Sustainability
Caring for our ‘Aina
As an eco-friendly yoga studio and cultural center in Hawaii we make choices to sustain the Earth and its creatures. Here is a healing place, and a haven for renewal. At Still & Moving Center, our mission is to positively impact our planet and therefore each other, embracing the authentic Hawaiian approach:
“Malama ka ‘aina!” – Care for the land!
At inception, Still & Moving Center adopted environmentally mindful practices. For example, in the initial remodeling of the building, we either kept the original concrete flooring that came with the structure or covered it with sustainable, local mango wood or with cork. Additionally, we installed solar-powered fans on the roof to move air out of our Barefoot Ballroom. We also chose hand-crafted furnishings and renewable resources such as wood and stone over plastics.
“The best antidote to despair is action.” – David Wallace-Wells
We are living in a time of environmental crisis. And each day, we respond either by ignoring it or taking action that supports the Earth. At our cultural center in Hawaii, we make a daily commitment to be earth-minded. We make each choice deliberately, aiming to sustain the environment.
We find opportunities to support our community’s eco-minded efforts as well! Together with our parent company, Prometheus Construction, we supported the Whales for World Peace “Ka Koholā Ola” project by Sooriya Kumar, raising ocean awareness with the creation of two giant copper whale sculptures, 25 and 40 feet long. In 2020, with the help of many friends, Soorya installed these copper whales on a large wall of the new Nanakuli Community Center.
In our monthly Life at the Center letter, we Celebrate Magnificence, often in the form of community members whose businesses and nonprofits benefit the environment daily. These folks organize beach clean-ups or haul tons of trash directly out of the ocean. They teach children how to care for the land, have developed environmentally friendly facial products or makeup, and have created organizations to revive native vegetation on previously barren sites.
As an eco-friendly yoga studio in Hawaii, Still & Moving chooses to take action. We gratefully bear the responsibility for our choices as an organization and invite you to join us. When we come together, we stand a chance of turning the tide.
Still & Moving takes action daily:
- We choose eco-conscious brands for our cleaning products, linens, and paper products
- We select items in Boutique E for their ethical practices, preferably eco-friendly materials, and preferably from local sources
- We are a fully vegetarian facility
- Our light bulbs keep pace with the newest sustainable technology
- We avoid plastics as much as is practical, preferring natural materials
- We work with Travel 2Change to offer visitors “voluntourism” opportunities to support local Hawaiian culture and sustain the Earth.
- Many members of our staff, faculty and student body are active volunteers and climate activists
- Still & Moving Center frequently teams up with Mouna Farm & Cultural Village in Waianae to promote care for the environment and its people
- Still & Moving Center’s owners help to sustain Hui Mahi’ai ‘Aina, the tiny house village and farm in Waimanalo, helping individuals move off the streets
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This post is also available in: 日本語 (Japanese)