Konstantin Zülske, a Cyclist from Germany on a ” SOIL SAVING” Mission Stops in Mangaluru

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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Konstantin Zülske (28), apart from being a hardcore CYCLIST, is a MUSICIAN, SINGER, MEDIATOR, traveller, SWIMMER and in LOVE with LIFE and being ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY wants to “SAVE SOIL’ Globally, made a pit stop in Mangaluru, and interacted with the locals here, including members of local Isha Foundation/Yoga Centre; and Sadhguru Art of Living Centre. Countries he will be traveling through are – Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan, India

Mangaluru: In recent days, Mangaluru has been a destination for many Cyclists, Runners, Walkers, etc who are on a mission to spread awareness on various issues, like Drug Abuse, Environmental issues, Human Trafficking, Harassment, etc- and most of these adventurous travellers, Team Mangalorean had met many of them and done an exclusive report on their journey, and now including Konstantin Zulske from Naumburg, Germany, embarked on a remarkable intercontinental cycling expedition from Germany to Coimbatore.

Starting his journey on May 28, 2023, from Jena, Germany, he traversed alongside the picturesque Danube River, witnessing awe-inspiring landscape changes. His 15,000-km odyssey, inspired by Sadhguru, is dedicated to soil conservation, and will culminate during Shivaratri at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. Sharing his journey’s purpose, Zülske speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “ I visited Isha Foundation in 2021 and was inspired by the Save Soil movement, launched by Sadhguru. My quest began at 18, with a one-way ticket to Australia, leading to three transformative years of global exploration. Enriched yet educationally unfulfilled, he later delved into geography, specialising in geo-ecology and soil science. Guided by a passionate professor, I researched soil in Germany, driven by a newfound curiosity for Earth’s workings.”

28-year-old KONSTANTIN ZULSKE from GERMANY on a Mission to bring Awareness to SAVING SOIL

As a freelance street musician, the pandemic-induced pause led him to Sadhguru’s Ashram, where he spent a couple of years. “When I was 18 and finished High School, I bought myself a one-way ticket to Australia and travelled the world for 3 years. After that I felt that I had amazing travelling experiences but lacked education and sometimes felt stupid, looking at a mountain or river, not understanding how this planet works and functions. So, I studied Geography from 2016 – 2020 and later specialized in Geo-ecology and Soil Science,” added Zulske.

He continued saying, “My professor in Soil Science was a very inspirational young man, who helped me do a lot of research on the state of soil in Germany during my internship in forestry and B Sc. thesis. I have been a free-lancing musician all my life, basically doing street performances. When corona struck, and I couldn’t do music anymore, I felt an increasing urge to further evolve myself and went to live in Sadhguru’s Ashram, Isha Yoga Center in South India for 1.5 years. When I heard about Sadhguru launching the SaveSoil movement, I was beyond excited. I went back to Germany to earn as much money as I could with my street music and started preparing for this journey to help the movement grow.”

When asked, “Why are you doing this and what inspired you, ” he replied ” Ever since my travels at an early age, I saw a lot of environmental destruction going on, especially during my travels in Australia, South East Asia and Middle America. When I studied Soil Science at University opened my eyes to the soil being the meta-problem of all these environmental issues that we have, like loss of biodiversity, water scarcity, and climate change, but also social issues, like food insecurities, malnutrition, land conflicts, farmers livelihoods and migration… I just never knew how to do something about it. The only way I had was to engage in further research in university, which seemed like a rather unpromising perspective.”

“I often found myself looking out of the library windows in university and dreamed of travelling the world on a bicycle. I have always been into two-wheelers and have done many cycling trips in the past. However, I always lacked commitment proper funding or a bigger Idea of how to make it happen. When I joined various Isha Yoga Programs, it killed two birds with one stone: I overcame my laziness and became hugely more energetic, which in turn empowered me to scale up my musician life. On the other hand, it brought me in contact with the Save Soil movement, which gave me a public platform to work with and address the most fundamental crisis of this generation: Soil Extinction. Nothing in terms of climate change and species loss can happen if we don’t take care of our most precious and limited resource – SOIL!” added Zulske.

On 25 February 2024, Konstantin also met a Cyclist Saneed, a passionate resident from Kerala near Balmatta, Mangaluru embarking on an incredible journey on a single-wheel bicycle, aiming to spread the powerful message of ‘Say No to Drugs’, travelling from Kanyakumari to Leh Ladakh.

He added saying, “For the first time now, I have the money – the energy – and a huge campaign with amazing volunteers behind me, to make this journey happen. Soil is a living miracle. 86% of the world’s biodiversity is happening in the upper 30cm of topsoil. Everything on earth depends on it, but 52% is already degraded and .were losing it at a drastic pace. The UN says that in 20 years 90% of soil could be lost if we don’t act now. We’re losing 12 Million acres of topsoil every year, an area of the entire nation of Greece. I have cycled Greece and to think of this massive area of land is beyond my comprehension. So what more Inspiration could one need.?

“Now if we don’t speak out loud and address this publicly, then who will…? It’s time to make it happen and save our soil before it’s too late. Timing is critical. I am truly humbled and inspired to see a 65-year-old man working tirelessly for the uplifting of humankind in terms of consciousness and an overall better social and environmentally sustainable livelihood. Being with Sadhguru has been such a turning point in my life. I wouldn’t be the same person I am today, without the tools of self-empowerment that his transformative Yoga Programs have given me. I am from an academic background and my mind is steeped in logic. But I also want scientists and people around the world to meditate. As there is a whole science on how to create external comfort in the world, there is a whole science and technology on how to create inner well-being.”

“If we only had more people in this world who are energetic enough to look beyond their own needs and likes and dislikes, with the technology and scientific advantages we have, we could truly make this the most joyful and capable generation that has ever existed. The only thing that is lacking is an inclusive consciousness. People who do not see themselves as separate entities from the rest of the world. If we don’t overcome our differences of nationalities, religions, ethnicity, etc… With 9 billion people on this planet, situations may become very ugly in the years to come. So we need a conscious approach to life. The yogic system is a phenomenal way of achieving this. I would like every human being to have at least one small drop, one little technique of meditation in their lives.”

“The most difficult terrain to plant trees is not in the land, but in human minds. But once established there, it will very easily translate into the landscape as well. Soil is a factor that unites us all. We all come from the soil, live from the soil and will go back to the Soil once it’s done. It is on us to decide which way we want to treat it. Leading a life of compulsive reaction – with the kind of empowerment that humans have – will bring destruction to this world. But if we can find ways to raise human consciousness, I do not doubt that the humanity that throbs in all of us can be used to achieve something phenomenal. It doesn’t always take an Indian Yogi to do things. Everyone can contribute to this.

“Cycling offers the perfect pace for travel, allowing a gradual immersion into new cultures, climates, and landscapes. With each pedal stroke, I witness the subtle shifts in culture, cuisine, and scenery from one country to the next, marking the start of a new adventure at every border crossing. Pedalling through arid and semi-arid regions like Turkey and Iran presented unique challenges, particularly coping with the intense heat,” he said. “Often, I found myself traversing through unchanging landscapes for days at a stretch – a mix of sandy deserts, dusty trails, and swarms of flies – prompting me to question my purpose and journey. As a vegetarian who loves dosas, navigating Middle Eastern cuisine was sometimes daunting, yet my daily yoga practice provided the resilience needed to persevere,” said Zülske, riding on a VSF Fahrradmanufaktur, trekking bike, with about 20 kg of equipment.

He travels a maximum distance of 150km in a single day, surpassing his usual average of 70-80 km per day. He connects with students and communities worldwide, aiming to inspire politicians and policymakers to adopt sustainable soil policies. “UN scientists warn that 52% of soil has degraded and is projected to reach 90% degradation in 25 years. This degradation is intertwined with climate change and biodiversity loss,” Zülske said. Throughout his journey, he has faced roughly 50 punctures, yet found solace in the warmth of hospitality across Asian countries. After entering India, he travelled through Amritsar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

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