Page 30 - Masala Lite Issue 160 April 2024
P. 30
SUSTAINABLY You don’t have to change
and future generations.
STYLISH yourself overnight, you can
begin by slowly reducing and
decluttering your mind and
physical space. You don’t
have to stop consuming
SUSTAINABILITY AS A leather overnight, you can
switch to buying second
JOURNEY TOWARDS hand leather or sustainably-
sourced leather. Sustainable
CONSCIOUSNESS living does not mean we
have to give up everything
we love, we just have to
Aparna Sharma explores the intersection become more mindful.
between personal wellbeing and A simple exercise to connect
environmental stewardship. more with the environment and the ‘oneness’ of the planet is by spending more time
with soil. You can start by having one or two plants at home and sitting with your
Can sustainable living be a stepping stone to increased personal wellbeing and hands placed on the soil for a few minutes every day. You can also try walking barefoot
attaining higher levels of consciousness? The simple answer to this is an astounding on grass or soil every day. This helps in grounding and absorbing the positive energy
YES. Sustainable living fosters a heightened awareness of our interconnectedness from the earth. This simple exercise can also help stop you from overconsuming;
with the environment and society. In my opinion, the simple definition of sustainable you can go for a walk in the park instead of going shopping at a mall. You will go
living is to live in a way that you can coexist peacefully with nature and other beings back home feeling more refreshed and you don’t have to spend any money. ‘Retail
on the planet. This includes consuming in a way which puts the least pressure on the therapy’ is a term created by marketing professionals to make us consume more. If
planet and other living beings. This might often feel very difficult, as the economic it really worked, we would not be living on a planet with increased levels of mental
system is based on making us over-consume products we don’t need, but we can health issues and depression.
all begin by taking one step at a time. We cannot buy happiness by shopping for the latest trends. They might make us
A good place to start this journey is by becoming more mindful of the things we feel temporarily happy, but they won’t give us long lasting joy. On the contrary,
consume by asking ourselves if we really need them. Differentiating between spending time in nature helps both our brains and our bodies to relax. Exposure to
wanting and needing something is crucial to living more sustainably. This will lead nature basically switches the body from a state of high physiological arousal to one
us on the path to a more conscious lifestyle, where we become more mindful of of rest and relaxation. People who walk through a park for an hour regularly will feel
our consumption habits and the impact our lifestyle has on the wellbeing of other less anxious than those who go to a mall for ‘retail therapy.’ Try this for yourself.
people and the environment; allowing us to connect more with the ‘oneness’ of the Sustainable living teaches us that the earth is within all of us, and when we begin to
universe. Because everything is interrelated, this awareness usually extends beyond understand that we are all interconnected, we can feel more one with the earth. This
the environment to other social justice issues. feeling can take us into higher levels of consciousness and help improve our overall
Once you begin to differentiate between ‘needs’ and ‘wants,’ you will slowly progress mental wellbeing, because it will enable us to feel less lonely and more connected.
towards asking yourself if you have to kill or torture an animal for your makeup,
shoes, bags, food, etc., and what the implications of doing this are on the collective Aparna Sharma is a non-conformist who believes that fashion must become a
consciousness of the planet. This, in turn, cultivates mindfulness in our daily choices, force for good and style must meet sustainability. She breaks down the
leading to greater consideration of the long-term impacts of our actions on the planet nuances of slow fashion and how we can stay stylish without being trendy.
MASAL A LITE ISSUE 160 - APRIL 2024