Liam

A noble pursuit, I think we're all on that path...or at least that's what brings us here in the first place 😅 I'm by no means an expert at 24 years but I've been exploring what "the east" has to say about longevity and vitality for most of them. I spent some time studying TCM which led me to tai qi and qi gong, and then went on to study Ayurveda and traditional hatha yoga (from which I believe the 5 rites originates) and I've definitely benefited greatly from both of them so I'm happy to vouch for them in the pursuit of "perfect health." What they both have in common is an understanding that: 1. Balance (correcting imbalance) -> health (easy, low-stress, natural functioning) -> longevity (you burn the candle slower). 2. It is a lifestyle thing; diet, exercise, community, spirituality etc. I've found it can be easy to want to rev up the physical intensity to perform better now, but longevity is about energy; using what you need efficiently and conserving what you don't need. TLDR; Recommended reading for asana/5 rites: Hatha Yoga Pradipika Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha Recommended reading for tai chi/qi gong: Self-practice Exercises These will give you both theory and somewhere to start with the practice. Then enjoy the journey as you dive in; it's a deep, spacious ocean.

Plenty obsessed with nutrition and its effects on (/creation of) the body. I've spent the last 10 years researching and experimenting with my body/food in response to media, studies, ideals, culturals, any kind of persuasion that promised perfect health. All of these promises are hypotheses, some scientific, some idealistic, some just plain ridiculous. Personally, my journey with food started with indiscriminate ("normal") eating as a child, then calorie counting as a teenager, veganism as an anorexic, whole-food-plant-based (HCLF) and vegan keto (LCHF) as an orthorexic, sattvic/Ayurvedic as a yoga teacher, Buddhist/TCM vegetarian. I've also played around with Mediterranean, Blue Zone and other cultural diets. The only way of eating that I will ever subscribe to came from Michael Pollan's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual; "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." What I've come to learn, but have yet to actualise, is that each body is to an extent individual. Each one has the same basis as a living being that is made of the same elements but is influenced by its genes, upbringing and environment. Instead of trying to change my body to follow an ideal of eating, I just go day by day learning to listen to my body - how I feel about/before/during/after a particular food or meal. The "perfect" diet is one that will get you and your body to wherever it is you are going and that takes some experimentation.

thanks @thelerner for the orientation and @Rara for the reassurance 😅

Hi everyone, Pardon yet another new member...I'm sure lockdowns have seen an influx... But I just thought I'd dive right in as I've been lurking here and there over the years and wanted to reach out and actually involve myself in the community. A bit of background; I was brought up with Buddhist values from my father and new-age/nature-oriented spiritual values from my mother and I've spent a fair chunk of my 23 years so far indulging my fascination with spirituality in every culture/tradition/teaching I was drawn to - Native American/Earth Astrology, Chakras/Energy (a la Barbara Brennan etc.), Taoism, Yogic Philosophy (Classical Hatha, Vedanta etc.) and always back to Buddhism. Along the way I accumulated some problems, long-term anorexia nervosa and subsequent depression, and have found that the only thing that ever gave me peace were these paths. I now consider myself a practicing Mahayana (Chan) Buddhist with a view to ordain, though my practice is pretty syncretic as a layperson. But I always hold this awe of nature and its law and Taoism and its culture always brought me the closest to that. So in a way I'm coming back, looking to integrate the practices. TLDR; I just want to figure out how to let the life in me do its thing. Thanks for putting the time into reading this rambling of mine