By Milda Urbonaite, Summersalt Yoga founder

As some of you may know, giving back is one of the goals for our work. We have had an amazing year in 2018 and felt like even the smallest contributions mean so much for us and those who receive them.

As our main giving back focus for 2019, we have chosen the environmental issues that are so important to all us humans as the climate change and pollution are getting incredibly dangerous.

It is easy to get discouraged when things seem to be so bad, but the way we see it – there are ways positively contribute that can be accessible to each one of us.

So, this year we have chosen 4 projects to support (with your help!) through the B1G1 organization we’re part of. Two of them are directly related to the environmental issues and the other two are connected by extension:

When you join one of our retreats, we plant 3 trees to nurture the environment in Borneo and save the Orangutans

This helps to rebuild the native forest habitat at Tanjung Puting National Park (Central Borneo) to assist in the restoration of endangered wildlife such as the Orangutan by planting one tree. Orangutans can live in safety from being killed as pests by farmers, palm oil plantation staff and illegal loggers. This reforestation project will support an increasing population of Orangutans, enabling them to travel in safety and have access to food.

When you join our online yoga retreat, we plant one tree to restore the environment in Kenya

The project area has experienced environmental degradation as people cut trees for charcoal and firewood, harvest sand to sell leaving big sand mines and necked hills and villages with no trees. This all happens due to extreme poverty. The Mango Tree has focused in reversing this by encouraging the planting of new forest trees, in addition to income-generating fruit trees. This has significantly changed the situation and we do this continuously.

When you subscribe to our newsletter we give 4 days of access to lighting to families in India

This helps to bring light to a poor and rural household by giving them access to an affordable and eco-friendly solar lantern for a month. Solar lighting brings about many benefits: it allows families to extend their workday into the evening hours, it allows businesses to operate for longer hours and increase the economic activity levels in many villages, improves literacy rate as children can read after the dark more easily, as well as eliminates fire hazards such as a kerosene lamp

When you buy an item from our store, we give 10 days of access to life-saving clean water to people in Malawi.

This helps provide access to clean water for life by sponsoring a simple well and water pump. In the villages of Malawi, high infant and child mortality are caused by water and sanitation related diseases. These problems are made even worse by a lack of knowledge about proper hygiene. Your contribution of a well and water pump is all that is needed to let people live the fullest of lives.

Read our giving back page 

The post Taking care of our planet appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

This summer we’re having 3 amazing artists doing their residencies at our retreat center. We love how art and conversation can elevate our spirits, wellbeing and change perspective on life.

Meet our first artist – writer Jade McSorley from London. Her passions are traveling, yoga, fashion and environmental issues of todays world and that just rings so many bells here!

“Art is something which creates a conversation and I think, now more than ever, people need to communicate with one another to make the world a better place. And art can be created in such a number of ways it is good for the soul – to find that cathartic release, something that is a true, beautiful expression of you”, – Jade.

What’s your story, Jade?

I live in London but originally from the North of England (with a strong accent to prove it!) I have been a model for 10 years which has allowed me to travel to many places all over the world and meet the most interesting of people. It means I have been in a fortunate position to explore and write alongside work – I currently write for the Twenty6 Magazine as the Travel Editor and I qualified as a Yoga Teacher in India last year. My friends, I guess, would describe me as half organised, with one foot on the ground, and half scatty, with my head sometimes in the clouds! My family and friends are my world – they are all a bit bonkers in the nicest of ways so they keep me entertained.

What do you focus on in your writing what are your passions?

My passions certainly focus around the environment and sustainable issues, particularly within Fashion and Travel. When you travel you get to see the most jaw-dropping, beautiful landscapes given to us by our Mother Nature and it’s impossible not to want to protect and preserve.  Interviewing inspirational people from all the over the world has allowed me to gain knowledge on the efforts and, unfortunately, lack of effort from industries affecting our little planet. Fashion, for instance, is a prominent factor which takes from nature and needs to give more back. I hope, through my writing, I can explore more ways of living sustainably, learn from pioneering advocates, and send a message about our environmental imprint through the choices we make.

What’s your superpower? 

I hope that my superpower is to bring out the best in people and make them feel comfortable! My other superpowers are that I can fly and shoot lasers from my eyes, but that’s a secret.

What are your proudest achievements so far?

I guess my proudest achievement is making the move to London and having the guts to start modelling. I am not the most confident but I have learnt to be confident enough to go for my goals, which I feel all started from the move to London – to go for things even if there is a possibility to fail.

How about your nearest future goals? 

I am currently applying for my Masters in Fashion Futures (all about sustainability in the fashion industry) at Central Saint Martins. I am working on the application, which is pretty difficult having not studied in so long, so this would be a massive achievement if I were to be accepted.

What inspires you to create and in general?

Nature inspires more – not only the nature of the world but the nature of people. I think everyone has their quirks and individualities and I love seeing that. It makes the world colourful.

You can find more about Jade here:

@jademcsorley and you can read some of her work at www.twenty6magazine.com

The post Meet the artist Jade: I hope, through my writing, I can explore more ways of living sustainably appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.