SUKHIN CHAWLA

Location: Morialta Conservation Park in Adelaide, South Australia

I am crazy to be a wildlife TV presenter or a travel host. I have done three shows for India’s Doordharshan so far. One on ”Save Tigers and Save Environment” with Gurbaz Singh, chief wildlife warden and Indian forest officer in Chandigarh, Punjab. Second, I did a show on Japan earthquakes with expert geologist Dr. Arun Deep Ahluwalia. Third one was a personal interview with a regional artist of Rajasthan ”Bhola Panchee”. It was a great experience.

Nature and wildlife  have always attracted me from my childhood days. Ropar, my home town is situated by river, Satluj which is considered as very sacred and ethereal. I had my childhood days playing on its banks. The river is covered with immense flora and fauna. I just love its beauty. It’s like my second mother. Now it’s severely polluted. I am worried for it. I want to start a volunteer group for its cleaning, but the problem is that volunteer-ism still lacks in India.  

I love traveling overseas. I got a chance to visit Australia last year where I met koalas and kangaroos among other animals. I even got an opportunity to do a shoot in Australia’s Gold Coast, with international director Sharon Lynne with TV Pro Global Company. I met koalas and kangaroos in two places-a conservation ark in Brisbane and Adelaide Zoo. The cute koala in the picture above is named Peter. I still remember his eyes.

Sukhin Chawla is a 24 year old Geology graduate who is a TV Presenter in Doordharshan in India. She has completed her journalism course last month and is pursuing her dual masters in English Literature and Agribusiness from Punjab University, Chandigarh. She will be doing her last two semesters at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Sukhin loves dogs and has a special interest in saving tigers. She wants to build a tiger sanctuary in the future. She believes that anything is possible if “we have trust and faith in ourselves”.

 

MARIA & GEORGE

Location: Sant’Arsenio, Italy

This July I traveled to Italy with my husband George to attend his cousin’s wedding in Sant’Arsenio, Italy. Sant’Arsenio is a town in the Province of Salerno in southwestern Italy with a small population of about 2,700. One of the things that struck me about Italy is how health conscious people are about the food they eat, which consists of lots of pasta, delicious cheeses, virgin olive oil, and fresh organic vegetables usually grown in backyard gardens. They also enjoy a variety of fresh fruits.

This photograph was taken in my father-in-law, Rosario’s, backyard where he’s growing tomatoes, basil, mint, celery, and cucumbers amongst other veggies.The edible fig is one of the first plants that was cultivated by humans, dating back to 9400–9200 BC and were a common food to the Romans. As we hugged this fig tree, that Adam and Eve covered themselves with its leaves after eating its “forbidden fruit,” and that Buddha achieved enlightenment under, we transcended back in time and indulged in the sweetness of its divinity.

Maria Giatrakis is an MBA graduate and an aspiring photographer. She currently works in Sales & Marketing for a mobile games company in New York. Maria and George live in Queens with their pet birds and cat.

George

MARY GULIVINDALA

Location: Riverside Park, New York

Photo by Timothy Jane Graham http://www.timothi.com

I believe we need to hug trees more for what they give us than what we give them. I tune into the energy, texture and anything else that comes up inside me. I also think about the tree. The who, what, where, when, how and why. I offer up a prayer of thanks. I have done this unconsciously for myself as healing work.

I just left Kripalu up in the Berkshire Mountains in Stockbridge, MA.  I am an assistant faculty member at Kripalu.  I assist Alison Shore Gaines who facilitates juice cleansing retreats throughout the year.  I assist twice a year.  My father died in October of 2009.  Four months later in February I helped Alison in a workshop and was grieving the passing of my father. I believe you have to feel it to heal it and my intention on working through his death took the form of adopting a beautiful big Spruce tree. It just spoke to me.  It had the same characteristics as my father. Wise, old, flawed, strong and planted. I would visit him every day and sit under his shade, journal, meditate, cry, laugh and pray.  I would dance. This tree is now a huge part of my life.

The FIRST thing I do every time I drive up the long driveway at Kripalu is stop the car, get out and hug, pray and experience that tree. I always sit with it during my stay. I mentioned it to a guest of the fast last week July 2011 who just lost three family members in 18 months and was a mess. She came back and told me she found three trees together that are now her family.

Mary’s Dad at Kripalu, Massachusetts (next to him is her mom)

Mary Gulivindala is a life and wellness coach at Blue Print Life & Wellness Coaching. She is also a dancer, poet, mother of two boys, a dog, cat and fish. Mary is a firm believer of “You Are Your First And Last Love.” And of course, Mary is a tree hugger.

For more information, please call Mary at 267-505-1779 or visit:  www.blueprintlife-wellnesscoaching.com.

Welcome

Tree hugging in Tulum, Mexico

Hello,
Welcome to my blog. I am a writer who works in the corporate world and enjoys hugging trees. I live in New York, and make it a point to hug as many trees as I can, whether in my backyard or on my travels. I created this blog to reinvent the word “tree hugger”. Often times, it is used dismissively and in a negative light, and I find it unfair. Tree huggers are not some rare kind of species to be looked down upon- they are everywhere, within your family, in your circle of friends, in your work place, and in your neighborhood. They wear suits, saris, dresses, dhotis, birkenstocks, and even stilettos. Most of all, they have respect for all things natural. They care for mother Earth. They like to lead green lives. Here, you will find them all- from all corners of the world.

 

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Email: Lavanyasun@gmail.com

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