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It happens when sun salutations are truly directed towards the sun, when bare feet energetically row roots in the dirt practicing tree pose and when meditations are turned towards our divine interconnection with all of the stars in the universe. As a practice , it can occur when we deeply sense the energy of the animals we embody and when nature’s inspiration emerges in new and energizing ways. It also appears when Yogic values and principles relate to living in a sustainable and ecological way. Green Yoga has been around for thousands of years and with the massive explosion of Yoga in modern society, there is an opportunity for Yogi’s everywhere to bring a new state of awareness, conscious action and intention to practice lightly with the Earth.

Green Yoga is a bridge. It links the ancient practices of Yoga with our inherent connection to the natural environments / ecosystems in which we live. Recognizing that the essence of the teachings of Yoga are to harmonize our vibrations with the tangible and physical world, living our day to day lives in an environmentally friendly fashion falls in line with these philosophies. For example, minimizing our destruction of the forests or polluting of the oceans are clear applications of one of Yoga’s foundational principles, Ahimsa (non-violence).

When we then look at the historical teachings of Yoga which are reported to be between 5000 – 7000 years old, we can see that these teachings bring about an ideology for humanity to seek out and live a close connection to the planet that supports us by teaching us that we are part of the great miracle that is life, consciousness and connection. The fundamental teachings of most forms of Yoga philosophy all point towards the interconnected of all things. Whether we explore the relationships between mind and body, body and soul, humans and humans or humans to all of consciousness, they all point towards our realignment with our pure consciousness, which is most profoundly realized in the natural world.

It is clear that the current climate crisis is a result of human behavior. With the rapid growth and use of various forms of technology as well as the human population explosion, we have altered the natural rhythms and cycles of weather, polluted the air and water and taken the lives of non-human for granted as lesser beings here for our disposal. In our desire to grow as the human race, we have lost touch with our natural roots and in turn lost regard for the planet. The planet and all who inhabit Earth are calling for help, which is where Green Yoga can make an impact; bringing the results of our actions to visceral, tangible, physical and meta-physical levels. When the connection of the human experience to life on Earth is re-established, then we as a species will act differently regarding use of the Earth’s resources and relationships to other species.

Yogi’s have long been leader’s in shifts in consciousness, ideals and politics and in this moment in history we have another opportunity to lead our species towards a sustainable path. As Yogi’s, we realize that life is a series of choices. In our personal lives, we make choices towards physical health, cultivating intelligent and peaceful minds and we choose to live with open hearts and compassion for all beings. Now we must make choices to support the continuation of humanity because that is what is really at stake with the climate crisis and environmental issues facing the world today. The Earth will survive on her own… she has for billions of years through impacts far greater then humans can cause… So Green Yoga and the Environmental movement are here to ensure the survival of humanity whose lives will perish as the Earth adapts to the conditions we impose upon her. This is where we, as a species, have perhaps one of our greatest challenges. To have a shift in consciousness with our choices towards reverence and harmony with nature instead of those choices which are based purely on personal convenience and financial development.


The ‘practice’ of Green Yoga is all encompassing, all welcoming and all-inclusive to yoga practitioners of all lineages. The sadhanas of Green Yoga may vary from school to school but the foundation is the same; A deeper place of reverence and connection to our natural world through Yoga.

With the Green Yoga philosophy, we can think of the practice as a catalyst in four main areas.

1. Our place and connections in the Cosmos
2. Our connection to the Elements of Nature (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space)
3. Our relationship to Plants and Animals
4. Our relationship to other Humans

These areas for practice can be applied in hundreds of creative ways so that Yogis enter into a deep feeling of the connection to our place in natural evolution. Meditations, Mantras, Asana Practices and Pranayamas are obvious forms of this, but since Yoga is a complete lifestyle, Green Yoga can be practiced through living with a greater awareness of all of our actions and their effects on the planet. Everything from re-using, re-cycling and reducing consumption to eating biological foods and using Eco-friendly products are part of the Green Yoga lifestyle.

The term “Green Yoga” indicates our conscious intention to honor and care for the Earth as part of yoga. Green is also the color of chlorophyll, which represents the life-sustaining relationship between Sun and Earth. The creation of this chlorophyll came, as respected Deep Ecologist Brian Swimme likes to say, “through the Earth’s process of careful attention to the Sun. For 4.5 billion years the Earth attended very, very carefully to the Sun, meditating on it. Ultimately, the Earth learned how to be transformed by sunlight, resulting in the creation of chlorophyll. In a similar way, when we as humans devote sustained, loving attention to the challenges at hand, we are transformed in ways that promote life.”

With the rapid expansion of Yoga in modern culture, it is imperative that all the teachings of Yoga become part of the knowledge being transmitted, which includes humanity’s place in the ecosystem of the Earth and living in ways that promote life. So as we practice asana, let us remember why the poses are named as they are, why our movements reflect nature’s path and how, like plants, our bodies evolve and change as all things in nature do. When we practice dharana and dhyana (concentration and meditation), let us use the power of our minds, attention and intention to share lovingkindness with the Earth and all creatures. As we sing Mantra, let us share the vibrations of our hearts through our voices as a way to penetrate the Earth and infuse her with love. And as we live yoga off the mat, let us remember to do our best to follow the Yamas and Niyamas as they apply to the Earth.

The Green Yoga Association was founded in 2003 with this idea and has continued to be a leader in the Yoga community for supporting various ways to apply Green Yoga into daily life. With various programs and outreach methods in place, The Green Yoga Association is now expanding to communities and Yogi’s in hopes to support the growth of Yoga in an ecological way.

There are currently these programs in place and we welcome your participation:

1. Green Yoga Sanghas: For local Green Yogi’s to gather monthly for sadhana and discussion of local issues.

2. Green Yoga Studios: To support Yoga Studios as businesses in being Green with Yogic values as well as supporting each other.
http://greenyogastudios.homestead.com/index.html

3. Green Yoga Teacher Leadership: An annual course led by leaders in the Yoga, Ecology and education.

4. Green Yoga Conferences

For ideas and ways to get involved, please visit: http://www.begreendoyoga.com


And these personal practices are equally as important:

1. Practice Yoga outside and harmonize with the Natural world.

2. Realize that a shift in human behavior is at the foundation of the environmental / green yoga movement

3. Act with personal responsibility

4. Invest in sustainable businesses

5. Bring your personal intentions into action

6. Share ideas freely

7. Remember that perfection is the enemy of the good… do as much as you can on a daily basis and be content with your positive efforts.

Text by David Lurey
www.findbalance.net