alternative therapies. At university I did pre-medicine, focusing on sports therapy, physical therapy and sports psychology. This was followed by a qualification in acupuncture and naturopathy, which led into the alternative mind body spectrum I now specialize in.

Conscious Connection: How did you end up taking the next step in your career development integrating all the unique disciplines that have been brought together in the ME Clock?

Mike Squirrell: So my university career lasted about seven years, during which time I would travel and train as much as I could, practicing things like NLP and sports psychology with the US ski team. This led itself to a system that began about five years ago, where I was working with the most progressive psychiatrists and psychologists in clinical settings in New York, and doing sports type therapy in Germany. I began mixing things like cardiology with other methods, and this led to rapid diagnosis techniques. I felt the need to make this more accessible to the greater population, as it was essentially removing people’s issues in just two sessions — a much faster healing rate than other therapies. Most of the techniques on the ME Clock will actually work for you within three days.

Conscious Connection: Three days?! It’s incredible how fast people are experiencing such positive results. Can you elaborate on how this device achieves such results for people?

Mike Squirrell: Once we started bringing the techniques to the general population, not just high-ranking athletes, we found that the whole realm within psychology is ‘what can you give to a person to make them a positive person?’ At the moment there are numerous therapies which last at least three weeks and are meant to make you more positive. The core idea of the Me System is to get a person’s emotional core positive within three days. The general response is “I just feel really positive for no reason”.

The main difference comes from Me Star, which is a psychological body posture that’s been practiced for the last 20 years. This increases whole brain learning, connects the hemispheres, and drives people into a deep theta state and gamma state, which is usually something that occurs after years of meditation, or during bursts of high level creativity. Add to this some other simple psychological processes and people feel positive in a short span of time.

Conscious Connection: That’s great. And what exactly is the clock doing for people, is it reciting affirmations, is it a specific type of tone that’s being used with resonate frequencies…?

Mike Squirrell:  While affirmations and tones help, it is the combination of sound technology, yoga and breathing positions, relaxation, positive psychology, meditation, and techniques from sports psychology which raises dopamine levels and alters serotonin levels. Science proves that basic meditation is one of the most powerful things a person can do, so we developed the nightly Me Fresh meditation. The combination of all this begins the rewiring of the connections in your brain, and creates an almost drug-like effect within two days.

Conscious Connection: Fantastic. And that’s what we saw with a lot of the research and reporting that we’ve done. The benefits of meditation and breath work have really profound positive impacts on a person’s well being.

Mike Squirrell: Exactly. And what we’re finding is that the brain, blood, and hormones work together in the body to control mood and emotions, so we’ve developed three parts to the Me System;

1. Teaching people to control their cortisol levels using breathing and correct relaxation to shift back into a healing state instead of ‘flight or fight’ mode.
2. Teaching people how to have control of their emotions.
3. Teaching people how important re-patterning of their childhood belief systems are to the overall success of their life. This is scientifically proven to produce the fastest results of the three.

Conscious Connection: I really like the idea of following Steve Job’s advice to focus on just three things. So tell me what are some of the challenges you face trying to gain more widespread adoption of these ideas? Is there a lot of resistance coming from the mainstream scientific community?

Mike Squirrell: Not so much as you’d think. Movies like “What The Bleep Do We Know” have actually been really great at explaining these scientifically valid ideas to a mainstream audience in a way they can understand. They explain how positive chemicals are the cement for new programming, and present ideas in a style that fits the mainstream. People also trust the business style — particularly the Steve Jobs’ PowerPoint presentation model of a maximum of three ideas. Hence the three parts to the Me System. I also avoid going into academic language to ensure everyone can understand. When people say the Me System is essentially mass market manipulation, like Wal-Mart or Coca-Cola, we say “they’re using it on you every day to convince you to buy products you may or may not need. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to use that science and technology we have to actually affect yourself the way that you wanted to?” There is so much potential here to scientifically change your emotions with a simple technology that anyone can use.

Conscious Connection: The potential is truly limitless and has profound implications for the future. I’m thinking what if we were to have this in schools as part of an education program, or what if we were to use this to rehabilitate prisoners and people who are suffering from addiction or PTSD. There’s just so many ways we can apply this type of technology.

Mike Squirrell: It’s actually funny that you say that. I was just speaking to a National Health Service representative in the UK and they said, “If you can find something that I can give people to do every day for five minutes that would take away 60 percent of the people coming in who are depressed, that would save billions of dollars.” So that is essentially what we’re trying to deliver.

There is already a program in the US military, and I know a lot of people running psychology movements in the US. Schools, which are attempting to educate people about the life effects that can happen if you teach a child positive well-being and happiness skills. It’s amazing how rapidly this movement is advancing.

Conscious Connection: It’s really very exciting and we’re honored to be a part of it. I want to ask you, what are your thoughts on the scientific / spiritual implications of using technology to actually shift our emotions towards the positive?

Mike Squirrell: So this is where it gets interesting. I made a documentary about the concept in 2012 called “Get off the Rocks” which addresses a new renaissance being driven by science and technology. There is a big shift happening in this area, and the essence of that documentary was to capture the effect of technology on our psychology and understand it, so we can use it to shift our emotions. I wanted a scientific and realistic way of representing the ethos of real Buddhism and how peace of mind is the first thing you want to have in life because it quickly answers all other problems. For example, when you have peace of mind you consume less, which in turn reduces your environmental impact.

But the really best innovations occur when people are in delta or gamma state, when people have stopped their fear and create a space for thought. Research is now proving that taking people into these spaces allows them to come up with incredible answers. The Me System aims at focusing emotions, which will help unleash the genius in everyone — which is part if the next documentary I’m making.

Conscious Connection: Sounds great, I can’t wait to see it. And I really look forward to getting my hands on the ME Clock and sharing the results with all our readers here. Thanks again for speaking with us, Mike.

Mike Squirrell: My pleasure. I look forward to sharing the benefits of the ME Clock with everyone in the Conscious Connection community!

This dramatic shift in the world has eliminated all kinds of barriers and opened up a global marketplace for anyone with a laptop and a cellphone. But the real buzz in the business world these days is about using business as the most powerful force in the world for social good.  While other institutions such as government, education and religion are also powerful change agents, they simply do not have the ability of business to create truly innovative progress. Because resources are plentiful, decisions can be made quickly and competition is so fierce, businesses are far more poised to innovate at a rapid pace than the aforementioned organizations.

Couple these abilities with the newer, better way of doing business that puts people and planet right alongside profits, and you have a global game changer the likes of which we’ve never seen. This new business philosophy is truly a chance for entrepreneurs all over the planet to build successful companies and make a significant difference at the same time.

I recently came across an excellent article written by Richard Branson in which he outlined the many different kinds of social businesses. I have summarized them below for you:

Purpose Driven Businesses

A purpose driven business is one that makes a difference, but also a profit. A great example is MPESA. They started out bringing financial services to the poor and have now totally reinvented the finance industry in places like Kenya. 30% of the GDP there is carried over their network by over 17 million customers!

Social Enterprises

These are businesses that put all their profit back into scaling the response to the issue. Muhammad Yunus is really the grandfather of this model with Grameen Bank and over $13 billion in loans so far. Another great example of this type of business is Big Issue. They are a street newspaper released on four continents and distributed by homeless people.

Value Based Businesses

Value based businesses are profit making businesses that have the right people and planet values alongside profit at their core. The inspiration behind this type of model is simply building the right values into any business that we start. Many of the businesses we feature here fall into this category such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s.

Catalytic Organizations

Organizations set up to break down barriers and get capital flowing into new hybrid models. There are some real pioneers in this area such as Acumen and Root Capital. Richard Branson is also a big fan of The Carbon War Room which is making excellent progress in several industries such as shipping.

So what are you doing to align your life with the social business revolution? Share your thoughts, ideas and visions in the comments below!

People are reticent about the use of alternative light sources, especially LEDs (light emitting diodes). It is an emerging technology that is both scary and confusing to many. While there are really great sustainable lighting products out there, they can be easily buried under tons of less than perfect options that are available in stores and online. Now is the time to take a leap of faith. Everyone may not be ready to jump into the use of sustainable lighting with both feet, but hopefully they are at least willing to test the waters. The first step is to try replacing some of your existing light bulbs with earth friendly alternatives.

Choose Sustainable Lighting without Sacrificing Design

The trick is to keep these lighting retrofits undercover. In reality, a lot of the LED alternative lamps (this is the industry term for light bulbs) are not particularly attractive. Let’s face it; compact fluorescent looks like a soft serve ice cream and many of the LED bulbs have bulky metal heat sinks. If you can hide them behind a shade or a lens, and the color quality the light is very similar to incandescent, then you can have the best of both worlds.

Chandeliers and table lamps are still an important element to most all styles of residences. They are needed to provide the ambiance for a room without necessarily providing all the necessary illumination on their own. These fixtures would be would be a good first choice for trying out one of these alternative light sources. If you have a chandelier or wall sconces with torpedo shaped bulbs (what are referred to as B-10 lamps in the industry) there is one company called Borealis, which makes a series of lamps which look very much like their incandescent counterparts. They are dimmable, practically unbreakable and will last in the 50,000 hour range. A standard household bulb has a lamp life of 750 hours.

]]> http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/06/stepping-into-sustainable-lighting-for-homes/feed/ 0 http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/06/five-tips-for-living-green/ http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/06/five-tips-for-living-green/#comments Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:20:06 +0000 Conscious Connection http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/?p=1837 Five Simple Ways to Be Green

Our planet is in need of our help. It’s scientific fact that unless we do something to change our habits, climate change and natural resource depletion will be very serious problems at the turn of the next century. The good news is that there are amazing technological developments taking place on daily basis which promise a bright green future the likes of which we can’t even imagine. However, our future is by no means certain. It’s up to  us — the people of the global collective — to answer the call our planet has made. We must commit to creating the future we want to see, and it’s as simple as beginning with these five steps.

These simple daily habits that we can do individually and in our communities will have a profound impact on our trajectory as a planetary civilization. If we can each learn to heal our emotions, evolve our mind and practice these habits, then we can take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity our species is presented with.

Learn How to be Green & Save Our Planet, Click Next

When it comes to sustainable choices, there is sometimes a misconception that avoiding wood products is a good thing to do. Not so. While deforestation is a significant problem that must be addressed through more careful sourcing, there is almost nothing better than long-lasting products using solid wood from well managed forests. Usually these products are sold on the basis of superior quality and pride of ownership, both of which are absolutely true, but they are also fantastically eco friendly.

Sustainable Wood: What in the World is Going On?

The planet is going through profound changes, many the consequence of human industry. Thousands of years ago, we discovered that fire was useful for preparing food and keeping us warm. About a hundred years ago, we learned that it was also pretty useful for powering things like machinery, transportation, and the turbines that create electricity, and that fossil fuels such as coal and oil burned extremely well. The only problem is that burning them releases carbon back into the atmosphere, tipping the balance that had been established at the end of the last ice age.

Ordinarily, plants absorb about half the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from out of the atmosphere. Water and other nutrients are absorbed from the ground, but carbon, the building block of life, is sucked out of the air. The oceans are responsible for absorbing the other half, used to support algae and other green life and to build shells. These natural processes have kept everything in perfect equilibrium. However, mankind now churns out twice as much carbon as all plants and oceans can handle, leaving a warming blanket hanging in the sky.

The increase in carbon emissions would be challenge enough, but there is a compounding issue caused by deforestation. As noted, trees build themselves out of carbon dioxide. But in many places around the world, forests are being devastated by illegal logging. Forest coverage in Africa was down -5% from 2005 to 2010, South America -5% and the island countries of Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the Philippines -4%. Thus while a significant increase in forest coverage would be needed to keep up with industrialization, in fact it is shrinking. The result is steadily rising temperatures, the melting of the polar ice caps, long-term droughts in some areas and a lot more moisture in the air, which is dumped with catastrophic effects in the form of hurricanes, tsunamis, and floods in other places. That’s it for your climate change lesson.

Sustainable Wood: What Can We Do?

Contrary to common sense, one of the best things we can all do is to use more solid wood products. Once a tree is made into furniture, it traps the carbon contained in that wood for as long as it exists. Cutting down trees, building with them as opposed to burning them, and replanting them so new trees can absorb more carbon as they grow is a perfectly sustainable solution. It takes 6 seedlings growing for 10 years to absorb the carbon associated with the electricity to run a 90W overhead incandescent bulb for one year. The more trees that are planted, the better.

There is another factor that is even less understood. All building materials require energy to convert them into a state suitable for manufacturing. Metals, glass and plastics must be melted at very high temperatures. Wood and stone must be harvested and quarried, then transported to a mill to be cut into usable shapes. A lot of work has been done calculating the average amount of energy required for a wide variety of raw materials, a measurement called “embodied energy.”

It turns out that solid wood is one of the least energy intensive materials available, requiring about 2 mega-joules per kilogram. Composite woods such as plywood and particle board require 10. Those numbers may not mean much until you consider that glass requires 16, steel 32 and plastic 70. Most energy comes from burning fossil fuels, so if a material requires 95% less energy to render, it contributes 95% less carbon emissions. The key, though, is to be sure that the trees used are legally logged under a sustainably managed system. As the #3 user of wood, home furnishings has a big stake in the outcome.

What Sustainable Wood is Good?

First and foremost, it is important to note that not all forests are under the same pressure. Timberland in North America, for instance, has stayed fairly constant in recent years because it is owned and operated by large companies or individual landowners for whom it is a livelihood. If they did not replenish their inventory, they would put themselves out of business. Illegal logging occurs when someone with limited means of survival, usually in a foreign country south of the equator, goes into a nearby forested area, cuts down trees and sells them to unscrupulous agents who prey on that traffic. It is estimated that worldwide wood prices are depressed 15% because of the amount of illegal lumber that finds its way into the supply chain.

So good supply management starts with knowing the country of origin. If it is coming from an identified hot spot, then certified wood is the best defense.  Forest certification is a process whereby timberland owners or manufacturers contract with an independent auditor to check their sourcing homework and give them a passing grade. The Forest Stewardship Council is best in class at doing these certifications around the world. Another option is plantation-grown species such as documented Teak, Mango and Rubberwood which are treated like crops, harvesting the wood being part of a cyclical process of harvesting and replanting. And another good choice are the “rapidly renewable resources” like bamboo, wicker, rattan and seagrass – plants that grow back very quickly and naturally all by themselves.

Most of these good alternatives cost little if nothing more. European wood used in European manufacture, or North American wood used in North American manufacturing is an outstanding choice and also eliminates unnecessary transportation. Certified wood does cost something more for inspections, but in the scope of an entire piece of furniture where the price of wood may be only 20 to 30% of the total cost, the difference is negligible. Plantation-grown species and rapidly renewables cost nothing more and in some cases actually less.

When it comes to eco friendly alternatives, there is almost nothing better than solid wood locally grown. Simply put, the more wood products we use, the more we ease off the carbon accelerator (energy) while we apply the carbon brake (new trees). Buy it, sell it and use it with pride.

Successful conscious design emanates a feeling, not just a look. It must also have a basis in nature, as our inner space is best expressed as a reflection of the natural world outside. This is the philosophy of Barry Dixon, a nationally recognized earth conscious designer based out of the Virginia Countryside. He’s taken his own brand of warm hospitable southern design style and applied it to projects around the world. As a DESIGNINGreen Leader for the Sustainable Furnishings Council, he’s devoted his life to designing homes with a higher level of environmental awareness.

As a part of our ongoing Creative Home Living Report Series, The Conscious Connection team caught up with Barry during his busy schedule to pick his brain on how you can incorporate earth conscious design practices into your own home.

Exclusive Interview: Barry Dixon, Inspired by Design

Click next to read our exclusive interview with earth conscious designer, Barry Dixon.

]]> http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/06/earth-conscious-design-with-barry-dixon/feed/ 0 http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/05/epic-surf-adventure-rincon-puerto-rico/ http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/05/epic-surf-adventure-rincon-puerto-rico/#comments Fri, 31 May 2013 16:58:37 +0000 Anthony Chiaravallo http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/?p=1795 World Class Surfing in Rincon, Puerto Rico

Rincon Puerto Rico is a true gem nestled away amidst a caribbean paradise. Whether you are looking for a relaxing warm getaway or an epic surf adventure, Rincon has something for everyone. As home to many of the best surfing beaches in Puerto Rico, Rincon is definitely a world class destination for surfers of all levels. In addition, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy such as snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding and authentic island eating experiences.

To get to Rincon, flying into Aguadilla is usually your best bet. But if you’re coming from the Northeast US you’re going to have to take the red eye. All flights into Aguadilla from here arrive/depart around two in the morning. You could always opt to fly into San Juan at a more reasonable hour, but either way you’re going to want to rent a car. The drive from Aguadilla is only about thirty minutes if you know where you’re going. From San Juan to Rincon will usually take around two hours. Renting a car here is pretty affordable and will definitely come handy as you explore all that Rincon has to offer.

Surfing Beaches in Rincon

When you first approach Rincon via car you will be confronted with route 413, the “road to happiness”. When you see this sign, you’ll know you’ve arrived in surfers paradise. Rincon has drawn many surfers from all around the world ever since it was put on the map by the 1968 World Surfing Championship held at Domes beach.

The best beaches for surfing in Rincon are Marias (typical beginner break on small days) and Domes for those more of an intermediate level. There’s also plenty of opportunity for big wave chargers with enough guts to withstand Tres Palmas during a peak swell. The best surf season in Rincon is from November to April – consistent waves in the water, lots of offshore days and great weather. The sun is almost always out and the water is around 80 degrees this time of year.

Food & Lodging in Rincon

When arriving in Rincon, there are plenty of places to stay that capture the authentic island life but also provide ample amenities. Everything from the Lazy Parrot Inn to the Fish Eye View will provide everything you need to enjoy the this beautiful island in true style. The Lazy Parrot hosts pig roasts outside by their pool and the Fish Eye house provides the best view in all of Rincon. Be sure to opt for the main house though, so you get the full experience of the wrap around balcony and infinity pool.

If you’re looking for good food, then check out Calypso at Marias Beach and the Shipwreck Bar & Grille down by the marina. Make sure you try the fish tacos at Shipwreck which are made with fish caught right there on the island. The Puntas Bakery is also a local/tourist favorite and your best bet for a quick and delicious breakfast and/or lunch. If you’re into a more luxurious breakfast experience, then head on over to the English Rose. Set high atop a cliff, they serve a variety of fresh squeezed juices and offer the absolute best french toast around. While you’re in town also be sure to stop by Cofresi at night for an amazing rum concoction served in an actual coconut that the bartender chops open with a machete right in front you. It definitely doesn’t get more island than that!

As you’re enjoying your time in Rincon, be sure to hit up the organic surfer chef, Pedro Rivera. He specializes in bringing the local cuisine to life by infusing modern cooking ingredients that are all locally sourced organic goodness. He was also the “house chef” for the pro surfers who came to Puerto Rico for the Rip Curl pro surf tournament.

Rincon Puerto Rico: Surf, Sun & Authentic Island Life

Whether looking for a relaxing warm beach vacation or pursuing epic waves, Rincon is guaranteed not to disappoint. The island mentality is flourishing down here and all the locals are more than welcoming. Just be sure to leave your city life stresses behind, because down here, everyone is on island time.

As we enter a new age of yoga trends, our spirits must be thanking us. Yoga has always been a way to enhance the lifestyle we live and now we have the opportunity to infuse this practice into every aspect of our lives. We must remember, however, that life is ever changing and the true art of yoga teaches us to maintain both inner and outer balance throughout life’s ups and downs.

What is Balance?

Physical balance in yoga is the ability of the body to maintain a given posture without tumbling over. Mental balance, on the other hand, refers to maintaining inner peace of mind regardless of outside circumstances. The yoga lifestyle teaches us to embrace both forms of balance as a means to a healthy and fulfilling life.

Recognizing Balance-loss

Balance can feel amazing when it’s on point, but terrible when we experience a loss of it. When our balance is working for us, our confidence flourishes, our minds feel satisfied, and our bodies empowered. But when our balance is missing, a cluster of feelings can arise beyond what we want to experience. As our balance slips away, we find ourselves questioning everything, and sometimes those questions can find deeply rooted answers to help us regain the balance we desire.

We can only experience a loss of balance on and off our mat when we’ve had the wonderful experience of feeling balance to begin with. The beauty behind balance-loss is the fact that we can feel when things are not flowing and this allows us to be more attentive to finding it again.  There is an art to understanding why balance-loss can be healthy.

The Value of Balance-loss

When we acknowledge balance-loss, we gain an understanding about our true self. The art of balance through yoga is all around us. For example, in a hot-yoga class with thirty sticky mats and thirty sweaty bodies inches away from each other, our focus and intention is a lot different than during a home session in a private living room. Some may find the over-packed class to be inspiring – a chance to engage energies with like-minded souls in order to find peace and balance. Some, however, may find the class to be overwhelming with focus shifting to every other soul in the room.

When external situations consume our internal focus and desires, our balance naturally slips away. Home practice may be just as tiring if we allow it to be. Our minds may see what needs to be cleaned around the house, for example, and our intention of stepping on the mat is now pulled off of the mat. These moments of balance-loss can be great tools to help us grow if we allow them to be. Yoga teaches us to acknowledge life for both its ups and downs. Yoga helps to bind the body, which allows us to feel more of our body and connect deeper into our minds. Balance-loss becomes a trivial point to grow from as long as we have the understanding that, through it, we will find balance.

Balanced Life Moments

Recently I found myself questioning the very loss of balance in my own life. My external world seemed to crash in on itself, like the ocean waves colliding with each other during the shifts in tides. I allowed an external connection with my car problems to deeply affect my balance. I took in the problem, as though it were my own, as if I were to blame for my car’s engine issue.  At the moment of the issue, I didn’t take into account that my car had over 150,000 miles! I had attached myself to my vehicle so much so that I felt the disappointment and heaviness of the problem like I let my car down in some way.  I was only able to step out of my position when I engaged with a friend who told me kindly about her blessed day with a truly remarkable woman.

My friend was at the graduation of her best friend, a friend whom has been dealing with a lot more loss than a car’s engine problem. As graduate student working to enlighten children through becoming a guidance counselor, she had to undergo a pancreatic transplant a few years back. Due to a compromised immune system she lost her vision.  At thirty-one her vision was now only clear during her dreams, because she awoke and lived in darkness. Her balance-loss is extreme but she has been working on regaining her strength to re-balance internally. Of course as soon as I was told this, my attachment to my car seemed completely unnerving.

As a yogi, I allowed myself to question my external balance-loss and compared it to this woman’s internal balance-loss. As we talked deeper about how our journeys in life may feel dark at times, it allows us to see and feel the light of living. It can get us out of our attachments of the external world, and into a deeper internal place to live. We can let our true self shine and experience the bliss that the world provides us each and every day.

Life can hand us opportunities that, in the moment, feel as though the entire world is caving in; however, if we learn to breathe through those moments, we can find a better balance of life and living once balance has returned.  Whether we are on or off our mats, the art of living yoga embodies every reaction we engage with to every situation that has entered our life.