WIPMND: Day 5 Mindfulness Consumption
Have you noticed yet how plastic is everywhere? Take a few seconds here and mindfully observe your surroundings. What's made of plastic or has tiny plastic parts or came in plastic packaging? Go ahead and count them in your head. I'll wait until you come back.
Welcome back! What'd you tally up? What sensations or emotions are you feeling, if any?
Reading Plastic-Free has made me more mindful of my plastic surroundings and the things I consume. Plastic is everywhere, and it's pretty overwhelming once you start noticing (read: being more mindful). Mindfulness can be applied to anything and everything. It's the practice of bringing awareness to the present moment and observing it objectively. The mind's full of whatever's currently happening in front of you, either emotions or events. Mindfulness can be used in all aspects of your life i.e., mindfulness meditation, mindfulness eating, mindfulness movement, you get the idea. For this post, we're going to focus on mindfulness consumption.
WHAT'S MINDFULNESS CONSUMPTION?
Put simply, it's observing the what (food, merchandise, knowledge) and the how of what you consume (single-use, reusable plastic, silicone, glass, stainless steel). Mindfulness consumption is a great way to start reducing your plastic dependency.
Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man, shared a great post on a simple mindfulness exercise. He wrote about how wasting stuff does two things: wastes our lives and wastes others' lives. You can read his original post or check out his book. Skeptical? Read on.
Essentially, if we aren't paying attention to the present moment, we're wasting something. Colin shared a story about a Zen master meditating under a tree when a monk rushes past with a pot of water from the well. The monk's frenetic energy causes the well water to spill. The Zen master calls out to him and asks, "Why are you killing that water?"
WASTING WATER WASTES LIVES
Colin brings our attention to the Zen master's word choice: killing. That word's probably not your first choice, but if you think about it, the "needless wasting and destroying implies that the monk is not attending to life as it is right now." He's spilling water (which is a crucial resource hello!), and is reducing the original amount with each hurried step. "Why is he in such a hurry to get to his destination? Why is he more concerned with what he's about to do, instead of what he's currently doing? Why isn't he paying attention to his life at that present moment?Why aren’t you paying attention to how you live your life right at this very moment? Why are you wasting this moment? Why, indeed, are you wasting your life?"
Why, indeed, are you wasting your life?
On the other hand, if the monk walks purposefully and intently so that no water droplet spills, he's being mindful of the resource and attending to the present moment. He's mindfully consuming the water, and mindfully bringing the pot to where the full amount of water gathered will be the full amount shared or used. Not a single drop wasted.
How does being wasteful waste others' lives?
Colin was invited to speak at the UN for World Environment Day. They'd apparently asked him to address the UN staff about the use of plastic bags. While he was thanking them, he'd felt that compared to war and starvation, the use of plastic bags seems trivial. See the image below for his take on the Iraq War. (Let's move beyond the political implications of this for now and stick to the post's big idea.)
NYC'S ADDICTION TO PLASTIC
Okay, let's take three collective breaths because I just cannot sometimes. The absurdity of things. When I lived in NYC for a few years, I was surrounded by plastic bags and plastic bottles. PLASTICPLASTICPLASTIC. Delis handed them out like candies. You wouldn't believe the things that got put in them. A gum pack. A soda bottle that was literally going to be consumed right away. A small bag of chips. We lived in a basement studio that had an alcove. The wind would funnel so many plastic bags in front of our door. It did NOT bring me joy. It brought frustration and anxiety. Trash would tunnel into this small cave where the pile grew bigger and bigger. One day, enough was enough! I exclaimed to me and my dog. I had to throw everything out. To see that much trash every time I exited or entered my home brought me headaches and chest pains.
MINDFULNESS CONSUMER EXERCISE
How are you feeling about plastic? About consumerism? Are you interested in practicing mindfulness consumption? Consider the following questions the next time you want to buy something.
1] Why am I buying this? An obvious question, but sometimes we buy things just to buy things. (Damn you Amazon 1-click!) Or maybe we've created a story in our heads so that there's a "need" for this item. Is there REALLY a need and I mean REALLY!, or am I trying to fill an empty space in my soul? Hellooo retail therapy. Asking ourselves this question will help us understand our needs more. You'll learn more about your buying habits, which helps reduce debt (most of us have debt unfortunately), and helps us be more mindful about who and what we're supporting with our money.
2] Is there something in my house that I can use/MacGyver instead or borrow from a family or friend? (Do I really need that yoga bag or can I use a market tote from home? Answer is B. Real talk. I almost bought a new yoga bag before my teacher training, and I'm really glad I didn't because my stuff was sitting safely in the gym.) Now, I'm starting to askmy friends and my family if they have a certain item, or checking online which brings us to number three.
3] Can I get it secondhand? Check your local thrift store, Freecycle.org, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, your social media connections. You never know what they have to give away. Sometimes it's impractical to buy secondhand (mattresses for instance), but oftentimes it's not. Consider giving used items a second (or third or fourth) life.
4] How long can I wait before buying? We live in an age of impulsivity driven by instant gratification. (See Amazon complaint above.) Move beyond the circumstances that companies have created for consumers. Create a list (maybe in your bujo if you have one 😜) titled "In 30 Days" or something to that effect. Jot down that item with the day's date. In 30 days' time, return to your list and see if you still want or need it. Sometimes you do, and often you don't! I've added pens to my list, some I've bought and some I ditched because I decided my desire to have less impact / waste outweighs my desire to have "pretty pens." I usually talk myself out of buying things, mostly because I'm frugal 😆.
If you've managed to get through all of these questions, and you've decided it's a must-purchase. Remember that you have full control over what kinds of products you buy and who you support.
5] Quality > quantity ALWAYS. Where does the product come from? Where is it made? Who benefits from your purchase (besides you)? Is it necessary to buy apples from New Zealand when you can buy USA-grown fruits? Even better if it's local? Consider the energy it takes to import fruits. Sometimes, it's not necessary. Eat local if you can.
Is the material organic cotton or polyester (a type of plastic)? Where does the company source its materials? Do they have good working conditions and/or benefits for their employees, or are their employees or the environment exploited? How much do you really know about the companies you buy products from?
For me, I can't comfortably wear anything that's synthetic. It's not breathable making me sweat easily. It plain ol' doesn't feel good on my skin. For a long time now, I've stuck to cotton (sorry, not organic yet. I'm not rich and can't pay $70 for a white organic tee. Rant of economics and politics of organics post coming soon.)
If you wanna talk about energy transference, consider the energy of the workers in horrible working conditions being transferred to the clothes on your back. Would you want to be wearing that kind of energy? Not me thanks.
Check out GreenAmerica.org or CleanClothes.org for more info.
6] Set your intentions with this practice of mindfully consuming. What do you intend to accomplish? Is it because you want to surround yourself with more quality, less quantity? Is it to support companies who share the same ecological, humane values? Setting your intentions can help you be more mindful across all aspects of your life.
It might be hard to remember to ask yourself these questions when you're starting out. The best thing you can do is to treat the resources you use as valuable. Trust me and trust Colin Beavan. You can do it. We believe in you!
Here are some examples from Colin's post:
DAY 5'S INVENTORY
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| What does mindfulness have to do with plastics? |
Reading Plastic-Free has made me more mindful of my plastic surroundings and the things I consume. Plastic is everywhere, and it's pretty overwhelming once you start noticing (read: being more mindful). Mindfulness can be applied to anything and everything. It's the practice of bringing awareness to the present moment and observing it objectively. The mind's full of whatever's currently happening in front of you, either emotions or events. Mindfulness can be used in all aspects of your life i.e., mindfulness meditation, mindfulness eating, mindfulness movement, you get the idea. For this post, we're going to focus on mindfulness consumption.
WHAT'S MINDFULNESS CONSUMPTION?
Put simply, it's observing the what (food, merchandise, knowledge) and the how of what you consume (single-use, reusable plastic, silicone, glass, stainless steel). Mindfulness consumption is a great way to start reducing your plastic dependency.
Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man, shared a great post on a simple mindfulness exercise. He wrote about how wasting stuff does two things: wastes our lives and wastes others' lives. You can read his original post or check out his book. Skeptical? Read on.
Essentially, if we aren't paying attention to the present moment, we're wasting something. Colin shared a story about a Zen master meditating under a tree when a monk rushes past with a pot of water from the well. The monk's frenetic energy causes the well water to spill. The Zen master calls out to him and asks, "Why are you killing that water?"
WASTING WATER WASTES LIVES
Colin brings our attention to the Zen master's word choice: killing. That word's probably not your first choice, but if you think about it, the "needless wasting and destroying implies that the monk is not attending to life as it is right now." He's spilling water (which is a crucial resource hello!), and is reducing the original amount with each hurried step. "Why is he in such a hurry to get to his destination? Why is he more concerned with what he's about to do, instead of what he's currently doing? Why isn't he paying attention to his life at that present moment?Why aren’t you paying attention to how you live your life right at this very moment? Why are you wasting this moment? Why, indeed, are you wasting your life?"
Why, indeed, are you wasting your life?
On the other hand, if the monk walks purposefully and intently so that no water droplet spills, he's being mindful of the resource and attending to the present moment. He's mindfully consuming the water, and mindfully bringing the pot to where the full amount of water gathered will be the full amount shared or used. Not a single drop wasted.
How does being wasteful waste others' lives?
Colin was invited to speak at the UN for World Environment Day. They'd apparently asked him to address the UN staff about the use of plastic bags. While he was thanking them, he'd felt that compared to war and starvation, the use of plastic bags seems trivial. See the image below for his take on the Iraq War. (Let's move beyond the political implications of this for now and stick to the post's big idea.)
 |
| "484 people died for plastic bags" |
"There's more important things out there other than this plastic bottle" is a common remark I'd get. Because of Plastic-Free and facts about plastics, we know that plastic is made from natural resources e.g., OIL. Colin stated that 12 million barrels of oil are used each year to make plastic bags in the US alone. 12 million!!! That's W-I-L-D and unacceptable to me.
NYC'S ADDICTION TO PLASTIC
Okay, let's take three collective breaths because I just cannot sometimes. The absurdity of things. When I lived in NYC for a few years, I was surrounded by plastic bags and plastic bottles. PLASTICPLASTICPLASTIC. Delis handed them out like candies. You wouldn't believe the things that got put in them. A gum pack. A soda bottle that was literally going to be consumed right away. A small bag of chips. We lived in a basement studio that had an alcove. The wind would funnel so many plastic bags in front of our door. It did NOT bring me joy. It brought frustration and anxiety. Trash would tunnel into this small cave where the pile grew bigger and bigger. One day, enough was enough! I exclaimed to me and my dog. I had to throw everything out. To see that much trash every time I exited or entered my home brought me headaches and chest pains.
MINDFULNESS CONSUMER EXERCISE
How are you feeling about plastic? About consumerism? Are you interested in practicing mindfulness consumption? Consider the following questions the next time you want to buy something.
1] Why am I buying this? An obvious question, but sometimes we buy things just to buy things. (Damn you Amazon 1-click!) Or maybe we've created a story in our heads so that there's a "need" for this item. Is there REALLY a need and I mean REALLY!, or am I trying to fill an empty space in my soul? Hellooo retail therapy. Asking ourselves this question will help us understand our needs more. You'll learn more about your buying habits, which helps reduce debt (most of us have debt unfortunately), and helps us be more mindful about who and what we're supporting with our money.
2] Is there something in my house that I can use/MacGyver instead or borrow from a family or friend? (Do I really need that yoga bag or can I use a market tote from home? Answer is B. Real talk. I almost bought a new yoga bag before my teacher training, and I'm really glad I didn't because my stuff was sitting safely in the gym.) Now, I'm starting to askmy friends and my family if they have a certain item, or checking online which brings us to number three.
3] Can I get it secondhand? Check your local thrift store, Freecycle.org, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, your social media connections. You never know what they have to give away. Sometimes it's impractical to buy secondhand (mattresses for instance), but oftentimes it's not. Consider giving used items a second (or third or fourth) life.
4] How long can I wait before buying? We live in an age of impulsivity driven by instant gratification. (See Amazon complaint above.) Move beyond the circumstances that companies have created for consumers. Create a list (maybe in your bujo if you have one 😜) titled "In 30 Days" or something to that effect. Jot down that item with the day's date. In 30 days' time, return to your list and see if you still want or need it. Sometimes you do, and often you don't! I've added pens to my list, some I've bought and some I ditched because I decided my desire to have less impact / waste outweighs my desire to have "pretty pens." I usually talk myself out of buying things, mostly because I'm frugal 😆.
If you've managed to get through all of these questions, and you've decided it's a must-purchase. Remember that you have full control over what kinds of products you buy and who you support.
5] Quality > quantity ALWAYS. Where does the product come from? Where is it made? Who benefits from your purchase (besides you)? Is it necessary to buy apples from New Zealand when you can buy USA-grown fruits? Even better if it's local? Consider the energy it takes to import fruits. Sometimes, it's not necessary. Eat local if you can.
Is the material organic cotton or polyester (a type of plastic)? Where does the company source its materials? Do they have good working conditions and/or benefits for their employees, or are their employees or the environment exploited? How much do you really know about the companies you buy products from?
For me, I can't comfortably wear anything that's synthetic. It's not breathable making me sweat easily. It plain ol' doesn't feel good on my skin. For a long time now, I've stuck to cotton (sorry, not organic yet. I'm not rich and can't pay $70 for a white organic tee. Rant of economics and politics of organics post coming soon.)
If you wanna talk about energy transference, consider the energy of the workers in horrible working conditions being transferred to the clothes on your back. Would you want to be wearing that kind of energy? Not me thanks.
Check out GreenAmerica.org or CleanClothes.org for more info.
6] Set your intentions with this practice of mindfully consuming. What do you intend to accomplish? Is it because you want to surround yourself with more quality, less quantity? Is it to support companies who share the same ecological, humane values? Setting your intentions can help you be more mindful across all aspects of your life.
It might be hard to remember to ask yourself these questions when you're starting out. The best thing you can do is to treat the resources you use as valuable. Trust me and trust Colin Beavan. You can do it. We believe in you!
Here are some examples from Colin's post:
- When brushing my teeth and I see water uselessly pouring down the drain, I turn off the tap
- When thirsty, I see the plastic bottled water comes in and drink tap water in a glass or reusable bottle instead
- When getting a peanut butter cookie at the bakery down the street, I ask the server to please use the tongs instead of the waxed paper to remove the cookie from the jar and then to put the cookie in my hand instead of in a bag I would instantaneously throw away
- When at my local coffee shop where I often work, I ask to borrow a glass for my drinking water instead of using the plastic throwaway cups they generally provide
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| Save this handy dandy pin! |
I'M GREEDY AND I (DON'T) KNOW IT
I remember one time I'd gotten In-N-Out with a friend's S.O. because we went to the same university. He'd gotten two sauce cups for ketchup, and then mid-chew, got up to get ANOTHER sauce cup. Like whaaaaat? Yeah okay sauce cups are tiny blah blah blah. Ultimately, I don't care. It's wasteful. Why? You didn't even finish your ketchup. You used three sauce cups when really, you only needed one.
You're being greedy and taking more than you need. Go ahead - hate me all you want because I called you greedy. It's hard to swallow the truth. Who am I judge? Well, actually I'm no one to judge. I'm still so curious about the thought process behind his actions. Maybe he just wasn't aware of what he was doing. 🤷
Whatever it is that you're doing, the HOW of what you're doing if you will, is considered your yama (one of the eight limbs of yoga philosophy). Your yama is your moral attitudes toward your environments. Don't worry, I was greedy too! I used to take home free swag from conferences FULLY knowing that I wasn't going to use them.
I manipulated myself into thinking I might have a need in the future. MAYBE ONE DAY. But realistically, it'd end up in the back of my closet until "spring cleaning" in which I would dump everything at my local thrift store or trash. What a vicious cycle I lived in. Like me, you're a product of this throwaway society. But guess what? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO STAY THIS WAY. It starts with your choices.
BE PRESENT TO YOUR PRESENT
Start by being more mindful about what you buy in the store or online. Are you able to cut your own fruits and veggies? Do that. Save the cut ones for those who aren't able to due to mobility or lack of resources. Do you really need to buy individually packed nuts? Probably not even though it's dang convenient (spoiler: companies bet on our desire to have things be convenient. Remember An Inconvenient Truth? Well, conveniency has brought about some harmful repercussions.) Invest in some silicone food baggies and reuse them. Going over to a friend's place (or parents) for a potluck dinner? Consider bringing your own tupperware to take food home! Having a party or gathering? Think about what you can eliminate in the single-use department. No one enjoys eating off flimsy plates and failing to pick up their food with flimsy single-use forks. How unmemorable. If you missed my post about zero-waste gatherings, you can read it here.
Take it day by day. Bit by bit. I'm no saint by any means. At a recent (different from the post's) baby shower, I used three plates only because I kept forgetting where I put it to reuse. I definitely wasn't being mindful as I flitted between frying the chicken wings, hanging with my family, attempting to socialize with people I don't see regularly, and eating said chicken wings. Forgive yourself and move on. Be mindful of your present moment. Not only does it benefit your ability to manage emotions, it helps you feel more grounded and present on earth. Feeling grounded is a beautiful thing.
DAY 5'S INVENTORY
- Wrist ID from hospital visit
- Restaurant take-out for two
- 2 dailies
- 2 qtips
- 2 pet waste bags
- nightly flossing
I don't have much to say about day 5's inventory. Just that my fridge was broken, and that's why I had to order two take-out dinners. I guess upon reflection we could've gone out to eat.
How do you stay mindful of your consumption? What're some things you've tried or are looking forward to trying? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked what you read, consider subscribing or sharing this post. Thanks!
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