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Requests Editor for the Ecocom Newsletter Christophe BouyacAre you a budding writer? Or just interested in helping out then here is an excellent opportunity. Due to personal circumstances I will no longer be able to be the editor of the Ecocom Newsletter, so I am looking for someone to take over this role. For the person who decides to take over this role I will show you everything you need to know and how to do it and will also include the relevant software (programs) to enable you to do this. So if you are interested then please email me at newsletter@ecocom.org. Ecocom Committee Positions With the Ecocom Annual General Meeting being held on Saturday 29th October this is a good time to reflect on what Ecocom’s objectives are. The Constitution states:
We were initially set up to help facilitate the building of an ecovillage in the Hills area of Perth (SomerVille !). Once this task has been completed, and with the knowledge and experience we will all have gained from going through this process, we hope that many other projects can be helped in a similar way wherever they may be situated. This is an exciting time to be involved as our dream comes so much closer to reality! So, if you have been wondering how you can become more involved, here is your opportunity! The job descriptions for the Secretary and Treasurer can be found at: http://www.ecocom.org/docs/Secretary_Position_Description.pdf http://www.ecocom.org/docs/Treasurer_Position_Description.pdf There is also a non-office bearing position becoming vacant at the AGM. We invite you to send your nominations for any of these positions to Karen Moore by 5pm Friday 21 October. A reminder that only financial members are entitled to vote at the AGM, so please get your membership renewals to Rebecca Macleod as soon as possible. You can of course pay on the day! Coming Events Ecocom AGM – SomerVille Celebrating Community and Village Character Creation LaunchDinner after Wine bottlingSaturday 29th October 2005 – 5pm to Sunday 30th October High Noon!Come along to our annual traditional community celebration and share in our achievements, our stories, our characters and most of all our food! The Ecocom AGM kicks off at 5pm (a reminder that nominations for vacant committee positions close Friday 21 October). This will be followed at 6pm by pre-dinner drinks (BYO) and nibbles (provided). At 8pm there will be sit down Black Tie catered dinner in Chateau Yellow Shed – but not the Yellow Shed you know – the Yellow Shed with its best on! This cost is $25 per Adult (10 years or older) and free for kids under 10. It is essential to register and pay before the 21st October 2005. Please register online at http://www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/events/register.asp The online payment screen follows the registration (credit card required) or you can pay by direct debit to Ecocom Solutions Inc (BSB: 633 108 Acc #: 1161 43066) As it is a catered event registrations are essential! Sunday 30th October at 9am will be a Village Character Creation Morning. A chance for us to display what we are about, have some fun and leave things on display around SomerVille for people to muse over, be confused over or simply wonder! Bit of artistic fun creating works of art from SomerVille memorabilia, junk or simply unwanted stuff (No shortage of this on site!). To ensure we have stuff on hand for this Sunday we will be having a Character Creation Scavenger Hunt on the land to get together potential materials. Bring along anything that you have kept for all those years for that special use – this is it!! The Hunt will take place on Sunday 23rd October starting at the Yellow Shed at 9.00am for a couple of hours – or as long as you like. We will form a ute/trailer convoy and explore potential materials for works of art on site and bring them back to a “potential works of art” designated area near the Yellow Shed. Items will be photographed and shared online so we can plot and plan our potential works of art! Come along, bring the kids, bring the family, bring your creativity and bring a picnic lunch to share! Put it in your diary! More info online at: http://www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/events/cc.htm SomerVille calendar of eventsPlease Note that where possible, workshops and meetings will coincide with the SomerVille viewing days on the first Sunday of each month, which are now called SomerVille Sundays. We will still email you in advance of events if we have your email address, or you can check the calendar on http://www.greenedge.org/calendar_of_events.htm. a few days before each event. Saturday 29th October 2005:
Sunday 30th October 2005:
Sunday 6th November 2005:
Note: Chidlow Markets occur on the last Saturday of every month, the next two being on the 29th October and the 26th November. Note: The Chidlow Show will be on Sunday November 13th 2005. For the latest list of all the coming events please visit http://www.greenedge.org/calendar_of_events.htm. Articles Spirit Soars Amidst Storm
Michael Alvares Kites Spring Festival 2005Gina PriceThe SomerVille Ecovillage™ community, based in historic Chidlow, radiated enthusiasm as they celebrated and welcomed visitors to their second Spring Festival amidst rain, hail and severe winds. The main stage was abandoned following damage from gale force winds and an indigenous welcome took on a corroboree style in a crowded marquee. Nyoongar Elder, Theo Michael, acknowledged the vision and spirit of SomerVille in his gift of a personally carved boomerang. Kites decorated the sky revealing in the stormy conditions. Children displayed newly acquired skills in the circus tent. Bushfire talks, bush tucker walks, a chanting circle and people with dowsing rods brought the landscape to life. Visitors filled tours of the land to learn more of the plans to build a world-class ecovillage where community flourishes in balance with a sustainable ecological ethic. “The spirit of SomerVille was lifted and the effect will be on-going”, said one of the organizers. “The fact that we could reorganize the venue and reprogram the festival within two hours to cope with the severe weather alert, showed a high level of professionalism. There was so much good will and positive energy generated by the organizing team, artists and speakers that spirits were high regardless of the conditions.” The festival, partly sponsored by Healthway to promote its “Smarter than Smoking” message, included 6 musical acts, a number of circus performers and workshops, indigenous food, and stalls on sustainable building and health and healing. There is no doubt that it will be on again next year with the same spirit and vision, and hopefully more inviting weather. Further information about the festival and SomerVille can be found at www.somervilleecovillage.com.au.
Yoga, I can do it standing on my head! Kristin ReddinMy journey into Yoga started in early childhood watching my Mum doing headstands. I remember her showing my brothers and I how to get up using the wall. We were all clumping and clambering up and down, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. When I eventually got up, they had all left. What’s the point of standing on my head with nobody watching? As a young adult I enrolled in various Yoga courses, usually once a week at the local high school. My first teacher was an amazing lady in her seventies. She had the figure of a teenager and taught a very aerobic class. She showed us hip exercises that would keep us healthy, and please our husbands. Unfortunately she retired just when I was remembering the difference between one pose and the next. Throughout the years I went to classes on and off. I was introduced to hanging upside down, I used ropes and blindfolds. I can remember my ankles pinching and skin stretching, the teacher saying “you’re just not used to it yet, you’ll need to practice.” I thought she had no idea what she was doing to me. Downward facing dog was an endurance test. My arms ached, my back strained, my hamstrings pinched. There was no way this could be a resting pose. Holding my arms outstretched in warrior pose was my worst nightmare. I looked forward to anything that involved lying down. Savasana was my all time favourite.
A friend started teaching yoga so I went along to support him. He used props such as belts, blankets, blocks and chairs. He taught us spinal twists and was the very first teacher to adjust me. I had been way out. I soon realised I had no idea. It became clear that there was more to it than holding your breath until the next pose. In fact breathing was the key. I got pregnant and learned that yoga and childbirth were both about breathing. I went to antenatal yoga classes, opened my self up and had a beautiful natural birth. Afterwards I went to yoga for mum’s and took my baby along. It was lovely and relaxing; we shared birth stories and bonded with our new born’s. Sitting in Dandasana was so hard for me it was almost unbearable. Things my body could do pre pregnancy were totally out of reach for years to come. My former body’s flexibility had abandoned me. Around this time my partner got lost visiting a client, he found himself at a yoga school over looking the ocean. He stayed for a class. From the first lesson he was hooked, any time he saw bare floor he was practicing. I was intrigued, I had been ‘doing yoga’ for years but had never felt confident enough to practice on my own. Yet there was David saluting the sun every morning. He started going twice a week and doing his own disciplined practice. As his physique grew more toned he seemed to have more energy and his eyes sparkled. He also began to attract a lot of beautiful women. Having just given birth I was still a hefalump, feeling exhausted, shamefully unfit and ugly. Meanwhile nymphs and sea fairies were gathered adoringly around David and his new baby. I would hide in the fruit and veg section of the market planning my comeback. I started at a yoga school that taught Iyenga style. It was a lot more intense than the community groups and TAFE courses I had done previously. The students all appeared to be serious and rarely spoke to each other. At first I took this as aloofness and was slightly offended, even the teachers didn’t offer much on a one to one basis. In time I came to realise this was a blessing, becoming centred before practice is key. Everyone seemed to have perfect yogi bodies; they appeared to effortlessly drape themselves into the poses with grace and ease. I sweated, struggled and stretched. As I developed an awareness of my body and it’s capabilities I became too busy to notice anyone else. I realised it is a competitive sport, but the competition comes from within. It’s a game of endurance and strength of mind. It is about character and intuition. Wow it’s powerful. To my delight I am learning a new language. My teachers use Sanskrit. Mula bundah, supta virasana, ardo muka savasana. Sanskrit has a special magic about it. Suddenly I understand the asanas more clearly. I regularly go to two different teachers at the same school. One gives breathing, chanting and charkra spinning workouts. While the other works on building strength and stamina. I find the combination to be very beneficial. Learning that each pose has a drusty or focal point made a big impact on me. Look to thumbs whenever you raise your arms above your head. I found that lifting my gaze simultaneously lifted my spirits. I needed my spirits lifting too, some days I felt so humiliated and limited in my moves. I’ve realised some poses will do that to you, some poses will upset you, if your low already, back bends in particular. For me yoga is more than a physical therapy, it is mind altering. It is also quite addictive. After a few months of regular classes I decided to practice every day. I still needed guidance so I tried every yoga video in the library. Some were too gentle or too new age. Some, the celebrity ones in particular, were totally annoying. Eventually I found two that suited my level and temperament. The first was Mandy White’s Super Stretch Yoga (NZ). I used it so many times they had to replace it. When I got a bit more confident and stronger I used Louisa Sear and Rachael Zinman’s General Class (Aust). It is still a favourite. I keep looking out for another one of theirs; I love the studio they practice in. Eventually I became confident to practice alone. I made stick figure drawings of BKS Iyenga’s courses in the back of Light on Yoga. This planted the Sanskrit words more firmly in my mind. Quite soon I found I was achieving poses more easily, even if I hadn’t practiced them in a long time, doing one pose helped with the others. Practicing shoulder stand made my forward bends better. This was a nice surprise. I went a bit overboard for a while. I was putting my yoga practice ahead of my family; I made it my sole focus. I was quite depressed and hiding, as my husband said, with my head up an asana. I was obsessed with my flexibility, neurotic about spending ninety minutes a day practicing. It wasn’t working for any of us. I can remember doing a headstand in the hallway one day, when my little boys found me they took to hitting me with their torches. A two and a four year old beat me up, while I was defenceless, and they knew it. I got their message and relaxed my regime. Once I stopped trying so hard, I detached, and then everything fell easily into place for me. It was like I felt responsible for spinning the universe, when I let go it was able to do its job a lot better. Now I am confident to practice on my own for ten minutes to an hour. I go to regular classes, sometimes I can keep up and other times not, but it doesn’t bother me any more. I have learned to accept my body’s weaknesses, work around them and enjoy my practice and meditation. Letting go of trying to improve has given me all the success I need. Now I can do it standing on my head. |
