I Alan, aged 26 from Merseyside, UK. I am happily married to a wonderful, beautiful being named Lynsey. We live with our big, bumbling Rottweiler, Rocky, a.k.a, Buggerluggs, in a Bungalow in Newton-le-Willows. I believe the convention when describing yourself is to list the adjectives and labels to which you feel some attachment so here are mine: I’m a mixed-race, working class, long-haired, guardian-reading, lefty-liberal vegetarian Buddhist, yogi, foodie, musician and trainee Person Centred Counsellor. I strive to live my life as best as I can in tune with the values that are important to me, namely peace, love, empathy, compassion, congruence, acceptance, harmony, freedom, solidarity, co-operation, creativity, intuition, mysticism/spirituality and non-violence. I try to approach life with an openness to experience and, as much as possible, to live in the present moment. I’m also an advocate of meditation, liberal social attitudes, organic natural food, herbal remedies, herbal/green tea, vegetarianism, pacifism and environmentalism. If you are inclined to labels, you might reasonably surmise from all of the above that I am some sort of neo-hippie, born in the wrong time. I can live with that one; as far as labels go, I’ve been called worse! I believe fundementally that “our culture is in the grip of a value system and a way of understanding the world which is fundamentally flawed”. ”Conventional political and economic policies are destroying the very foundations of the wellbeing of humans and other animals”; modern lifestyles and systems of government are unhealthy, unsustainable, exploitative and out of harmony with the natural systems of the planet, creating inequality, social problems, war and unhappiness. I tend to question societal norms, authority, conformity, and repressive hierarchical power structures. Yet, at the same time I’m aware that I take part or “buy in” to the materialist, capitalist, consumer culture that I decry, just as I sometimes fail to act in accordance with my values. I don’t think this makes me a hypocrite, I think it makes me human and therefore fallible. Rather than fighting against the system and creating more negativity, I believe that we should each, to the best of our ability, strive to ”be the change we wish to see in the world”, making responsible choices, living positive, purposeful, compassionate and ethical lives and raising awareness in the process. My aspiration is to work in or even setting up an integrative, holistic well-being centre or retreat, helping people achieve their full potential and live meaningful, fulfilling lives, drawing on nutrition, Ayruvedic principles, Yoga, Person Centred Counselling, Psycho-Spiritual Coaching, Reiki, Nature Therapy, Mindfulness and Meditation. I enjoy weight training and Yoga and am interested in healthy eating and nutrition, following a diet that is vegetarian (about 80-90% vegan), mostly Sattvic, natural, organic and unprocessed and largely in accordance with Ayruvedic principles for my body type (Kapha). I believe food is one of life’s greatest pleasures; I love to cook and having friends round for one of my infamous curries or going out for a meal are favourite activities! I love good, intelligent, deep conversation and debate and the company of good people. I have a daily spiritual practice which involves Yoga asanas, Buddhist ritual / liturgy, chanting, meditation and Reiki self-treatment. This helps keep me calm, centred and gives me a sense of inner peace, harmony and interconnection with the world around me. I do my best to limit my impact on the environment and lead an engaged, ethical lifestyle in line with my commitment to live a compassionate, non-violent life - avoiding harm to sentient beings and the environment. I try to support local businesses and farm shops (avoiding supermarkets as much as I can!) and make mindful choices about the products I buy and the companies I support. I’ve converted our back garden to a mini-allotment, growing potatoes, carrots, onions, peas and other bits and bobs! I went Vegetarian 28th July 2011 and hope to transition to Veganism in time. I’ve always felt an affinity with/reverence for nature. I’m never happier than when I’m surrounded by the natural environment, away from the busyness of everyday life. I love being near mountains, forests and/or the sea. I enjoy long walks in the Cheshire countryside with the obligatory stop at an old country pub with real ale, bare brick walls, wooden beams and an open fire! Getting off to the Scottish Highlands for a week is also hard to beat, I hope to retire up there some day! I’m interested in politics, with a particular interest in equality, diversity, sustainability, human rights / civil liberties and criminal justice. I’m a liberal / eco-Socialist and seem to swap and change between joining / supporting the Green Party and the Labour Party. I’ve lost some of my love of politics in recent years, as it all seems so ego-driven and negative sometimes. I feel it is better to promote positive values and policies than to fight against or attack what you do not like. …If all of that makes me sound very serious, you should be advised that when I’m not debating politics, extolling the benefits of eco-communalism, steady state economics or the transformative nature of accepting your present moment reality, I can often be found dancing around the kitchen, improvising odes to the beauty and wonder of my wife’s bottom…
