What three words would you use to describe your family?
Nature-based, eco-conscious and fun.
What has becoming a mother taught you about yourself?
Becoming a mother showed me the nurturing, unconditional loving side of myself -- that side your parents say “wait until you have kids then you’ll understand”. I do now.
This unconditional love and fierce protection of my young has been an almost animalistic instinct since the moment I first held my eldest. I never knew I could love like that.
Through my motherhood journey I have also learnt patience, in a way no yoga training or class has taught me. To let go easily of the little things because life is too precious to dwell on little mistakes.
It has taught me to view myself as a grown up child instead of a “mature adult”, this way I play more and interact more with my kids, instead of only overlooking what they are doing. I am usually the mum in playgrounds that plays and runs around with all the kids haha. And, now with three kids I have learnt to be OK with going slower - why are we rushing anyway?
Do you have any great daily practices or habits in place as a family?
I meditate every morning and if my kids get up early enough, they know where to find me. They will sit beside me or curl in my lap and meditate with me, being silent and still (most of the time!).
At night time we take time to read stories (books are a big part of our life) and afterwards we usually put a meditation on for them to drift into dreamworld happily.
We’re about to move house so we haven’t practiced our usual routine in a while, but normally I try to follow routines as much as I can. I allow time for us to dance, prepare snacks, make crafts or art and get outside every day, but we are going with the flow in these changing times.
My son gets up and helps make his own porridge (with me holding him) in the morning. Meal preparation and cooking is a big part of our family. They’re alway around when I am cooking and they love to help.
I have also made it my mission as a mother to never go to bed without making my kids belly laugh at some point during the day.
What does living sustainably mean to you?
Sustainability for me is living in harmony with nature. It’s honouring and respecting the Earth and treading as lightly as possible on our journey as human beings.
What’s your favourite eco living tips that others can take action on right away?
So many! Where to start...?
I think the most important part is being aware of purchases and bringing mindfulness to your shopping. The biggest illusion the society has provided us is that our trash goes away...the garbage collection takes our rubbish far and we don’t have to see it, be responsible for it or own up to it. It is our responsibility even if it is in a mountain far away.
I would start by educating myself on recycling (to recycle right). Then, I would look in the pantry, separate everything that is not recyclable (single use plastics) and recyclable items (paper, cardboard, tin, glass). Now focus on your groceries with plastic. Can you avoid them? Can you swap your bread in a plastic bag for one from a bakery and get it in your own bag? That was my first swap: bread.
We are in the habit of buying a certain way because we ate those things as a child, or your mum/carer always bought that brand. We, as a collective, are living in transformational times and following what our parents did will not get us to shift the world in the way that it needs to be shifted.
I will leave you with this question: If there was no garbage collection and everything had to be tossed in your backyard, how quickly would you change your habits?
Any final words of wisdom for those looking to live a more environmentally friendly life?
Be the person our Planet Earth needs now. Our Earth is our mother. We come and are made of the same particle as her. Spending time in nature, living closer to her by eating healthy, fresh, nutritious foods heals us and her.
We are living in the age of information and as we are bombarded with negative, catastrophic news know that an individual can make a difference! Your choices matter. Your decisions make your life, the world and our future generation’s world. Let’s keep it clean, green and as I love to say: leave this place better than what we found it.