do you think you’re vegan?

probably you aren’t.

because being a real vegan is an almost impossible goal to attain.

don’t throw me your stones just yet. let me explain why i say this.

you’ll agree with me that being a vegan means to stop exploiting animals in any way, and treating them with kindness instead. as equals.

in a world that doesn’t even treat humans equally, you might imagine how hard that may be. specially when we are so used to this behaviour of using animals for our own comfort.

but that’s not really my point, is it?

as i was saying, i feel kind of powerless when i think about on my vegan journey. i know i’m still a newbie, but no one expects me to change overnight. i hope.

and i feel powerless because there are a million things i need to do to use that “vegan badge” (as if it was something so honourable it needs a medal).

when i eat my veggies, and my fruits, and my cereals, i can’t be sure of how vegan they are.

what if they have come from animal exploration agriculture? what if pesticides were used?

and my coconut oil, was a monkey used to catch the coconut from where this product was made?

and all the plastic i’m using: is it killing animals?

and the oil used in the buses i take to go for work? isn’t it polluting the air, and the water, and the soil?

and the clothes i wear? are they gmo free? were humans exploited in the process?

and the…

do you see where i’m going?

there’s always a new level of veganism. there’s always something else we can do.

there’s always a way to be more kind.

keep loving. keep veganizing. 😉

// photo credit by mehdi genest on unsplash

 

 

 

#goingvegan was a failure, now what?

a squirrel told me i must be more careful of the way i eat.

wait, i’m not crazy. let me explain.

last night i had a crazy dream where a squirrel bitten me (first time as a dreamer. ok, on this lifetime).

and that image was so present in my mind that i had to look what that meant.

the web said i had some relationship problems, or that i was pursuing the wrong things. that didn’t feel right.

so i went on for other explanations and somewhere i found that the best way to know is by meditating and asking our animal totems. (i’m a big fan of journaling and i know meditation works so…)

well, i don’t know if you believe in spirit animals. i don’t know if i do, but i gave it a try.

i asked my totem what that image meant and instantly i felt a bad sensation on my stomach.

i felt the answer was given: i wasn’t treating my body the way it should. i need to be more careful of the way i eat.

and that’s true, lately i’ve not been eating intentionally. just what comes easy at the time. but it’s never easy to mistreat our bodies, is it?

remember my #aweekwithnomeat challenge? do you want to know how it went?

don’t be too excited. i fell miserably.

right on the second day, i ate meat. and couldn’t get back on track because i was too ashamed.

but i did learn an old lesson: i wasn’t prepared. i had the idea and jumped right away without having all i needed at the reach of my hands.

to avoid pitfalls, i’ve done a week list worth of meals. and all the ingredients i need for them.

all in all, i got 34 of them. including spices. there’s no meat, no fish and almost no animal products (i still use milk and eggs on occasion).

i don’t know if i’m being too harsh on myself.

again.

but at least now i have a guideline that i can follow or change as needed.

no one said going vegan, or being healthy, would be easy. but it’s way more painless than not enjoying what you see on the mirror, or how you feel in your body.

now that summer is over for some of us, what are you doing for your health? share on the comments!

#themaskwriter

//credit: photos by cristina schek  and joseph gonzalez on unsplash

get ecstatic without drugs

once again, i can’t sleep.

i blame you, zumba! in a very, very good way.

i feel so energized. so happy. so freaking ecstatic. soooo invincible.

this stuff is powerful.

what i realized this time, though. is that i can’t seem to let go my preconceptions about my body, my skills, the way i move.

it doesn’t happen when i’m alone.

and that prevents me to fully enjoy the class.

i don’t smile much. i don’t let go. i don’t flow.

i don’t feel energized. nor ecstatic.

it’s like it was a counter-effect.

do you belong to the jungle or the circus?

how do you feel about zoos?

do you think they protect the animals, or were created for profit? do you believe it’s good entertainment, or a great representation of our world’s state? better than a circus or pretty much heartless?

dance, dance, dance and be wild!

moving diaries // zumba nr. 3

if you missed the other diary entries, check them here.

i would never dream that zumba would have such a big impact in my life. along with the freedom tribe course, i’m changing deep inside.

dissolving patterns. creating new ones.

i’m a new person. more confident.

what i am learning is that we need to find something, anything that let us be free and wild for a while. that let us be with our discomforts, that let us transform dark energies into light.

let go of letting go

moving diaries // zumba nr. 3

if you missed the previous diary entries, check them here.

for today’s lesson, i created a mandala. {you might want to check it out on my insta}

if you don’t know what a mandala is, i like to define it as a meditation drawing, symmetrical. and that always convey meaning or a feeling.

when i’m drawing mandalas i don’t think about what i’ll put on paper. i just have the theme on my mind and let my hands move freely.

i’m always surprised by the result, which is always way more beautiful than the one i could create by intention.

i’m a false introvert

i always thought i was an introvert. a very typical introvert.

someone that likes to be quiet. to have profound conversations.
who likes to read and stay at home. who has a big imagination, with much more bigger dreams.

but i’m discovering my b side. like the ones we find in old cassettes and vinyls. remember?

8 ways zumba is making me feel alive

moving diaries // zumba nr. 2

if you missed the other diary entries, check them here.

i’m still amazed how dancing releases my wild nature, my true self.

my husband says i don’t look like myself, because i’m more extroverted. more bossy: i do ask for what i want, with no apologies. with no excuses. with no holding backs.

and i replied: that doesn’t mean i’m not being myself. it just shows that people aren’t used to that side of my personality. that they don’t know my real self, because i was never able to reveal it.

the 4 best things a zumba class can teach you

moving diaries // zumba nr. 1

if you missed the other diary entries, check them here.

today i went to a zumba class.

it was my first work-out {if i don’t count yoga} in two decades. yes, two decades!

and i’ve learnt quite a few things about my body and my beliefs.

as i entered the room, i saw it was filled with mirrors, projecting my image front and back. fear appeared right away.

have you stopped today to just feel?

i woke up and prepared my semi-hot water with lemon juice, then went outside. i rolled out my mat, looked at the white sky, felt the pale light onto my skin and began my sun salutions.

taking deep breaths.

feeling peaceful.

feeling whole.