18 Sharks Friend not enemy
By PAUL MEREDITH
D
ue to negative media coverage and sensationalized Hollywood movies such as Jaws, sharks have wrongly been given a reputation as man-eating monsters. The average number of shark attacks worldwide is only around 50 per year, with around five being fatal. More people are injured and killed every year by elephants, bees and farm animals – but when did you last read a newspaper article about somebody dying from a bee sting? There are over 400 different shark species in our oceans and only a few (the bull shark, great white, and tiger shark) can be potentially dangerous. The likelihood of being attacked by a shark is less than being hit by lightening. Sharks are at the top of the food chain in the oceans. They play a very important role in maintaining the balance in the oceans by preying on sick and weak animals. By eating the weak or diseased animals they help keep the fish population healthy. They also help keep the population sizes of other fish species in check, helping maintain the balance of the underwater ecosystem that has survived successfully for millions of years. As one of the oldest species on Earth, Sharks have survived in the oceans for over 400 million years. But today, like many other animals in our world, sharks are in danger with over 100 million sharks being killed around the world each year. During the past 15 years, some shark species populations have been depleted by up to 80%. Unlike many other fish, sharks grow slowly and have very few offspring, which makes them particularly vulnerable to extinction. The main threat to Sharks comes from Overfishing, Shark Finning and as a result of accidental By-Catch. Sharks are fished in large numbers so their body parts can be used in a number of ways. There is a massive demand for sharks teeth for use as souvenirs, cartilage and liver oil for use in Chinese medicine, and for sharks fins for use in restaurants. Overfishing of sharks also causes problems on the reefs. When shark numbers are decreased, the fish that they feed on, such as grouper, increase in number, which mean the fish that they feed on, like parrotfishes, are reduced in number. The removal of reef grazers, such as parrotfishes, then causes reefs and coral to suffer as there are not enough grazers to remove the algae that helps keep the reefs healthy. Every year tens of millions of sharks die because of Shark finning. Shark Finning is the practice of catching sharks then cutting off the shark’s fins and throwing the remainder of the shark back into the sea, while it is its still alive. The abandoned sharks either starve to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drown because they cannot move and cannot extract oxygen from the water that they need to survive. Shark fins are collected to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup, which is a delicacy particularly in Hong Kong and China. Millions of Sharks are brutally slaughtered just so people can enjoy their fins mixed in a soup. Bycatch is when animals such as Sharks are caught by accident in fishing gear that is intended to catch other species. Bycatch is usually thrown back dead or injured. Turtles, whales, dolphins and sharks are all victims of bycatch. Every little bit of help and support Sharks get is a step towards solving the problem. The first step towards achieving change is through educating yourself and others about sharks, their conservation status and the importance of their survival in the ocean. Consumers can also help by avoiding eating or using shark products, such as shark cartilage pills, shark meat, shark liver oil, and shark fin soup. Try and encourage other people to do the same, and if you see a restaurant serving shark fins on their menu leave the restaurant and tell them why, and maybe our children’s children will benefit from the advantages of still having a healthy population of sharks in our oceans.
Life
samui gazette | sept. 17 - 30, 2010
Yoga for mind, body, spirit
By ALISTER BREDEE
It’s now 9 o’clock in the morning and already the sun is high in the tropical sky. Heavy bulbous clouds herald the possibility of a rain shower later in the day, but then it has not rained here for several days and the luxuriant tropical plants in the garden that nestle down to the sea are looking in need of water. I am standing beside a “sala,” which is Thailand is an open sided wooden building and this one is no more than ten meters from the sea. The warm Gulf of Thailand is lapping on the beach as I stand and watch a yoga class of half a dozen participants energetically practicing the poses or “asanas” that the teacher is urging them to try. It all looks very energizing and they still have another hour of this practice which seems to create a serene inner strength. Glowing slightly from the exertion, Janca from Breda in Holland tells me she has been coming to “Koh Samui for the past two years. She comes to recharge her batteries and get fit and healthy for her career driven life back home. Every morning she joins several other guests in one and a half hours of Hatha Yoga as part of her mental and spiritual detox programme. Before coming to Koh Samui she would never have dreamed of embracing
this oriental exercise system. Now she participates in a class in her hometown and feels the regimen gets easier each time she returns to Thailand. Yoga is a Sanskrit word and it means “joining or uniting.” But joining or uniting with what? Gavin Flood defines the practice as “technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experience…..” However, outside of India Yoga has become associated as a form of stretching exercise and the philosophical aspect leading to spiritual enlightenment is oft times ignored. Certainly it is the exercise element of the philosophy that I have been witnessing in the wooden house beside the beach. Patanjeali is credited with the 196 aphorisms compiled somewhere between 200 BC and 300AD that have gone to formulate the creed that has become. Yoga and his vision, known as Raja Yoga, embrace eight life areas that provide a template for leading a good and virtuous earthly existence. These tenets are similar to the laws and observances of all great spiritual traditions. The devotee eschews lying, violence, theft, illicit sex and the need for possessions. Through the five observances he surrenders to God. The “asanas” or
STRESS: The antidote... to experience the peaceful nature within us that is often clouded by our reactions. Progressive deep relaxation is a technique that performs this educational role of giving us experience of the witness state, as well as allowing us to release tension and stress from the body and mind through coming in touch with our peaceful essence. The key is to practice it regularly. HELPFUL HINTS FOR RELEASING STRESS Become aware of your breath as you feel yourself being challenged by stress and use the breath as an object of concentration or feel free to try and of these other practices: • Silently repeat the words inhale and exhale as you center all of your attention of the sensation or sound or temperature of each breath • If the breath is to subtle for you to keep your focus, choose a word or phrase that is peaceful and repeat it over and over again. • Take a self guided relaxation break as you close your eyes and picture a place in nature where you can be
postures were adopted as poses suitable for meditation that again like in many other traditions was a part of the discipline. The mediation positions have evolved into the exercise postures that make up Hatha Yoga which came into being in fifteenth century India under the guidance of Yogi Swatmarama. The emphasis here dwells on enlightenment of the mind (ha) via purification on the physical plane through the medium of exercise, which leads to the increase of “prana” or life force energy (tha). “Prana” is the key because as we increase the life force health and wellness and ultimately emotional well being come to the fore. People like Janca flock to ‘spa’ type locations in Koh Samui to achieve this increase in energy and well being, and yoga is one of the means of achieving that end. Alister Bredee is a freelance author specializing in articles on health related topics. He is also a health care practitioner and trainer. He currently lives in Thailand and can be contacted via his website: http://www.healthambit. com. He publishes a regular blog at www.healthambit. blogspot.com. Also see Health Ambit Consultancy on Facebook
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rejuvenated and go there in the mind • Put on a recording of a yoga nidra or progressive muscle relaxation class and just float away/ • Do some physical exercise in a way that is safe and fun and accessible for you letting the stress go • Take a yoga class or tai chi or meditation class and then practice on a regular basis at home or use a dvd. • Focus your eyes on an uplifting image from nature or your spiritual orientation and let it dissolve your stress • Share your feelings with friends, family or write them in a journal, so you release pent up anger or resentment. • Reframe the stressful situation and interpret it as a gift that will guide you through to an awareness of greater wisdom and grace • Pray or use positive affirmations to diffuse any tension you may be experiencing • Use positive imagery as an object of concentration as you focus on place or time in your life when you were enjoying and stress-free. • Choose foods that neither
excite the system or make you lazy and see how that affects your stress response (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds). • Use peaceful and soothing music as the ultimate stress buster or put on a fast beat and dance away the stress • Confide in others who you trust so you don’t compound the stress through isolation and loneliness • Listen to ‘Releasing Stress Techniques’ or the ‘Guided Relaxation’ free audios on www.virtualhealthresort.com By taking time out to do these things each day you will build up your tolerance for handling stress without compromising your performance. You will become more stress hardy and able to tackle the challenges of the world without fear. You may even see really difficult times as a gift to discover new ways to live that may not have been visible before. So stress is not longer seen as a situation in which you are a victim but rather that you can use stress much like an athlete can do to bring out the best of your performance in work and life at home.