Living in Jamaica really impacted my life. It was the first move out of my mom’s house,
and to go from my mother’s nest in 1995 to a developing country lifestyle was a
wonderful, yet challenging experience. I
am so grateful for it! It opened my eyes
to so much. I learned a lot about myself
and the world in my experiences in Jamaica.
I witnessed poverty for the
first time. Right now, in 2007, the
minimum wage in Jamaica is $50 U.S. a week. It was $30 U.S. a week when I lived there. Yeah, exactly, how could anyone survive on
that?! Well, it’s not easy. Some people say “Oh, but they can survive on
that.” No, they can’t. They don’t have a quality of life that they
deserve. They don’t have opportunities
that people in developed countries do.
They don’t have health care and retirement plans. For many of them, they will never have opportunities
to get out of the cycle of poverty they’re in.
So, I planted a seed in my
heart years ago that I wanted to do something to help people in Jamaica. Now, I’m a
visionary and I tend to dream really big.
That’s a good thing, but I also know that I have to come out of the
clouds sometimes and realize that helping the entire country of Jamaica might be a bit out of my hands. But if I, God willing, can make a difference
in the lives of a few, then it’s change and progress in the right direction. I know that each of us has a sincere desire to
make a difference in other people’s lives.
It’s a desire that I’m glad we all share. It’s called humanity.
I’m getting to the point of
all this.
I’ve developed direct trade
relationships with some wood carvers in Jamaica. By
eliminating the middleman, they are being paid fair wages and given a chance to
improve the quality of life for their families.
Fair trade is a social movement and it’s something we all need
to learn more about. There’s lots of
information on the internet. We need to
study the corporations that we are supporting with our dollars. Are they being socially responsible? Are they investing in communities and the
environment? But we can’t stop
there. Each of us needs to get actively
involved by using our purchasing power to make a difference. These are the most important votes we make. We
vote every time we spend money.
So why are all the carvings of the sun and moon?
I teach HHHa-tha yoga.
It is a practice that continues to bless my life with so many
gifts. The word ‘Ha-tha’ is a compound of two Sanskrit
words:
Ha means "sun" Tha means "moon”
Yoga means
“Union"
So Hatha Yoga means
"Union of the Sun and Moon"
This refers to unifying
our opposites; bringing together our light and dark sides, our masculine
(strength) and feminine (gentle) sides, and our constant nature and our changing
nature. Ha-tha Yoga is designed to help
us discover and fulfill our unique potential. Yea, a big
order, but in time and with patience and practice, it ultimately teaches us to
be better people, partners, and better parents. We are all a work
of art in progress!
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Every sun & moon carving is a wall
hanging made of one piece of cedar wood.
If you look closely, you’ll see that different colors of sand have been glued on. Most of the carvings are decorated partly in
sand and partly with the natural wood.
The sands are from the many colored world famous beaches in Jamaica.
As you can see, the carvers took great
time and care on the details of each design.
Each piece is an original. You may
see 2 carvings that are similar, but the way the artist chose to decorate the
carving with sand is unique. There are a
few that are entirely decorated with sand and a few that all natural wood
too.
Sizes range from
small to really large, and prices range from $35 - $1200 for the most elaborate
piece. Every carving is unique and they add
beauty and inspiration to any decor. But
I think the best part is that you can rest assured that your purchase is
empowering a few Jamaican families towards economic self-sufficiency.
The Inspiration
for Fighting for Peace Imports
was born on my 2nd Annual Spiritual Warrior Yoga Retreat in Jamaica in 2006! (See Empowered by Yoga) It is my small contribution to improving
others lives through activism.
You can change the world today! Regular purchases of Fair Trade products are
long-term contributions to tackling poverty.
Our choices really do make a difference.
So buy Fair Trade, and together, we can Fight for Peace. Namaste` Sumya.
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