Photo of Sonny on his rescue day by Jo-Anne McArthur for The Ghosts In Our Machine
Simonee has been focusing on the transition to a vegan diet and use of Ghost-Free products in the past few days of her GFJ. While the choices she encounters with food and other products require some basic information and time to get used to, there are deeper issues that are just below the surface. Yesterday, Simonee’s awareness was heightened during a conversation with another vegan in a grocery store about substitutes for dairy based cheese. She expressed that it wasn’t just about the taste, but more about looking at willingness to change. Today, let’s start out exploring how to make these changes in the face of cultural beliefs, tradition, cognitive dissonance and palatte. When you are making a choice…..what do you think about that relates to sustaining a Ghost-Free life?
Coaches Rosemary and Donna
The opinions we express as GFJ Coaches are ours personally. We are not professional health practitioners. Neither are we treating a specific health care issue. That means we are not offering advice on health-care problems. If you are experiencing a health-care problem, it is important to seek the advice of a health professional. However we are experienced, practicing vegans and we look forward to coaching you on your journey.
Thanks for everyone’s comments yesterday – As I read through the thread of our conversation, I see we chatted lots and exchanged so much. I’m grateful for that
Just an update from this camp – I haven’t heard back from BEYOND EGG. It’s too bad they’re not more on it because that sample would be very welcome in this home and useful for the blog. I could be the reviewer☺ I get that they’re after corporations and love the long view of that but do think they’re missing an opportunity in not reaching out to the public. What do you guys think?
Danielle!!! – I love that you’re willing to send me a sample of Vegg☺ . I see the list of retail stores and can’t see anything nearby so I’ll take it! Besides I was taught a long time ago to never be bashful of good offers coming my way.
I teach yoga at the Moksha St. Clair West Studio in Toronto – maybe you could send it there? That way people will ask what’s up and we’ll get others interested too. The address is:
934 St Clair Ave West 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON, Canada
M6C 1C8
BTW: Jane – I sent a link of your site to the yoga studio. We’re always looking for great candles to light the class that are safe and cruelty free. I think you’ll hear from them, as they were vey excited by your site!
In terms of what the article brought up – I think it’s probably true that we’re addicted to cheese but I would go even further in saying that cheese isn’t necessarily special that way… We as human beings tend to do habit – good or bad – and addiction very well! Whether it’s our coffee, over exercising, watching too much TV or being on Facebook… I think we’re just addiction types prone to be drawn to places where we aren’t necessarily mindful?
At the end of the day being a vegan, cruelty free or staying off things that keeps us from reading or interacting with others are all practices in being mindful… Aware. On that note I’ll share this video with you – This certainly helps keep me mindful☺
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lXKDu6cdXLI?rel=0
I love this video! Donna and I share a few important things in our lives; we had father’s who were jazz musicians of the same era, as well as sharing our love for animals….. this touches our hearts <3<3
You bring up a very helpful point about being mindful and aware so that we can experience life in a full, authentic way. Can you share how this works for you and how this may help with your GFJ?
Good Morning Simonee – I loved the video! Yesterday, I was reading through my date book – made by Slingshot. Each day has information on some type of activism that took place on that date. I also came across this passage that made me think about the issues of mindfulness and awareness-
“The meaningfulness of our lives is more complex, messy and difficult than straight, computerized lines. The counter-culture we’re a part of is raw, rowdy and on the margins, but it is heading in the right directions: towards a beautiful, pleasurable, sustainable world where people are free” .
I would like to add where animals are free too,
I wondered how much of a role yoga has played in your search for awareness – and how it might also tie in to this journey..
Hey Rosemary – I guess my answer would be reminding myself of videos like this when I’m thinking about the way I should eat on this GFJ. Beyond that – I’m still working through it. I guess really staying connected at all times without making life ad day to day to exhausting.
BTW: I finally tried the shake:)
Paul likes it so it’s approved! Here’s the shake for those wanting to try. I replaced the spinach with swiss chard because that’s what was happening in my fridge.
https://happyherbivore.com/recipe/apple-jack-smoothie
[img]https://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PaulShakes.JPG[/img]
The shake looks delicious – so happy that your husband enjoyed it too! You had mentiond that since you do the cooking, he would be in on this journey with you. Is veganism something that you explored together in the past (during the time that you were vegan prior to now) ?
Hi Donna,
We’ve never explored veganism together. When I went down that road it was way before his time. Actually husband Paul eats meat but WAY less since I stopped. He’s not likely to change anytime soon and usually indulges when out to dinner or at a friends house, as I don’t cook it:)
That said- and thankfully – he’s super game and supportive of trying and doing things with me.
Hey Donna,
Yoga has been super huge – not only in practice but in teaching. Yoga is all about mindfulness. observing, non judgement, being in the moment and slowing down enough to really be present to every occasion in life.
Even as you drink a cup of water you can practice Karma yoga in gratitude of your clean water that so many others don’t have. THE GF journeys are the same… Being present to your food, enough to understand wholeheartedly where it comes from. That said, there are plenty of yogis that eat animals but as a practice we are meant – as yogis – to be aware of the stories and past attached to our food.
I know a lot of yogis that are struggling – myself included – to find their way. Guess that’s why I’m here:)
Hi Simonee,
I certainly need to work on my own mindfulness and ability to be in the moment. I seem to experience this fairy easily when I am outside walking in the woods or somewhere that I am surrounded by nature/animals. At that point in time, nothing else matters for me.
I have difficulty practising this when I am doing other things. For some reason just now, I was thinking about what it’s like when I go to the supermarket. I am often torn between standing in front of the lobster tank and bearing witness and being fully aware and mindful of the suffering that is taking place – and other times, scurrying around that aisle so I don’t have to see.
Many people find the path to veganism difficult not so much because of dietary changes – but because of the feelings that they experience from becoming aware and awake. Have you had any similar feelings?
Simonee, your yoga practice seems to keep you grounded and present in the moment….so many of us wish to attain, even for a few moments! It’s wonderful that you have a process to assist you in it. I’m wondering, have you read “The World Peace Diet” by Will Tuttle? As I read your posts today, I keep coming back to thoughts about his book and the spiritual connection to a vegan journey.
I also think you bring up a very good point about people needing to understand where their food comes from. How many people, for example really know the dairy industry, or that fish are sentient beings like any other animal?
Even as a vegetarian for a few years, I was in total denial about what was behind cheese and ice cream. Occasionally, I ate fish thinking somehow they didn’t really feel pain or suffer like other animals. I wonder how many people are in the dark and how to make the invisible, visible.
Would you like to talk more about this, or would you like to switch gears?
Hey Rosemary,
Very astute comments and all true but truthfully I’m in the dark too.
I mean, I’ve eaten fish and dairy too and not because I don’t believe fish don’t have feelings… I’m still trying to figure it all out myself. When I stopped eating meat but still continued to eat fish, it was my baby step way in and I would still practice awareness and regret at the table every time even though I continued to eat fish and dairy.
I guess what I’m saying is, I’m new here and we’re not sure how this will all turn out but I’m giving it a try. It’s very hard to switch gears and less hard to be ignorant… I guess that’s all I meant to bring up in speaking about awareness.
I agree that having awareness can be the most challenging part of the transition. There are also so many challenges along the way, from navigating social functions, to family reactions and traditions, and making tough decisions while in total awareness (as opposed to ignorance) about our choices. Some people see this as a heavy burden, and at first I did. Now, I see it as I have the ability and more importantly, the privilege to make choices.
I highly recommend Melanie Joy’s “Why Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows” if you want to further explore cognitive dissonance as it applies to our use of animals for food, etc. She explains the social/psychological processes that are at play in each of us as we all experience this phenomenon on some level.
Be patient and kind to yourself, and your choices will come from that place of peace and love <3 Donna and I feel that everyone has their own pace and feel we should all be respectful of our process.
<3
Hi Simonee, Congratulations on taking the GFJ! It is inspiring to see your willingness to ask hard questions of yourself. In response to the question posed today about what I think about when making choices regarding food or other practices in relation to staying ghost free, it is simple. It is always the animals themselves. I remind myself of their lives, even a flash of an image in my minds eye of their actual lives in the industrialized system is the reminder I need. It is that clear. I have been a vegan and animal rights activist for many years, and now it is second nature to me to say no to products of any kind that relate to animal exploitation. It has become me. And it is connected to my spiritual understanding of how all of us, human and nonhuman animals, are connected. Have a great journey Simonee, for you and for the animals :)))