There has been a bit of a green theme to my week.

First off, I did some filming for a Norco Lifestyle video where I talked about riding my bike around town to do errends. It was pretty funny, at the grocery store parking lot, a fellow came up to me and asked about my Norco VFR bike, the typical questions like “ooh, is that an aluminum frame?”, then “how many gears does that have?” Anyway, as he was walking away, he looked back and said, “right on, I’ve gone green too”. I had a chuckle, I love this trend…Reminded me of this funny and somewhat truthful video:

Then I filmed a TV interview and segment showing me riding my bike to go teach yoga and to talk about project blue sky.

Alos, I’ve been grossing out Caryn by making green vegetable drinks, well experimenting with making them, I guess she was justified in her green gruesome feeling …I’m figuring it out though…

Then to cap it off, and this is the best part, I just watched my nephew’s school Christmas Play and it was titled “Santa Goes Green”, haaa! Awesome. Good positive ideas presented in a fun way. Children will be living with a whole new set of green standards and bringing their parents along with them.

Cheers Folks,

Ryan

A nice video about Norco’s involvement in the last VACC bike to work week.

Perhaps it is a little inspiration for that projectbluesky.ca challenge I keep talking about!

Ride ON!

Ryan

Olympic athletes are so darn disciplined, where do they get it from?! I managed to get myself in to a contest with my friend and Olympic silver medalist Dave Calder, he’s a rower from Victoria, BC. It’s not a rowing contest, I’m not that crazy, it’s a contest to see who can accumulate the most carbon friendly transportation km’s among our friends….and he’s already in the lead

So I need your help! Project Blue Sky has a beautiful widget (look to the right to see it in my blog) that you can use to track the number of green km’s you travel, for instance biking, walking, or transit’ing.

If you don’t do it for climate change, then maybe you can do it for my ego by going to Projectbluesky.ca, signing up, joining my team named “Alternative Approach”, then entering your km’s in the cool km tracking widget, be sure to enter my team/group name ALTERNATIVE APPROACH when you do so.

I chose that team name because I’m technically classified as an alternative sport athlete, and taking transit or riding your bike to the store/work/school is an ‘alternative’ approach to driving solo in your car.

Dave is already in the lead, and I only have one week to show him how transportation saavy my friends are.

Ride ON!!

Earlier this Summer, I spent a day filming to help out with some promotion for the new Sea to Sky Trail. This multi-use trail is already open in sections and will ultimately run from Squamish to Whistler to Pemberton, and on to D’Arcy. Pretty sweet! Working with Jack Christie is always a delight, and getting to hold a boom mic for Dr. David Suzuki was an honor The team that put this promotional film together did a fantastic job. The purpose of this film is to generate interest and support for the completion of this important project; so please check it out, and picture yourself exploring by foot, bike, wheelchair, or even unicycle,  this spectacular part of the world.

We have a great program in Canada designed to get old cars off the road, and now it will help to add more bikes on them with the support of bike companies such as Norco; the initiative is called Retire Your Ride.

The President of Norco, John Williams shared recently:

“…This is a joint program with The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada, Government of Canada and The Clean Air Foundation.  Essentially anyone in Canada who scraps a pre-1995 vehicle is eligible for a $300 federal rebate that can be used towards the purchase of a new bike.  Norco has also agreed to supplement the discount on a range of bikes through participating dealers. This may get some media attention as the federal government is sponsoring this program with $92 million committed over four years.” Very cool! And if you live in the lower mainland, don’t forget to add the benefits of the Scrap It program for an extra $1200 toward a new bike, whew!!

The other item of note, locally here in Vancouver anyway, is the test trial of the conversion of a car lane on the Burrard Street Bridge to a dedicated bike lane. There is a little write-up about it on the VACC website. Of course there is some controversy; but my biased opinion sees way more positives than negatives. Lots of good news in the bike world these days!

If somebody asks me if I do yoga, I’m going to have to say no, I play yoga! This seemed to be one-of-many emerging themes from my recent ten day, 100 hour, yoga teacher training course.

Eoin Finn, our teacher and mentor, had a mission to turn our group of fourteen students in to “the best freaking yoga teachers in the world.” I hope he gives us a lifetime to complete that task because as he himself states, “To be a good yoga teacher, you need to understand anatomy as well as an orthopedic surgeon, be able to grasp philosophy like a university professor and become aware of the human soul like a priest.” Good thing we have another 100 hours of training coming up in September!

So what’s this yoga thing all about for me, why would I want to teach and share the experience with others? By the time I was twenty-five, and after ten years of bodily abuse on the bike, my back, wrists and shoulders had chronic pains, five years of yoga practice later, my body feels more balanced and better than ever. But I have to acknowledge that yoga can be more dangerous than mountain biking depending on the style you choose and attitude you take. Some yoga postures can torque the joints, even if you’re an expert; Eoin shared stories of older yogis that have completely worn out joints. Not good!  So an important myth to understand is that just because you’re doing yoga doesn’t mean it’s good for you. A clear goal of our teacher training was to structure a class that promotes well-being and longevity.

My wife reminded a friend of ours today that yoga is not about flexibility, saying you’re too stiff to do yoga is like saying you’re too thirsty to have a glass of water. Another concern people have is that yoga is too much like a religion; now I have been to some yoga classes where it feels like you’re taking an oath with some strange chant, maybe those are the fundamentalist yogis; of course they have their place and that’s all good, but the kind of practice that Eoin Finn preaches is an ever-evolving style for the western lifestyle, inviting to all, no new age nonsense.

One of the guest speakers we had, Mark Finch, was an expert in structural integration, that tied in to our required reading of the book Somatics. He quite effectively helped us to visually spot problem areas in body alignment; for example, he said to look not at the over extended low back, but instead at the thorax and pelvis so as to give points of reference. He applied this knowledge to yoga postures giving us a better understanding of common alignment issues.

Over the last few years, I have been on a roller coaster ride trying to educate myself about climate change. My egoic emotions on the topic have stabilized, and I am cautiously optimistic. I was so glad to see that Eoin included a seminar with Bernie Clark (the Al Gore of the yoga world) as part of the curriculum. His presentation, titled “Yoga for Our Planet”, was very well done. He emphasized following the three Big Easy’s:

1. Mindful Consuming (diet, travel, buying)
2. Mindful Voting (incredibly important)
3. Communicating Mindfully (speak up!)

I was particularly glad he acknowledged the important role our democracy can play when we actually exercise its power.

One of Eoin Finn’s hero’s is Joseph Campbell; so he shared a documentary titled “The Power of Myth”. One of the statements Campbell said struck me, especially after listening to Bernie the night before, “What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.” (my italics). But the one reflection I had after this documentary and Bernies speech was the importance of acknowledging all perspectives, and the integral ecology slogan sums that up nicely-”things are getting worse, things are getting better, and everything is already perfect.”

One of my favorite musicians, Xavier Rudd, attempts to describe the experience of playing live as a circular cycle of energy that comes out from the audience in to him and out through his music right back to the audience and out again, a positive feedback loop of sorts. Eoin expressed a similar feeling when teaching a good flow class, and I can relate to a degree during my trials shows. The offering of the musician, or yoga teacher, or bike performer has to be authentic in order to trigger the right kind of energy or state from the group of people involved, otherwise there is no magic.

A challenge our culture faces is that we have a hard time listening to feedback from our bodies. We would much sooner push past our limits to fuel our ego rather than listen to our bodies’ somatic wisdom. This mindset of focus on the external world goes well beyond the origin of yoga injuries, the major challenges our world faces is in part due to the ignorance of this first-person person guidance, this basic wisdom from within. Sure yoga brings incredible fitness, strength, and balance to the body, but those are just side benefits, the entire yoga practice of moving through poses is simply a preparation for savasana, corpse pose, the death of the practice, which is a rare opportunity in our fast lives to just simply be, breaking for just a moment, the identification and attachment to our thoughts, allowing a connection with our true selves to form.

Yoga isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and it is just one key of many toward that leads to a healthy lifestyle.  I’m glad Eoin emphasized that yes, yoga can bring your body in to alignment, but too much of it can make you look stiff, and stiff people are boring, right So yes, go rip it up on your mountain bike, play some yoga, and then go laugh a little with the friends you make along the way.

Big thanks to Eoin and his blissology crew, and all the friends I made during course!

Peace y’All

The first goal was to collect some video content to be used in promotion of the new Sea to Sky trail. The second was to shoot some photographs in Pemberton with Margus Riga for Norco and Mace.

So, part one. Picked up Margus in North Vancouver and blasted to Squamish in time to help with an interview of David Suzuki. The world renown scientist was kind enough to offer some thoughts on the environmental benefit of a good multipurpose trail through nature (in this case, from Horseshoe Bay to Lillooet). He was a real pro in front of the camera, not surprising considering his television resume; he arrived, made his on camera spiel perfectly on the first take, and was off to his next appointment in a flash. The key to his message was that humans protect and preserve what they love; so if they have increased opportunity to ‘get out in nature’ with a trail such as the Sea-to-Sky, they may be more likely to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

Photo Credit: Margus Riga

It was a pleasure, as always, to work with Jack Christie who was the director/personality for the shoot. He promotes the outdoor lifestyle in myriad charismatic ways, whether on TV, in print, in books, or most importantly one on one with full authenticity. Margus asked me if there was anything he didn’t know about the outdoors becauseas he was constantly sharing stories and spewing out unique facts about the area. Be sure to check out his website and perhaps purchase one of his quality books. He’s good people.

A couple youngsters, Evan and Shawn, came down from Pemberton to be in the video shoot. Photo Credit: Margus Riga

Robin Harvey, the marketing/promotional gal behind the Sea to Sky Trail has been busy coordinating this day of filming, and she was able to squeeze it all in for us by the early afternoon so Margus and I had time to blast off to Pemby to get our ride/shoot on. We rode up and then down a trail called (can’t remember right now) and took photos along the way. It was glorious, except for the onslaught of giant Pemberton Mosquitos! 

Photo Credit: Margus Riga

Photo Credit: Margus Riga

We got back to the truck by 9pm. Grabbed some snacks for the drive home quite content with the days efforts.

I picked my trailer up on the way home, switched my gear and bikes for the trials variety, ready to head out the next morning for some shows! Good times all around!!

Welcome to Bike to Work Week 2009!

What a fantastic time of year to be out on the road, path, or trail, riding your bike. The weather (in BC anyway) is perfect for riding, the spring flowers are in full bloom with their fragrance’s blowing in the wind; delightful in every way…well, it’s actually pouring rain this morning

May 11-17th is Bike to Work Week, a celebration to thank all the dedicated bicycle commuters and a promotion to recruit and convince potential cyclists to give it a try.

For all those folks who don’t need to commute to work every day (students, self employed, parents, or pro athletes), we’re not leaving you out, this week is still for you because you still need to go places—to get groceries, mail a letter, pick up a movie rental, or visit a friend. So why not hop on the bike this week!

Are you training for a race or do you work out at a gym?  If so, then save some time by getting your training in while you ride to work or as you ride to get all your errands done! Or, if you ride to recreate, then do it while en route to your family’s house instead of driving there. It just makes sense in so many ways!!

Now, for all the existing commuters, I think it’s safe to say we’d love to see more bikes on the road; but often when we’re racing to and from work, we enter in to battle mode, righteous bike against evil car. It’s so important to create a positive reputation for cyclists, so please obey the rules of the road, don’t blast through red lights and pull sketchy moves that freak out vehicle drivers. These may be potential cyclists, or people with political power (actually that’s all of us), so we need to be responsible; a nod, wave, or smile can go a very long way (for both the driver and you for that matter).

But sometimes vehicle drivers are irresponsible and ignorant, putting cyclists at risk. As a vehicle driver, I have been guilty of this myself—so I would still suggest that you maintain good form and trust that as long as they see you (or you make yourself noticed), that they’ll register their mistake and hopefully not do it again; but if instead you started waiving your finger, banging on their vehicle, and yelling profanities, it may trigger their road rage and possibly put them in the camp of belief that cyclists don’t belong on the road in the first place. Cycling advocacy groups don’t need any roadblocks in their already uphill battle for better cycling infrastructure! We need everyone on our side!!

Many cities have bicycle commuter stations set up along popular riding routes this week with free coffee, mechanical support, advocacy information, and general good cheer. In my own locale, Norco Bikes, Caps Westwood, and Secret Cycle will be on hand to help out at both the Port Moody and Coquitlam stations. The local VACC committee will also have fresh baked goods to share….I’m a sucker for baked goods! 

So please take advantage of Bike to Work Week (or month) and spread the good word; this officially dedicated week gives you an excuse to start a conversation with your friends, family, co-workers, and yet-to-be-involved city councils. Share your experiences and speak about the myriad benefits that come along with a cycling lifestyle. Amen to the bicycle. Ride safely. Have Fun!!

I saw this episode of the Stuart Davis Show about a year ago because I subscribed to Integal Naked, which is now called Integral Life. It has just come up on Vimeo for free, and I think everyone should check it out because I think everyone can relate in our day and age. Love it!

Stuart Davis is a genius…

The Stuart Davis Show – Episode 12 – A Foothill in the Mouth from integral ecology on Vimeo.

Also, check out Davis’s new song Deity Freak, it’s got a great ring to it…

I’m on Vancouver Island right now staying at a friends house. I have some extra time this morning before my school presentation, so I was reading a little, and enjoying a nice cup of tea. Caryn and I just bought some new loose leaf teas, so I snagged a bag of Irish Breakfast tea (stronger than English Breakfast) to take along; however I forgot to bring a strainer for the loose leaves. Hmmm. Yesterday at the B&B I stayed at I carefully tore the top off of a red rose tea bag, emptied it, then filled it with the Irish Breakfast tea; I then scewered the opening of the bag and hung it in the boiling water off the top edge of my ‘to-go’ mug. That was a good cuppa! I repeated that process this morning. As I said, I’m a tea freak. But for good reason, they fill those red rose bags with the sweepings off the floor! Well, perhaps that’s exaggerating, but there is just no comparrison! Okay, I’m a tea freak slash tea snob. Anyway….

I’m not a vegetarian, but I have vegetarian tendencies. There are many reasons to eat a vegetarian diet, but my main reason is environmental. When I have a really busy string of demos, I tend to add a little extra meat to my diet, usually in the form of chicken or fish, not so much in the red meat department (although I did have an In&Out burger while I was in California). I have slowly been collecting stats and stories on the impact of our western cultures mass meat consumption habits; the video below is an excellent summery of some of those points.

Like most environmental videos, it is quite one sided—so take it with a grain of salt. I don’t agree with the overall scare-tactic-tone of the presentation, but the stats are pretty spot on. It’s incredible how powerful a worldcentric perspective can be for change, and it is only in todays day and age that we have access to the knowledge that is needed to create a worldcentric vision. So if some of the stats resonate with you in some deeper way, perhaps order something vegetarian next time you eat out or cook. If not, that’s all good too! 

RL