Realistically, it’s often easier to find excuses not to exercise than the time, energy, and will to do it. That’s why Nike came up with the brilliant advertising slogan, “Just Do It.” So for most of us, overcoming mental barriers to exercise is really all it takes. But too many others face real obstacles to physical
AuthorJuliana Essen
Physical Wellbeing Challenge, Round 1: Food
If you read my 2018 post describing what I learned about healthy eating while living at Srisa Asoke, then you know the arguments for a whole-food, plant-based, chemical-free diet. Now, it’s relatively easy to be a vegan when everyone around you is, too. Like in an intentional Buddhist community in Thailand. In a typical American
Give Money, Not Stuff: How to Fight Poverty More Effectively
I have a confession to make: I used to think that donating money to charities was just a way for affluent people to feel good about “doing good.” I silently chided them: “If you really care about people who are less fortunate than you, you should get out there and help them.” You know the
No More Small Talk: Turning Big Ideas about Wellbeing into Action
I spend a lot of time thinking about how to achieve a Good Life for All—how a life built on a strong foundation of wellbeing would actually look in practice. While this may not make me the life of the party, I’ll gladly trade small talk for BIG ideas any day. The challenge now is
I Don’t Want My Daughter to be Happy*
(*I want something better!) I took this photograph of my daughter this summer: we are in an alpine meadow about an hour outside Munich, hiking up to a hut where some friends would be married. These two girls were thrilled to be together, conquering the mountain and communing with cows, carrying all they needed for
Why Is the Pursuit of Happiness Making Us So Stressed?
The “pursuit of happiness” is a phrase Americans know well. The United States Declaration of Independence established it in 1776 as an inalienable right for all citizens. Fast forward to 1955, and happiness becomes a national pastime, epitomized by Disney’s “Happiest Place on Earth.” Now in the first quarter of the 21stcentury, happiness is a
How to Save Seeds from Your Garden (workshop recap)
I’m a seed-saving convert! I’ve always shied away from seed saving — it seems like so much work! But last Saturday, when I volunteered at a seed-saving workshop at The Ecology Center (TEC) in San Juan Capistrano, I discovered that it’s actually fairly easy. And in the long run, it’s much better than planting your veggies
In-shape, Part 2: Get Fit with Active Lifestyles
Physical exercise is not a national craze in Thailand as it is in the US. For one thing, it’s just too darn hot. To beat the heat, Thais like to stretch out on bamboo platforms under their houses or trees during the hottest part of the day. Actually, Thais excel at napping. You can find
In-shape, Part 1: Energize with Wholesome Food
Millions of Americans resolve each year to get into shape, with weight loss as their number-one goal. This is laudable, to be sure, as obesity is a growing global epidemic that compromises health in myriad ways. Unfortunately, dieting and exercise regimes often emphasize appearance over wellbeing. Since our youth, we have been bombarded by media
The “Right Development” Approach
Following last week’s post that critiqued the history of the development industry, I’d like to propose an alternative model of development, which emerged from my research on the Santi Asoke Buddhist Reform movement of Thailand. After studying for a year what made Asoke communities so successful, I determined that in order to raise the quality
A Setting for Wellbeing: Srisa Asoke Buddhist Center
The places people live, whether by choice or circumstance, can offer clues as to who those people are, and an intentional community like the Srisa Asoke Buddhist Center speaks volumes about its residents. This post introduces Srisa Asoke and the people who live there. Isan Srisa Asoke is located roughly fifty kilometers from the Cambodian
Economic Growth, SAPs, and Aid: Oh My! A History of the Global Development Industry
The concept of development implies positive change, and it is clearly an ideal toward which individuals, groups, and nations strive. But the term carries much more baggage than that. The Western world’s conceptualization of development—unilinear growth, evolution, or maturation toward an ever more perfect form—has its roots in evolutionary theories of the nineteenth and early