Go Fair Trade in Your Holistic Spaces

October is Fair Trade Month, which is exciting for us, because Fair Trade principles align closely with what we work toward in creating truly nourishing holistic spaces. There are numerous organizations dedicated to moving us closer to a Fair Trade society, and though each of them has their own set of specific standards and guidelines, there are a few underlying principles that really define what it means to encourage Fair Trade. 

First, let's define "fair trade." According to Merriam-Webster, fair trade is 

“a movement whose goal is to help producers in developing countries to get a fair price for their products so as to reduce poverty, provide for the ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promote environmentally sustainable practices.”

Following this general push to ensure that producers around the world are treated fairly and humanely, Fair Trade principles require that organizations participating in this trade meet the following guidelines:

  • Seek to create opportunities for disadvantaged producers

  • Maintain clear and understandable processes and procedures

  • Establish fair prices that will both benefit producers and find sustainability in market

  • Refrain from engaging in any sort of child labor or forced labor

  • Refrain from discrimination for any reason, including but not limited to, age, gender, caste, nationality, HIV status and political beliefs

  • Provide good working conditions

  • Provide training and beneficial opportunities for workers to build their skills

  • Actively promote fair trade

  • Respect the environment

These conditions ensure that employers and companies not only reach out to third-world producers to take an active part in relieving poverty, but that each of these service providers and producers are treated with humane, dignified conditions that establish an enhanced quality of life. 

This is all great, but what can each of us do to help encourage fair trading in our society? We can seek out Fair Trade products! The most common Fair Trade items are coffee, wine, fresh fruits and handicrafts. When you're creating a holistic space, Fair Trade handicrafts can be a fantastic way to fill your space with beautiful items while helping others at the same time! 

Keep an eye out for:

  • hand knit, organic textiles

  • hand carved statues and home decor

  • hand embroidered wall hangings and other art made from natural materials like jute. (Organic cotton is farmed with much higher regard for our environment, and often by family farmers in disadvantaged areas. Likewise, jute is a 100% biodegradable and recyclable rain-fed crop that grows predominately in Bangladesh and other Indian countries. )

  • fair trade essential oils, (like the ones we use in our home mists!)

Like everything, there are products that will give the impression of Fair Trade without meeting the requirements, so be sure to look for a Fair Trade seal and do your research! Check out My Favorite Things this month to get your search started!

by Anjie Cho

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How to Welcome the Autumnal Equinox, with Stiggly Holistics

After a long, hot summer, it's finally time to welcome a new season! It's always important to take care of ourselves, both inside and out, when changing from one season to another, and this year, our friend Sacha Jones, from Stiggly Holistics, has volunteered her insight! It's been a while since we spoke with Sacha, and we're happy to welcome her back to talk bringing in Autumn in a healthy, holistic way. 

AC: Tell us a little bit about Stiggly Holistics and what you're up to these days. 

SJ: Stiggly Holistics will be celebrating her 10th birthday soon, and we are looking to do some celebrating and relaunching between the fall and the spring. This will include introducing some new classes, starting some new women's groups, opening up my pottery studio and expanding that part of the business, and playing around with new packaging ideas for my product line... much good stuff on the horizon! I can't reveal it all now but just to say - between this coming October and the spring of '17, Stiggly Holistics will be seeing a little bit of a facelift, which feels really fun and exciting.

The heart, essence and roots will of course remain true to where we began - "nourish your body, nourish your soul" will always remain our motto. We believe in caring for the whole person - not just the food we put on our plates, but also the quality of our soul food, our home environment, how we care for the planet and so much more. It's all under the same holistic umbrella, and that's a very important part of the Stiggly mission. I'm hoping to have a little celebratory relaunch/anniversary party at some point, I will keep you posted.

Yes, please do! How does the autumnal equinox affect us, internally and externally?

I always love the autumnal and vernal equinox, because to me it's all about balance. Winter is extremely inward, summer very outward whereas spring and fall are a lovely mixture of the two. I love how the shadows change somewhere around the autumnal equinox, and with that there is an energy shift that is almost palpable. With the daylight and darkness being about the same, we tend towards a little more indoor time, perhaps getting to bed a little earlier, slowing down just a little bit, and we tend to get a little more grounded and centered.  

What are some steps we can take to ease into Autumn in a healthy way?

My first suggestion is to get yourself to your local farmer's market and see what's in season. Let that guide your meal planning. Eating seasonally is more than a trend; it's really good for our body and soul. Nature provides what we need, just at exactly the right time. You will start to see more root veggies, and energetically these foods help to ground us. In this same vein I also recommend exploring herbal infusions and decoctions - and nourishing your body with "teas" like elderberry, ginger, oatstra, and other favorite herbs. Have fun experimenting with flavors you like, get really into the ritual of it all and sip, smile, breathe.

Secondly, I suggest really considering the beginning of Autumn as an opportunity to take a deep breath, release your shoulders and honor the moment as a new beginning. Whether or not you have children in school, or are yourself in academia, or if all that is long ago in your memory, there is a "back to school" vibe that's ingrained within us. Let's use that to let go of some non-serving stuff and embrace some new ideas. How balanced is your life? Do you have enough boundaries? Are you always saying yes to others? How is the balance between your work and play time? See where you can cut back in your work obligations a little - and by so doing, increase your time, energy and motivation for play and true relaxation.

Also, in keeping with the theme of balance, I really recommend getting into a daily practice of balancing on one leg. Aim for at least 30 seconds per leg, at least once a day. You can do it while you wait for the kettle to boil, while you brush your teeth, while you wait for a subway, or really anytime...to make this harder, more fun and more beneficial, I also recommend you try and do this with your eyes closed. Time yourself. How long can you balance that way? If it feels impossible, keep at it - like anything it gets easier with practice.

image credit: Stiggly Holistics

image credit: Stiggly Holistics

What's the best part of the new season, in your opinion?

A new season marks another chance for us to go inward and hit that proverbial "reset button" on ourselves. It's a chance to look within and see what's working, what's not, and a good time to re-evaluate our goals - personal & professional. I also love seasonal clothing, and Autumn is maybe my favorite, since I love jackets and home-made knitwear. It's the time to blow the cobwebs off the knitting needles and, in general, just start being creative. 

Truly it's hard to put into words just how intoxicating Autumn is, but I really love the collective hum, which feels like excitement. It's almost like culturally we become squirrel-like, all rushing around, gathering "acorns," preparing for the colder months ahead while the delicious scents of pumpkin spices and hot cider fill the air. It's all about the ritual, the familiar and the comfort in that.

How can we use the concepts of Stiggly Holistics to create holistic spaces?

When I think of holistic spaces, I think of creating home-space that feels safe and cozy - somewhere you want to spend time. 

When I consider nourishment and self care, it goes so much deeper than what we eat, as I've mentioned. And a very big component of that is home environment. I always want to know from my clients what home feels like. Does it feel safe, comfortable? Would you be comfortable inviting people over, even if your space is tiny? Do you make your bed every morning? Are the sheets and pillows comfortable? What is your lighting like? Do you have somewhere to sit and just be quiet - whether that's to read, meditate or just relax after a busy day at work? Are the things in your home relevant? Do you still love the art on the walls, the books on the shelves? Do you look around your abode and smile? Have a sense of pride? 

You can start small when creating a holistic home environment - you don't have to spend a lot of money, but get a few things in place. Clean out your fridge and fill it with healthful, life-giving foods and try to avoid a build up of leftovers. Use green cleaning products (make them yourselves), and avoid chemicals in your home (this includes laundry detergent so you can sleep better on eco-cleansed sheets). Every season, go through your "stuff" and have a little clean out. I'm a fan of natural, "organic" materials and found objects (as well as antiques, thrift, stoop sales...), and believe holistic home spaces should be as void of plastic as possible.

Our "stuff" contributes to the energy of a home, and what we lay our eyes on contributes to the way we feel, so let's make our home spaces as beautiful and comfortable as possible - in a way that works for ourselves. Your home may not be featured in Dwell magazine, but do you love it? Do you feel truly at home there? That's what really matters. Home is truly is where the heart is, and I think keeping that concept at the core when you declutter, design and get cozy will help guide you to really loving where you live.

As always, such wonderful advice from Sacha on remaining true to yourself and taking care of you! What can you do in the coming months to treat yourself with loving care as we transition from warm, yang weather to the colder, yin season? Be sure to try out Sacha's recipe for cleansing fire water too! 

by Anjie Cho

Sacha Jones is the founder of Stiggly Holistics. he hails originally from Wales but is a long time New Yorker and spends her time between the East Village, and Sullivan County upstate. Stiggly Holistics specializes in holistic wellness - we want to get to know the WHOLE you and get you on the path to feeling your very best self. We run group classes, women's groups & offer individual counseling - as well offering a line of organic body balms and herb teas, and returning soon to the line - hand made ceramics. You can learn more by visiting our website, www.stiggly.com and you can sign up for our Juicy Tuesday Newsie musings for weekly motivation right here.

Your Guide to Choosing an Organic Rug

Taking steps to free your home of harmful chemicals and toxins doesn't have to mean you have a barren, minimalist home. With the increasing focus on organic materials and eco-friendly products, it's possible to design a beautiful, sacred space that enhances your health instead of hurting it. One easy way to reduce some of the VOCs in your home is to choose an organic option when adding rugs to your space, and thanks to Stephanie Holmes and Matt Budenholzer, of Organic Looms, we've got tips on how and why to go about it!

Why Go Organic?

Perhaps the most important reason to go the organic route with rugs is indoor air quality. We spend most of our time indoors, yet our internal environments are actually much more polluted than the outdoor atmosphere, due to off-gassing, VOCs and more. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average person experiences 72% of his total chemical exposure in his own home!

How does this relate to rugs? Rugs and carpeting are two of the most common culprits of off-gassing, due to chemically produced material and backing. Since many traditional and machine-made rugs are actually composed of several loose pieces of yarn, they include chemical backing for cohesion, which can off-gas harmful VOCs over time. Many popular rug materials, like nylon and polyester, will eventually produce these gasses as well. With a truly organic rug, there will be no off-gassing. Organic rugs are made of more environmentally (and health) friendly materials like wool, silk and various plant fibers. These rugs are also longer lasting, generally of higher quality and have a low carbon footprint. 

How to Go Organic

So where do you start if you're on the search for an organic rug? Research! Go old school and call local rug companies, or head to Google and search "organic rugs" to get a good idea of what's available for your budget and needs. Be diligent and careful not to fall into a greenwashing trap, though, as the term "organic" has become a bit diluted over time and there are no regulations on what businesses can label with that term. 

Take care to ask about materials used in the construction of your rug, not just the primary material, as well as the process itself, including dyes used and construction method. This will help you determine whether each rug option is truly organic. 

Know ahead of time what the perks are for each option. For instance, wool is the most durable organic option and is easy to clean, making it great for high-traffic areas, whereas silk is a strong, beautiful material, but is more difficult to clean. If you're vegan, opt for plant choices like hemp, nettle and other animal-friendly materials! Check out these tips for finding the right material for your space. 

There are many organizations dedicated to producing high quality, eco-friendly rugs, like one of our favorites and our gracious all-things-organic-rugs educators, Organic Looms. Ultimately, it's about finding the right company and right rug for your space!

by Anjie Cho