The city is heating up and slowing down as we begin our tradition of the quiet Hong Kong summer. But this year is a bit different. The buzz in town isn’t just cicadas. It is the next generation of local startups … and some are really cool.
More people are looking for more ways to reduce our impact on the warming climate. At the forefront of any change, forward-thinkers capitalize on gaps in the market and the new round of Hong Kong startups are at the very front of the wave.
Hong Kong is an established world leader in trade and finance whose commercial success has come at the expense of our health. Our highly celebrated culture of conspicuous consumption is catching up with us.
After we switched off our last incinerator in 1999, we began exporting our waste to China while little was done to sort the rubbish collected in Hong Kong. Now that China’s Green Fence has closed the door on dirty garbage, our landfills are bursting at the seams.
Fortunately, the digital super-highways funded by the 2000 tech startup boom make it easier for new generation startups like Blackshot Coffee, HK Recycles, ReHome, The Cave, LadyPlace and TREE to connect with customers who also view waste as a resource.
In the past few years, we have seen the birth of the social enterprise including startups Foodlink, Feeding HK distributing surplus food to people in need. NGO’s like Redress create events like DIY PopUps to keep clothes out of landfills. CleanBizAsia provides the latest green news. CleanTuesday connects smart innovators with smart investors. Social Ventures Hong Kong supports local enterprise for society.
Established local organization Crossroads continues to distribute the stuff we discard to people who already know that most of our rubbish is actually a resource that shouldn’t be incinerated — releasing furons and dioxins into our air and dumping highly-concentrated toxic ash into new landfills carved into our country parks.
These local organizations are signs of the times ahead and corporations are also beginning to realize the economics of waste. HK-based China Everbright operates waste-to-energy plants in China, but not in Hong Kong. Community Business works with corporations to ensure sustainability as it relates our most precious resource — HK people and communities like Green Drinks form around issues like Poverty in Hong Kong.
Today, we connect easily as our parents visited the next-door neighbors and it is likely that our grandchildren expect something more from us. While our ancestors could burn leaves and dump the trash over there, there is no there any more. No one wants toxic waste in our back yard but we are so connected that back yard trash now affects everyone.
Depending on the wind, our air is either clean or toxic … until the incinerator pollutes our only fresh air stream.
Do you believe it make sense to burn more stuff?
Naturally,
Founder & Publisher
www.heartbeat.com.hk
natural life in the fast lane
Listen to your own heartbeat.
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -Martin Luther
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Yoga & Mindfulness with Angus Ford-Robertson
Essential skills for well-being in 3 one-day workshops 28-30 Nov
Angus created a special program for his first Hong Kong visit. Day 1 Bioenergetics explores the body-mind practice to release chronic muscular tensions, connect with buried emotions and expand capacity for intimacy. Day 2 Mindfulness covers key skills of mindfulness, including the body scan, mindful breathing, mindful movement and the essentials of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction courses that Angus currently teaches to the UK National Health Service. Day 3 Mindful Communication focuses on communicating clearly, honestly and fearlessly without manipulation to prevent conflict in everyday situations from the boardroom to the bedroom, based on Non Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenburg.
ENQUIRIES : Charlotte Douglas | TEL : +852 6680 0340
EMAIL : charlotte@lovelifehk.com | REGISTER : booking form
WEBSITE : lovelifehk.com | FACEBOOK : Click for details
QUICK LINK : Click for details
Denim DIY Workshop
Eco-Fashion with Pizzaz and Pizza 16 & 17 June at 6:30-9:30pm
We all have clothing in our wardrobe that we no longer wear. Attend this free workshop to have fun discovering how you can reduce your environmental impact and prevent more waste in our landfills by learning to up-cycle your own garments. Learn basic tips and fashion techniques you can do at home to apply sustainable, money-saving style to your wardrobe Bring jeans or other denim to be reworked. These might be ripped, out of style or just need a bit of pizzaz to bring them back to life. Enjoy delicious PizzaExpress food and drinks before the workshop. Win a copy of DIY Fashionista by Geneva Vanderzeil. Open to guys and girls on a first come first served basis.
RSVP with session date : trazi@redress.com.hk
ENQUIRIES : Redress | PHONE : +852 2861 0360
WEBSITE : redress.com.hk | QUICK LINK : Click for details
New heartbeat business members
Please extend a warm welcome to our new business members
Hersha Chellaram – Yoga and meditation classes for beginners to advanced
SpiceBox Organics – Organically grown specialty food products
Stanley Wellness Centre – Integrative clinic treating newborns to elderly
Body Awakening – Cleansing and detox kit, probiotics, organic supplements
Aquasana – Drinking, shower and whole house water filtration systems
Charlotte Douglas – Yoga teacher and homeopath
Lifetime membership — one-time offer
Invest during pre-launch to help make heartbeat sustainable
When I started my consulting business, one of my first projects was the re-launch of a local lifestyle magazine. As a result, I began receiving emails looking for information about meditation, whole food, yoga teachers and natural health in Hong Kong. Once a week I sent an email with all of the answers to everyone who asked for help — heartbeat was born. Since 2001, I have self-published hundreds of newsletters, thousands of free listings and 35,000 print directories promoting natural life in the fast lane. Today, my full attention and outside support is needed to grow the 3,000 plus network into a sustainable business. My vision is to build a private social network with regular member events connecting anyone looking with everyone offering eco-social, healthy, happy, conscious, clean lifestyle tips … naturally. Find what you’re looking for — even when you’re not sure what you’re looking for — details
Lifetime personal membership — HK$1,888 one-time fee
(This special membership pre-launch promotion will end without notice)
Before we launch monthly subscriptions, existing subscribers can invest in heartbeat with a HK$1,888 lifetime personal membership to help fund the development of the digital tools that will make life a little easier for everyone.
The June calendar
June 6-9 > Evolution – Asia Yoga Conference
June 6 (12-2pm) > Future Energy Solutions for Hong Kong
June 6 (3pm) > Cancer Free Living
June 6 (7-9pm) > Whole Food Happy Hour
June 9 (7:30pm) > Meat Free Hong Kong Monday
June 9 (7:30-8:45pm) > 5Rhythms®
June 10 (7-9:30pm) > Dining for Beauty and Youth
June 11 (7:30pm) > Housing Inequality and Poverty in Hong Kong
June 11 (12:30-2pm) > Fermentation Class
June 12 (7-9pm) > LifeFood Class
June 13 (8pm until late) > Full Moon Gathering
June 14 > Developing Wisdom – The Three Minds
June 14 (11am-2pm) > Energetic Self Adjustment
June 14 (7:30-9:30pm) > Clear Pain with Love
June 15 & 29 > DRACO/Dragon Light Codes
June 15 (11am-12pm) > Yoga for Everyone
June 15 (2:30-3:30pm) > Parent & Baby Yoga
June 15 (6-8pm) > Yoga & The Art of Rap
June 16> Digestive Health
June 16 (6:15-7:15pm) > Monday Mindfulness
June 16 (6:15-7:15pm) > Candlelight Restorative Yoga
June 16 & 17 (6:30-9:30pm) > Denim DIY Workshop
June 16 (7pm) > Meat Free Hong Kong Monday
June 17 (10am-12:30pm) > Refreshing Summer Salads Workshop
June 17 (7-9pm) > Chakra Balancing Workshop
June 17 (7:15-8:45pm) > Awareness Lab: Techniques for Busy People
June 18 (6-8pm) > Gluten Free Workshop
June 18 & 25 (6:45-8:15pm) > Freedom from Emotional Eating
June 19 (7-9pm) > Release of Fear – Becoming Fearless
June 20 (7:30-9pm) > Keep Lantau Beautiful – film screening
June 21 (10am-5pm) > Spiritual Tools for Times of Change
June 21 (11am-2pm) > Emotional Shifts and Ancient Healing Processes
June 21 (5-7pm) > The Mind-Body Correlation
June 22 (2-6pm) > Numerology for Life and Love
June 23-25 > Mindful Leadership MBA
June 23 (6:15-7:15pm) > Monday Mindfulness
June 23 (7:30pm) > Meat Free Monday Gathering
June 24 (10:30am-12:15pm) > DIY Raindrop Technique
June 24 (7:30-9:30pm) > Mind over Matter
June 24 (8-10pm) > Drum & Laugh Your Stress Away
June 25 (7-8:30pm) > Angel Miracles
June 26 (7-9pm) > Release of Anger – Becoming Calm
PS – I know the newsletter is late this month, but I included all the calendar events because thought you might like to see the exciting things that have already happened and maybe connect with the organizers to find out more …
Fresh content and connections for natural choices every day
heartbeat – a natural guide for life in the fast lane — content and connections for everything natural in Hong Kong — from aromatherapy to yoga. Covering chemical-free health and beauty, whole food, sustainable fashion, eco-style, green gadgets, ethical investments, travel and more … Submission deadline is 7 days before the last day of the month.
