When the ground caves under your feet and you have to start from scratch, you start to see everything differently. I try to live a life where I cause as little harm as possible - to people, animals, and the planet, and also to myself. I'm also trying to heal, mentally and physically. Reckless living in my teens and twenties have wreaked havoc with my body and mind, but I'm slowly mending, one step at a time. Transitioning to veganism a couple of years ago (from being a long-term vegetarian) was a purely ethical choice, but the physical and mental health benefits have also been awesome. My only regret is not making the commitment to veganism sooner.
Last year, I finally tried yoga for the first time, more through sheer desperation than due to any real faith in the practice. Yoga was one of many things I used to be rather sceptical about, dismissing it as "hippie rubbish". But after my first yoga class (kundaliniyoga, where mantra meditation is a central part of the yoga practice) I felt, for the first time in years, completely calm, at ease, and comfortable in my own skin and, more importantly, in my own mind. While it might sound dramatic, it really was like a revelation. I'd already been practicing meditation and mindfulness for some time, but this experience took things to a whole new level. Mantra meditation and yoga are now part of my daily routine, as a survival strategy as much as anything else.
In a nutshell, this blog is about learning. Learning to be kinder, both to myself and to others, learning to align my acts with my values, learning to accept things as they are while working toward change. I've always adapted easily to unexpected change, and I've never been one to make long-term plans, but in large part this was rooted in a fear of commitment. But these days it's proving to be a useful skill. Accepting the present while recognising that the one fact of life except death is change, and that we can't know what the future holds, being patient in the moment and knowing that, no matter how bad things feel right now, they will not always feel that way - this more than anything helps me put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
In addition to vegan recipes, I will be posting about acceptance, meditation, veganism, mental health, and more generally about living compassionately. This is not just a personal thing, but a political one. Or, rather, the personal is political - all our choices are, to some extent, in that they affect the world around us. I've been an activist for over twenty years, and to keep that part of my life separate from this blog would make no sense. So if you're looking for a "healthy living" blog that promotes consumerism, fitness culture, beauty, and so on, you're in the wrong place.
P.S.
If you think I sound like a self-righteous arsehole, let me just clarify: 1. I am not telling anyone how to live. This is my journey, but if anything on this blog proves useful for someone else, great. 2. I'm not exactly perfect myself, indeed I'm definitely a hypocrite when it comes to some of the things I talk about here. But the emphasis, as mentioned above, is on learning. It's a constantly evolving process, one which inevitably involves compromises and prioritising. It's tremendously difficult (though probably not impossible) to live a completely cruelty-free life today, in the sense that most of our daily actions have a negative impact on the planet and many of its inhabitants. If one is able to live completely off the land and not use any modern commodities at all, one can do no or very little harm, but that's not really feasible for most of us, and indeed, many people who live this way today do not necessarily do so out of choice, but as a result of poverty. Modernity has brought us many very useful things - science-based health care, clean water, universal education, and more recently the means to communicate instantly with people across the globe, something which has been hugely beneficial for grassroots movements. But the post-war consumerism has spiralled out of control completely, something which my generation (the Xers) are in large part responsible for. We've even managed to reversed some of the social and political gains that our parents, the 60s and 70s revolutionaries, made. And we cannot continue at this pace, it's not sustainable. So my point is, do what you can. Look at what you can change, and what you can't, make some choices, some adjustments. Ask yourself - do I really need X or can I go without it? Sometimes the answer will be yes, sometimes no. But if we do want a different world, one where there is less suffering, those of us who are comparatively affluent have to start making more sacrifices, there is no other way around it. Our current lifestyles are not sustainable. So just do what you can, that's all. And that's what I try to do. Lots of small acts, that's how big change eventually happens.
(And if you still think I sound like a self-righteous arsehole, fair enough. Let me know why, so we can have a productive discussion!)
Last year, I finally tried yoga for the first time, more through sheer desperation than due to any real faith in the practice. Yoga was one of many things I used to be rather sceptical about, dismissing it as "hippie rubbish". But after my first yoga class (kundaliniyoga, where mantra meditation is a central part of the yoga practice) I felt, for the first time in years, completely calm, at ease, and comfortable in my own skin and, more importantly, in my own mind. While it might sound dramatic, it really was like a revelation. I'd already been practicing meditation and mindfulness for some time, but this experience took things to a whole new level. Mantra meditation and yoga are now part of my daily routine, as a survival strategy as much as anything else.
In a nutshell, this blog is about learning. Learning to be kinder, both to myself and to others, learning to align my acts with my values, learning to accept things as they are while working toward change. I've always adapted easily to unexpected change, and I've never been one to make long-term plans, but in large part this was rooted in a fear of commitment. But these days it's proving to be a useful skill. Accepting the present while recognising that the one fact of life except death is change, and that we can't know what the future holds, being patient in the moment and knowing that, no matter how bad things feel right now, they will not always feel that way - this more than anything helps me put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
In addition to vegan recipes, I will be posting about acceptance, meditation, veganism, mental health, and more generally about living compassionately. This is not just a personal thing, but a political one. Or, rather, the personal is political - all our choices are, to some extent, in that they affect the world around us. I've been an activist for over twenty years, and to keep that part of my life separate from this blog would make no sense. So if you're looking for a "healthy living" blog that promotes consumerism, fitness culture, beauty, and so on, you're in the wrong place.
P.S.
If you think I sound like a self-righteous arsehole, let me just clarify: 1. I am not telling anyone how to live. This is my journey, but if anything on this blog proves useful for someone else, great. 2. I'm not exactly perfect myself, indeed I'm definitely a hypocrite when it comes to some of the things I talk about here. But the emphasis, as mentioned above, is on learning. It's a constantly evolving process, one which inevitably involves compromises and prioritising. It's tremendously difficult (though probably not impossible) to live a completely cruelty-free life today, in the sense that most of our daily actions have a negative impact on the planet and many of its inhabitants. If one is able to live completely off the land and not use any modern commodities at all, one can do no or very little harm, but that's not really feasible for most of us, and indeed, many people who live this way today do not necessarily do so out of choice, but as a result of poverty. Modernity has brought us many very useful things - science-based health care, clean water, universal education, and more recently the means to communicate instantly with people across the globe, something which has been hugely beneficial for grassroots movements. But the post-war consumerism has spiralled out of control completely, something which my generation (the Xers) are in large part responsible for. We've even managed to reversed some of the social and political gains that our parents, the 60s and 70s revolutionaries, made. And we cannot continue at this pace, it's not sustainable. So my point is, do what you can. Look at what you can change, and what you can't, make some choices, some adjustments. Ask yourself - do I really need X or can I go without it? Sometimes the answer will be yes, sometimes no. But if we do want a different world, one where there is less suffering, those of us who are comparatively affluent have to start making more sacrifices, there is no other way around it. Our current lifestyles are not sustainable. So just do what you can, that's all. And that's what I try to do. Lots of small acts, that's how big change eventually happens.
(And if you still think I sound like a self-righteous arsehole, fair enough. Let me know why, so we can have a productive discussion!)