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Om Namah Sivaya!

Happy New Year! And welcome to the New Mexico GreenFriends quarterly e-newsletter.

Winter is actually a great time to get out into nature. We are blessed with relatively mild winters, depending on where you are exactly in the state. But whether you are north, south, east, or west, there are plenty of opportunities to see birds that have migrated to our state for the winter and even to get to know the bark of your local trees better! It's also a great time to peruse organic seed catalogs and start planning for your herb, vegetable and/or flower garden for the spring.

The goal of this forum overall is to serve as an information resource for Amma's New Mexico children who are interested in keeping in touch with any upcoming NM GreenFriends projects that might be happening locally - projects that NMGF is participating in as a group or projects you might want to participate in individually - as well as serving as a place where we can share stories, articles, photos, recipes, remedies, and many other fun green things.

AN EXCERPT FROM AMMA'S MESSAGE ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE TSUNAMI - DEC 26th

"Life becomes complete when humankind and Nature move in harmony, hand in hand. When melody and rhythm complement each other, music becomes beautiful and pleasing to the ear. Likewise, when people live in accordance with the laws of nature, the song of life becomes sweet.

There is an order to everything in the cosmos. There is a rhythm to everything-the wind, the rain, the waves, our flow of breath and heartbeat. Similarly, there is a rhythm in life. Our thoughts and actions create the rhythm and melody of our lives. When the rhythm of our thoughts is lost, it reflects in our actions. This will, in turn, throw off the very rhythm of life. The rhythm of Nature depends upon humanity. It's necessary to maintain the rhythm of the mind and body for the sake of our health and life span, for the sake of humankind and Nature." Amma

(For the complete message visit www.amritapuri.org.)

PLANNING THE SPRING GARDEN

In the tradition of thinking globally and acting locally, we are very blessed here in New Mexico to have locally one of the nation's top producers of 100% Certified Organic Seeds - a company called Seeds of Change. Their mission is to help preserve biodiversity and to promote sustainable, organic agriculture. If you're planning a garden this spring, it is definitely worth taking a look at their new (and free) 2006 seed catalog. You can even get a 5% discount on seeds ordered from their website at www.seedsofchange.com.

Of course, Seeds of Change is not the only producer of certified organic seeds and if you google the phrase "certified organic seeds" you will find many companies that offer this service and who would be happy to send you their catalogs for free as well.

For those of you who might be interested in seeing how Seeds of Change does what they do, they own a six-acre Research Farm located in the river valley flood plain along the Rio Grande in El Guique, New Mexico. They also have a 3600 square foot greenhouse and a 2000 square foot pollination isolation tent on the property. Their field season runs from April to September and they offer public farm tours every year.

"A balloon can be inflated only up to a limit. After that it will burst if you keep blowing air into it. Likewise, a seed has a certain limit to the yield it can give. Without taking this into account, if we keep on trying to increase the production by the use of artificial means, it will badly affect the strength and quality of the seed. It also does harm to those who eat it. Man is not very aware of the harmful effects caused by artificial fertilizers and pesticides, which get into his body through the food that he eats. Such chemicals destroy the cells of the body and make him an easy victim of disease. Pesticides and fertilizers have become part and parcel of farming. So much so, that the immune systems of plants and seeds have become very weak, and have lost their power to fight disease. Through natural methods we can strengthen their power to resist disease." Amma

"Plants and trees also have emotions and can feel fear. When somebody approaches a tree or a plant with an axe or a hacking knife, the plant is afraid; it trembles with fear. You need to have a subtle ear to hear its cries, a subtle eye to see its helplessness, and you need a subtle mind to feel its fear. It has been scientifically proven that not only humans and animals, but plants and trees also have feelings and emotions. Today, modern science has created instruments that can detect and register the feelings of plants, and in some cases even measure the intensity of such feelings. Thus, they have observed that through loveless actions and lack of compassion, plants also suffer. By harming them, you are lengthening their karma. They can even express themselves to a certain extent; and if we have the right attitude, we can learn to understand."

More Instructions for Growing Tulasi

After the last issue of New Mexico GreenFriends, there were several folks who had additional questions about growing Tulasi, so I have included two more tips in this issue. The first is from the GreenFriends coordinator in Michigan and the second is from one of Amma's New Mexico children who sent an e-mail with suggestions from Taos.

From Michigan: Sprinkle Tulasi seeds lightly on the top of clean, and preferably sterile, potting soil. Using a sifter, lightly sift some soil on top of the seeds to cover them so that they are covered but not buried. Mist the soil with a mister daily and keep the soil warm, using a light bulb over the container so that the temperature measures a constant 90 degrees. Or mist the soil and then cover the container with plastic and place a light bulb over the container so that the temperature is a constant 90 degrees and leave the container covered like this until the plants germinate. You can plant them separately after they have sprouted or you can place one seeds per container so that the plants do not have to be disturbed once they have sprouted.

From Taos: "We live in Taos (area) where it is cold. The way I started my Tulsi plants was by using an old Salton Yogurt maker. Plant the seeds in soil in peat pots, then put them in the yogurt maker glass cups then in the yogurt maker container. I hope this makes sense. Takes a couple of weeks for them to germinate so keep them moist. They like it warm. After they start they are not so difficult, but they do like it warm. Best of luck."

From the last issue of the New Mexico GreenFriends newsletter: Start seeds indoors in the spring, just beneath the surface of well-draining potting soil. Plant only one seed per small container, or carefully transplant when seedlings are small. Keep evenly moist at all times in a very warm place. Water lightly, but do not let surface of soil become too dry. Seeds need high temperatures in order to germinate and should emerge within 1-6 weeks, often closer to the 6-week period than to the one-week period. Tulasi will not grow well in colder areas, so it is best to grow in a pot indoors in a sunny window. This plant likes to be warm and moist. The pot also can be kept outside in the summer. In winter Tulasi will need special care and you may need to use plant lights. It is important to gently pinch off the flower buds as soon as they appear. This will give Tulasi energy to form new leaves, encourage branching into a fuller plant, and keep Tulasi from going to seed. Regular pinching is recommended. Give water as needed but do not over-water. Amma recommends eating just one leaf daily for medicinal benefit. You may also wish to grow Tulasi annually. (See January Announcements on page 8 for instructions on receiving Tulasi seeds blessed by Mother.)

"A government alone cannot do anything without the sincere and wholehearted cooperation of the people. For this to happen, it should be a government, which works in accordance with the will and wishes of the people who love nature. Their aim should be the upliftment of the country and its people." Amma

RECYCLING CD'S AND DVD'S

In a world of over 6 billion people and growing, recycling is a wonderful way to actively and positively participate in the natural cycles of nature. Nature in her element recycles everything natural as a normal part of the cyclical processes of life, including us. Nothing goes to waste. Life is born, lives and dies, going back into the soil to enrich the earth or goes into the bodies of other living beings to nurture and further their lives, which then in turn return to the soil in their time.

Companies are beginning to realize the importance and the benefits of also creating "non-natural" materials, which will also eventually decompose, or which can be recycled and used again. As of this moment in time some of the items that it's possible for us to recycle are: glass, paper, some plastics, aluminum, tin, metal, newspapers, magazines, and rubber. (As a sidenote, the percentage of paper in the United States currently recovered through recycling programs now stands at 57%.) Not everything is biodegradable, but some of those products that are not can be ground down and made into new products. You can also recycle some hazardous wastes, such as batteries, paint, motor oil, and other items, and keep them out of the landfills where they seep into the earth and contaminate the soil and the ground water. Call your local solid waste department to find out how you can participate in these programs locally if you aren't already.

And now there are also ways to recycle three plastic products that have been coming fast into mass production: CD's, DVD's and their jewel cases. They are not biodegradable but they can be reused, recycled, and/or ground down to make new products, such as cable insulation and even some automotive parts! There are obvious ways to recycle these products such as donating them to libraries or schools or exchanging them with friends and family. They can also be donated to non-profit organizations either for their continued use or for them to sell and benefit from the profits

Companies are also now making rewritable CD's and rewritable DVD's that you can purchase, like cassette tapes, which can be re-recorded over. Two companies that help individuals recycle these products are GreenDisk at www.greendisk.com and Ecodisk at www.ecodisk.com. You can also contact Earth 911 to see what information they might have about recycling these and other products in your area - www.earth911.org or call 1-877-earth911.

"Every creature, everything that has been created by God, is special. Think of the miracles of Nature. We cannot know the purpose of everything. Nature is a mystery to us. " Amma

FUN WINTER FACTS: BLACK BEAR HIBERNATION

While we are merrily celebrating the holidays and making resolutions for the New Year, most of our New Mexico black bears are hibernating. In some places where food is available year-round, black bears do not need to hibernate, or if they do, they can be easily roused. Generally though, black bears can sleep for months without eating, drinking, urinating, defecating or exercising their muscles in some way, and can take several minutes to rouse when disturbed. Because of their insulting pelts, their body heat loss is very slow and minimal, allowing them to cut their metabolic rate in half and still make it through the winter maintaining a body temperature above 88 degrees, which is within 12 degrees of their normal summer temperature. When in deep hibernation a black bear's heartbeat can lower from the normal sleeping rate of 40 to 50 beats per minute to 8 beats per minute in hibernation. Typically mothers can wake up in mid to late January to give birth. But some do not wake up and give birth as they are hibernating, their body still able to suckle their young! Sweet dreams....

JANUARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you would like to receive Tulasi (Holy Basil) seeds that have been blessed by Mother so that you can grow your own plants, please e-mail ashram@ammacenter.org. Please state how many seeds you would like and include your name and physical mailing address.

New Mexico GreenFriends is set to plant cottonwood and willow poles in the Rio Grande bosque in Albuquerque on Saturday, February 18th, in the morning for approximately 2 to 3 hours. Our space has been reserved but we will need 20 to 30 folks to keep our space. A few people have started to sign up for the venture, but we still need more folks to hold our space by the end of this month. If you're interested please e-mail ashram@ammacenter.org at the above e-mail

"Nature is God made visible. Nature is God known through our senses. When we love and serve Nature, we are worshipping the Supreme Being. Without Nature no creature, no human being, nothing would exist. Thus it is our responsibility to lovingly care for every living being. Amma

For more information on GreenFriends activities in the United States, visit:
www.amma.org
and click on Humanitarian Activities.

For more information on GreenFriends activities Internationally, visit:
www.amritapuri.org
and click on Nature Care.