Hikaru Tanaka – Japanese model and yoga teacher – gives us her take on Fair Trade, yoga and happiness!

How do you reflect Fair Trade and ecology in your life?

Yoga is often thought of a practice of difficult poses, but actually Yoga is the act of searching how to live your life.  It’s understanding yourself and your relationship to others; searching how you relate to the natural environment.  I practice and teach Yoga.

Yoga means connection; connection with yourself, connection with society and connection with the natural environment.  We are all connected and we all share with others.  So in a sense, practicing Yoga reflects equal human relationships and environment.

I model too.  I love your products, especially organic cotton and handmade things.

What do you think is the role of People Tree?

In Japan People Tree plays an important role – you make cool stuff and make it easy to get involved with human rights and the environment.  Everyone wants to be part of the solution but it can’t sound too serious or difficult.

By making Fair Trade fashionable and raising awareness, people get motivated and understand what is happening to people in other countries.  People Tree has shown people that ecology can be fun!

Fair Trade can be a tool to help solve poverty.

It’s important to let more people know about Fair Trade products.  Compared to 2002 when I started modelling on a voluntary basis for People Tree, Fair Trade has really spread in Japan.

How can you measure happiness?

Freedom of your mind, free bohemian spirit.  It’s often you who imposes your own limitations – you think you can only go this far or that you don’t understand.  Freedom is not given from outside but it exists in yourself.