10 ways to recognize our enormous ego

The ego is a huge entity that lives within us, controls us and pretends to be us.

Realizing this transformative truth is the first step towards consciously destroying our ego.

It might seem like an easy task at first, as each defines the ego in a different way. Some claim the ego is only about greed, therefore if we stop being greedy, we have successfully diminished our ego. Others link the ego to being dramatic or solely negative, so putting on a happy face would be a way to put down the ego.

However, just when we think we have come a long way, something will happen that will trigger our ego again. Only when the ego resurfaces, we realize that we did not destroy it, but that it was there all along, dormant.

Below are ten signs that show that not we, but our ego is still in control.

1. The urge to prove ourselves right.

When we engage in arguments, the ego continually has the urge to speak and prove others wrong.

One of the symptoms is an uncontrollable impatience when someone else is talking. Our pulse rises and we are eager to interrupt the other person. Making the other person feel he has lost an argument, gives our ego immense pleasure; most of the time we don’t stop until we reach that stage of satisfaction.

2. Not accepting criticism.

We live in a world where we are more likely to be criticized than complimented.

Someone might criticize our lifestyle, our habits, our body or even our way of talking. The ego instantly surfaces when we hear something that threatens our self-image.

As a defense, we subconsciously judge the other to be ignorant and unaware.

3. Impatience.

This might seem like a normal habit when in fact it is one of the ego’s sneaky traits.

The ego is in a constant rush. And though the universe tells us to slow down in many mysterious ways, we remain impatient in our endeavors. Inside each of us lies the voice of reason. Despite the fact that it is quite loud, we deliberately choose to ignore it and go ahead with what the ego is whispering.

4. Being dramatic.

The other day a friend of mine told me something which I find very true: “It’s sad how people always think that drama is what makes our life story. Everyone has a story to tell, why can’t it be a happy one?”

Our ego adores drama and just like my friend said, if we don’t have something hideous or depressing to tell, we consider our story insignificant.

One morning, the favorite cup we’ve been drinking from for the past six years might fall and break into pieces. We can get another cup, finish our tea peacefully and enjoy the change. Or we can curse our luck and lament the loss. The ego goes for choice number two.

5. Talking about ourselves at the wrong time.

Haven’t we all experienced, at least once in our life, that when a friend with a problem opens up to us and starts pouring out his heart, we project the problem onto our own and end up telling our story instead of listening to our friend? Notice the first thing we say upon hearing about someone else’s issues: “The same happened to me!”

We subconsciously think we are helping by telling we were in that same situation before. But the truth is that our ego is tricking us into becoming a victim with a problem again.

The best thing to do in such cases, is go light on our own words. We should pause for a moment before going on about our own problem. We should try to forget about telling our story and instead listen to the other person’s story and give them some direct advice.

6. Holding grudges against someone.

Life is a series of disappointments; it is a fact which we can’t ignore. Not everyone is kind to us and not everyone treated us the way we deserve. Yet, forgiving those who did that to us is a solid test to see if our ego is actually still in control.

Sometimes we think that we have reached a stage of utter peace with everyone. But in time, an event, often a disappointment of some kind, will happen and to pinch us awake to prove us wrong.

The ego loathes forgiveness. It can’t take being rejected, ignored, unloved, disrespected or taken for granted. Therefore we hold grudges and turn a deaf ear to the voice of reason which is saying out loud: “forgive.”

7. Thinking we’re omniscient.

“The wise speaks less” is an aphorism I highly believe in. If we think we’re knowledgeable and publicly claim it, we most likely are not. No one is a know-it-all. No matter how much experience we have or how many books we read, it is highly unlikely we will ever reach the stage of exaltation.

The ego despises humbleness. Therefore believing that we are all born the same is a hazardous threat to the ego’s identity.

8. Competing to be the best.

This problem has serious effects on mankind. It has driven people away from their real goals and their real dreams. Sometimes our dream is different than our friend’s, a family member’s or even a celebrity’s! But we are unaware that our ego has the urge to compete with other people’s careers and dreams.

As a result we end up doing something we don’t really like just because we think that our true goal is inferior in other people’s eyes.

9. Blaming others.

Imagine a world in which people admit where they went wrong. How beautiful would that world be?

Our ego hates to take responsibility for any of its wrongdoings. Hence we put the blame on others and convince ourselves that we are absolutely right.

10. Thinking we are not good enough.

Everyone’s personality and character is a mixture of positive and negative traits.

I can wake up one day, look into the mirror and say that I’m kind, good to others, a good friend, thoughtful and generous. While the next day I feel I’m unstable, stubborn, selfish, not good enough and not trustworthy.

The ego would definitely not emphasize the benign traits. Again, it needs a story to tell, and in order to tell that story it needs proof to support its statement. Thinking we are not good enough is an excuse that our ego creates to stop us from thriving in our life. It prevents us from going forwards; its main aim is to keep us where we are.

Despite being an enormous entity, the ego can be very sneaky. It takes time to deal with it and acknowledge it. Only once we are aware of its destructive patterns, do we stop procrastinating improvement.

The first step is recognizing its ruthlessness, the second is paying attention to when it arises and third is willing to no longer succumb to its powers.

This article can also be found on Elephant Journal. 

Are you a traveler or a tourist?

A “traveler” and a “tourist” are just titles that we give to people who travel. At the end of the day both had the courage to book a ticket and step outside their comfort zone. Some would even have the nerve to say that a traveller is a ‘pretentious tourist’. Regardless, we can’t deny that there are some fairly major differences that distinguish a traveller from a tourist.

1. Planning.

When it comes to planning, a tourist has almost everything planned. Be it the places or the hotel, all is considered in advance.

On the contrary, a traveler has almost nothing planned. It is in the nature of travelers to plunge in the element of surprise and uncertainty. Exploring alone without any agency or someone’s help is key for a traveler.

2. Connection with the locals.

Tourists roughly connect with locals due to many reasons. The main reason is the places they visit which are practically touristic–which means they are abundant in foreigners but deficient in locals.

The secondary reason is their lack of interest to actually meet locals–mainly because they don’t have enough time; they rather focus on the places and the history of the country than its people.

While tourists merely meet locals, travelers’ utmost interest is connecting with them. First they have enough time and second it is part of the whole traveling experience.

Somehow, travelers will need locals along their way and this in return will indirectly allow them to meet them. Being sort of nomads and far from planning, they need to ask about certain locations, transportation means and guest houses. And who does it better than a local?

3. Tourist places.

Tourists visit touristic places due to their cultural value. Since they don’t have enough time to explore all the country’s pivotal point attractions, they choose the ones with the most historical significance.

Travelers mainly stay away from those typical places as they love to visit locations not really explored.

4. Immersing in the culture.

Tourists try to immerse in the country’s culture as much as they can with the amount of time they have. They do it out of experience and curiosity.

Travelers do it out of experience and curiosity as well yet they love to delve in it more as it becomes an inherent part of them. It isn’t just an experience that passes by for travelers.

Whether the food, the language, the lifestyle or the clothes which locals wear, travelers become part of the culture even after leaving the country.

5. Goals are different.

As I mentioned above, both travelers and tourists book a ticket to travel to a different time zone; this, is solely fantastic. But each one of them is doing it for different purposes.

This point in fact, depends on the person. But mainly, everyone needs to travel to have some sort of an escape, to experience being alive again and to taste irreplaceable freedom.

Tourists travel and do experience the above yet as soon as the vacation is over they get back to the life they had before getting on the plane.

Travelers on the other hand not only experience escape, life and freedom, but they use it in order to change their life. Most of them do not get back to the life they lived before; there will be major altering in their lifestyles.

6. Time traveled.

Tourists usually have little time when abroad. It can range from seven to 20 days. They can’t travel more than this duration in one single month as they have jobs and responsibilities to get back to.

Travelers don’t set time for their trips. They can range from weeks to months without any specific date to return.

7. The look tells a lot.

You can always differentiate a traveler from a tourist.

Tourists usually dress the way they do in their hometown. You see them holding cameras, guides and maps. And more obviously they are rarely alone; usually with groups or at least with three other persons.

Travelers most of the time dress more loosely than tourists and mostly like locals. They never rely on guides and rarely on maps; their best guide are the locals. Few are the travelers who travel in large groups as they don’t deal with any agencies. They either go alone or with one or two individuals who fit into their lifestyle.

After all, you are the only one who can decide whether you wish to be a traveler or a tourist. Either way, it doesn’t really matter as long as travel brings you happiness and change.

At the end of the day, those who travel aren’t seeking to arrive at a particular destination somewhere in the world; their only true destination is inner transformation and peace.

This article can also be found on Backpackr. 

8 Lessons that travel teaches you

We all know that travelling is transformative. We simply can’t deny that travel teaches us what college never did–and never will. The lessons are endless yet there are eight which I cannot but tackle.

1- Independence.

When you are away from home, you are basically away from friends, family and every other person you know. You don’t have someone to call if you’re in trouble or sick; you are on your own. This might seem like a spooky idea at first, but once experienced it is highly beneficial. When you have no one or anything around to be dependent on, you learn to become independent yourself.

2- Change is vital.

To travel is to change. Whether it’s your bed or your whole country, there is an enormous change that it’s taking place. This in return, will let you see how life operates. Everything changes but we always resist it and try to take control over things. Be it ourselves or life situations, we constantly seek the old habits. Travel teaches you that it’s beautiful to experience change and once you do, you will instantly adapt, seeking more change in return.

3- Fear is a liar.

When you are experiencing an adventure outside your country, there is no place for fear. To fear is not to live your journey fully. When you travel you learn how much courageous you can be and your capabilities will constantly keep on shocking you.

4- Countries aren’t what people think they are.

Before travelling to Nepal this year, I was getting the same comments from almost everyone. They kept telling me how much dangerous the country was and how unsafe it is for a girl to go there. The negative thoughts which people tried to implement in my head instantly dropped the moment I set foot in Nepal.

Nepal is the most peaceful country one can ever be in. The locals are very friendly and I felt safer than home. Never believe someone who tells you about a country he never visited. Go and experience if for yourself.

5- Connecting with the other side of the world.

When you travel, you will meet local people and be introduced to their traditions. Once introduced to another culture than yours, you can’t but bond and connect with it. In return, it teaches you respect and appreciation to what they have. Connecting with locals and living with them is worth a hundred book of geography.

6- Adapting.

If you are a backpacker or a nomadic traveler, you will undoubtedly know what I’m talking about. Not all food will be tasteful and not all beds will be comfortable. Most of the days which a backpacker will encounter won’t be as expected–yet it doesn’t stop him.

When you travel–or mainly backpack–you will learn how to adapt to the worst conditions. When you do, you learn how to let go and utterly enjoy everything.

7- Living the moment.

The most exquisite thing about travelling is having no past or future. You are feverishly living your moment–something we are troubled with in our daily life. When on an adventure, you tend to enjoy every moment without worries or fears. The noisy pattern of thinking decreases and you find yourself delightfully basking in what life is throwing your way.

8- The person who set foot on foreign lands isn’t the same one who returned home.

As simple as this: Travel will change you; you won’t be the same person you were before. Every ticket you are buying, is basically another lesson for you.

This article can also be found on Backpackr.

7 Tips for meditation that actually work

People are being drawn into meditation now more than ever.

Whether done with a teacher or alone, we are always bewildered—we wonder if our meditation is fruitful and question if we’re doing it the right way.

Here are seven tips to start with before practicing your meditation.

1. Understand what meditation is.

Before sitting in Samadhi, we must understand it.

Meditating without understanding the purpose is like taking a course at a university without knowing what the talks are about.

Don’t listen to how other people are defining meditation. Experience it yourself.

The best cultivation we can get concerning this subject is from someone with a Buddhist background—the real purpose of meditation is understood by them. You can read books written by spiritual teachers or sit with a Buddhist monk/nun if you know any or crossed paths with them.

2. Don’t force yourself to meditate.

Meditation shouldn’t be turned into a homework that we despise doing; on the contrary, it must be something that we enjoy practicing.

If you wake up one day not being able to sit in Samadhi, then simply don’t.

Meditating—or any other activity, for that matter—if not done with love and enthusiasm, will sabotage the results and make the activity unenjoyable and elusive.

3. Set your goal.

Once we understand what meditation is and we’re comfortable doing it without pressure, it’s time to set our goal. You should ask yourself the following questions:

- Why am I meditating?

- How will meditation benefit me?

- How will meditation benefit people around me?

- Am I doing it for myself or for others? Or maybe both?

Realizing our true aim for meditation is vital.

Besides helping to get a better understanding of meditation, it will also help increase the desire to meditate—especially if for someone who is easily de-motivated.

4. Don’t force your mind too much.

The mistake most people make while meditating is expecting the mind to instantly become silent.

The mind is never still, it is in constant noise.

We shouldn’t try to silence that voice that’s always running in our head. Our mind is not a person, therefore commanding it to shut-up is like expecting a radio to lower its own volume on its own.

The secret is very simple: watch the thoughts instead of asking them or waiting for them to leave. Imagine that thoughts are like a bunch of batteries that will soon die. We should be the listener, see what’s going through our mind and don’t force it too much, or else it will become more noisy.

Once alert, watch how thoughts come in and out—they will decrease.

With no time, we can realize that this voice in our heads is just an illusion. Once we know that it’s powerless, we will be able to peacefully sit in Samadhi.

5. Don’t change your breathing.

Our breathing during meditation should be very light. Not too weak, not too strong. Not too short—not too long. If we try to alter our breathing or take control over it, we have lost the essence of meditation.

All we have to do is pay attention to our breathing.

Forget the rest of the body and only focus on the breath. We have to feel the air coming in from the tip of the nose all the way to the abdomen and then vice versa.

Don’t force it, let it be natural.

6. Know that the result is beyond words.

Meditation is not an accomplishment which we will later receive an award for.

At the beginning, we tend to ask questions abundantly. We will feverishly wait for tangible results and perhaps quit meditation if we haven’t seen any with time.

Meditate as if there is no outcome or result waiting somewhere in space and time. We will feel the results once we start meditating correctly, our questions will dwindle.

7. Be patient.

Patience is key in everything we do in life. It plays a major role in meditation, for we are dealing with an enormous entity called the “mind”.

Meditation is not something that can be accomplished over night ; it will take us months and years before starting to understand how to quietly sit in Samadhi.

Do not lose hope or quit too soon. Be patient and know that everyone is capable of meditating.

Meditation is one of the best tools to step into the realm of consciousness. Meditation not only charges us with enormous cosmic energy but it also helps us to find what lies behind our bodies and existence.

It helps us develop awareness and step away from the continuous destructive dialogue that is always running in our heads.

Once we are freed from that internal voice, we will tap into being. Besides the mind-body benefits, meditation offers us the greatest gift of all: inner peace and calmness. Something we all crave.

Editor: Emma Ruffin

This article can also be found on Elephant Journal.

The problem is we don't believe we're going to die

“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.” ~ Morrie Schwartz

Morrie said this from his death bed.

He was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal neurological disease that left him unable to even wear his own glasses. Words from a man who knows he has no more than five months to live, make us think deeply about life and death.

Looking at the world, we aren’t operating the way we must. Our most incessant problems reside within ourselves.

We worry too much.

We don’t take chances.

We exchange our dreams for big amounts of paychecks.

We hold grudges.

We procrastinate almost everything in our life and the result is one: in a few years we find ourselves way behind our youth and quote what Morrie Schwartz once said.

The problem is that we do not believe we are going to die.

We surely have the idea in our heads but it’s not mature enough to make us realize the impermanence of all compounded things.

So, what does this have to do with living?

Let’s suppose you were offered to spend one day in the house of your dreams. This house doesn’t necessarily have to be built of gold or furnished with the most expensive style. It might be an empty vintage house with only walls and a dusty floor—whatever it looks like, you have always dreamt of visiting this house.

However, you are told that you will be the last visitor as they will burn the house down the very next day.

Basically, you have 24 hours to spend a day in a house which will vanish forevermore. Once there, you will take every chance to explore all its corners and hidden secrets. You will step into the same room twice just so you can keep a virtual memory of it. You will meditate on the beautifully created ceiling and engross yourself in the exquisite smell of its stones.

Bottom line, you are technically benefiting from every moment for you know you’ll never have this chance ever again—the house is going down. You realize the impermanence of the house, therefore you truly live your present moment in it.

This is how we perceive things. The house is our life which is vanishing in any given moment (Morrie was lucky enough to actually know the time he had left). And instead of making the most out of it, we are undoubtedly making the worst out of it because in the back of our heads resides a thought of permanence.

Quoting Morrie Scwartz again, he says:

“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you’ll learn how to live.”

What’s actually happening is the opposite: we are trying to live and denying death. But have we ever thought that maybe if we keep the thought of death—impermanence—in our minds, we might actually start to live?

Listed are three points to help us overcome the subconscious thought of permanence and start our day as if it’s the last one on earth.

1. Watch impermanence everywhere.

To overcome the illusion of permanence, we must first acknowledge and observe impermanence so we can relate to it. This is not hard at all since it’s everywhere.

You can start by watching nature and animals. Flowers bloom during spring only to wither and die in winter. Trees look fascinating during summer but lifeless just a couple of months later.

A cat dies when crossing the road and millions of ants are being stepped on every day.

Even if you haven’t paid attention to this, you definitely noticed the amount of funerals you attend yearly. Humans just like you and I, are tucked away in coffins only to be forgotten few years later.

Take your life itself as an immense example. Your closet doesn’t have the same clothes it had five years ago. The job you are in wasn’t the same as last year’s. Your haircut changed at least twice during the past couple of months.

The list is abundant for impermanence resides everywhere; even in the silliest thing. All we have to do is pay attention to it then reflect it on ourselves.

When we see how everything will disintegrate, we will start to appreciate more, take chances more and love more.

Exercise: Dedicate a day for watching impermanence.

From the moment you wake up in the morning, start looking at everything as if it’s vanishing the very next day. While wearing your shoes, imagine that these shoes will become useless one day and you will throw them away. Indirectly, when you think of this, you will find pleasure in wearing the shoes like you never did before.

You can apply this exercise on everything. Not only will you develop an awareness of impermanence, you will abundantly enjoy everything and engross yourself in the present moment.

2. Apply the law of impermanence to your fellow human beings.

Just as we think our years are of longevity, we as well reflect it on others. This is the core issue of holding grudges, not appreciating certain people in our lives, developing hatred and losing people we took for granted.

We always tend to assume that our second chance is right the next door, but this isn’t the case.

Take an example of close people who have passed away. The moment we realize there is no second chance to see them again, we sink in the ocean of regrets. We regret not seeing them more often or loving them more or maybe seeing them more, only to remember that they are already gone and nothing can bring them back again.

And it’s not only about people who crossed over to another dimension, it’s about people who are still alive and taking them for granted. It can be a friend, a family member, a lover, a neighbor or someone you just met last night.

Whoever he or she is, we are operating with them out of a belief of permanence. We would like to believe that this person is immortal and we have enough time to love him and appreciate him.

Exercise: Look at everyone with eyes of impermanence.

As you walk out the door, kiss your mother or father goodbye as if you’ll never see them again.

Think of that one friend or lover whom you sabotaged your relationship with just for egocentric or silly reasons. Imagine yourself in their funeral and see what you will feel at that very moment.

This exercise not only helps in developing compassion towards others but it also helps us to regard ourselves as one with them.

3. Chase that dream of yours.

Just last week I booked my one way ticket to Asia for an unknown journey. Most of the people I’m encountering are telling me the same thing: “I wish I could do it.”

I said this line to myself for the past five years and I only grew unhappier and more miserable. And I know that I’ll never do it if I don’t do it now.

Just as I can come up with millions of excuses to keep myself safe in my own hometown and my own career, I can as well come up with millions of ways to make a dream of mine come true.

Only when we lose everything do we realize that there is nothing more to lose. And this is when we die to life and its situations and tap into living.

Exercise: Whatever you are delaying, is only eating at you.

My dream might be different than yours but we are sharing the same enthusiasm. Think of Morrie Schwartz and put yourself in his shoes.

Imagine dedicating your life to the wrong pursuits. Maybe you spent all your years working, making money and worrying about other’s happiness and comfort, only to find yourself in your sixties dying of ASL. Now where did all your money go? Probably hospitals and medications.

There are many reasons that keep us from doing what we truly want to do. Fear is one of them, worrying is another and lack of faith is the major one.

Try applying the law of impermanence and see how your perspective on things will change. Every single day remember that house of your dreams which you only have 24 hours to be in. You don’t want to lose one single second taking it for granted.

If we don’t take that life too seriously, we will be utterly liberated. Only then we will enjoy every moment and let go of our past conditioning.

Let impermanence be your daily good news!

Apprentice Editor: Kim Haas / Editor: Cat Beekmans

This article can also be found on Elephant Journal. 

Morrie not able to wear his own glasses

6 Things vegetarianism has taught me

The number of vegetarians is increasing daily all around the world.

People become vegetarians for many reasons. One reason however brings all vegetarians together: realizing the truth about the meat industry.

I have been a vegetarian for two years now and the main cause behind my dietary shift was to be more healthy. After realizing the antibiotics, toxins and the hundreds of other diseases that meat is packed with, I didn’t hesitate to take the path of vegetarianism.

At first, my reasons were clearly health oriented but as I stepped further into my new lifestyle, I have experienced countless other reasons which made me stick to my new way of life.

The following are six major areas of the life of a vegetarian:

1- Being a vegetarian is challenging.

We are dependent on meat and we won’t realize the abundance of this dependency until we spend a day without it. Depending on meat comes from our ancestors; they considered it a very crucial part of their daily diet.

And to stop this habit is challenging. Vegetarians must constantly eat food which is rich in protein and B-12, which are the most pivotal components in meat. Keeping this habit is hard at first, especially when we are used to eating chicken or meat whenever we feel hungry.

As a person who loves challenge and organization, I simply enjoy waking up every morning and deciding which food I am going to eat for the day. I enjoy calculating the weekly intake of proteins and Omega-3 and crossing off my list what I did or didn’t have each week.

2- The quality of energy in my body has changed.

There’s a quote that says “you are what you eat” and I didn’t really understand what it meant until I stepped away from the meat industry.

I can still remember how I used to feel after having a meal of chicken, meat or fish. I felt as if food was literally sitting in my esophagus. I felt really tired and I used to nap or just lay on the couch for hours waiting to digest. This, in return, used to turn me anxious and stressed.

The tables turned when I stopped having chicken and meat; I suddenly felt lighter. Digestion no longer tired me like before and I could do any activity after eating because I wasn’t unpleasantly full.

Linda McCartney, the animal rights activist once said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarians.”

Everybody knows that animals are not ignorant; they are emotional and intelligent creatures. Therefore they do feel pain and terror when they are dragged off to be slaughtered. Imagine knowing you will die in five minutes as someone leads you along by the neck. How would you feel? Of course, you would feel sadness, anger, fear and every other negative emotion.

This is exactly what the chicken or the cow is feeling before being slaughtered. And who’s sucking up all of these  negative emotions? We are when we eat the meat. No wonder we don’t feel very satisfied or pleasant after having a meal full of chicken, for instance.

On the other hand, the vegetables, grains and fruits we are enjoy are imbued with the sun’s energy, which is the strongest and cleanest energy on earth. Therefore we feel light and digest in an uncomplicated way.

3- Not following the norm.

The problem with most of the people in the world today is that they are wearing a blindfold and walking with the rest of the sheep. When we see everybody in the universe doing one thing, we assume it is the right way of doing it regardless of our own view.

People have eaten meat for many thousands of years. We see our family following a certain way of eating and so we follow it ourselves. Becoming a vegetarian is stepping out of the norm. It’s having your own views and making your own decisions even if they are far different from those of your family and community.

4- Feeling compassionate towards animals.

Certain people become vegetarian for this common reason and others just because it’s healthier. As I said, I am doing this for health reasons. Yet, with time, when you stop eating another creature’s rotten meat, you tend to feel compassion and love towards all kinds of animals. This may lead to learning what happens in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

And once you know the truth about the meat industry and how animals are treated there, the meat you are chewing is no longer enjoyable like before.

5- Love of cooking.

I am someone who hated cooking years ago. I imagined myself doing anything in this world but cooking! Yet when I became a vegetarian––in a family which still consumes meat––it was a bit hard to prepare more than two meals a day (one for me and one for the rest of the family).

This was a push for me to actually step into the kitchen and start learning. It was borne out of necessity, but soon became a passion of mine.

Vegetarianism taught me how to cook. With time, it turned into a beautiful routine to discover new recipes that include the entire daily intake of the essential nutrients my body should consume.

6- Affecting other people.

Everywhere in the world when one individual is doing something unusual you will see other individuals getting involved. Maybe I couldn’t affect people to actually become vegetarians, but I did indirectly affect them by shedding light on the matter.

I remember the consuming of meat in my house was way higher two years ago. Now my family is more attentive to how much fish or chicken they have.

Same goes for my friends who go out with me. They find themselves having less meat or none at all. And the beautiful thing about it is that I never open the subject unless someone asks me how or why I decided to become a vegetarian. Therefore, people are being affected by simply watching my way of life and seeing the immense benefits.

Editor: Travis May

This article can also be found on Elephant Journal.  

The pros and cons of Holi Festival

The Holi festival, also known as the festival of colors, is a Hindu religious festival where people celebrate colors, love and spring.

According to the legend, “Holi” is derived from the word “Holika.” Holika is the sister of Prahlad, who is the son of the demon king Hiranyakashyap. Hiranyakashyap attempted to kill his own son for not worshiping him.

The legend ends by Holika saving her brother from their father’s cruelty with the blessing of Lord Naarayana. Therefore, Holi is originally celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

Holi is celebrated all over the world, but mainly in Nepal and India where it originated. The celebration is pouring water and colors all over each other. It is mainly done by exchanging greetings as, “Happy Holi” and applying colors on the face or the body while doing so.

This year, Holi took place on March 16th across Nepal and India and as I spent one month in Nepal, I planned my trip accordingly. I have got to say that being part of the Holi festival in Nepal was one of the most astonishing experiences I have ever had.

The whole country prepares itself one day before the festival. When you wake up the next morning, you can see that all the stores and offices are closed in order to celebrate this festival––and of course to save their commodities and wares from the colored powder.

As much as I enjoyed it, at particular moments the festival got me pretty frustrated. If you’re attending Holi festival next year or anytime in the near future, you must acknowledge the reality of being there during this time.

The Pros:

Playing with colors is fun. Painters will undoubtedly know what I mean. As a painter myself, I utterly enjoy the feel of paint on my hands. Imagine you have an endless background of play that is full of colors. The sight of it is solely breathtaking. You will feel like a child again, running all over the streets pouring powder on other people and running away from the heavy bags of water. It’s like a colorful battlefield and you are six again!

You feel one with everyone else. In our daily life we tend to operate on a duality basis. When someone passes across the street, we exchange those arrogant looks and create a whole judgmental scenario in our heads. During the Holi festival you won’t witness this kind of behavior whatsoever. Everyone is friends with everyone else and nobody is selective in their play; at the end of the day, you will meet more people than you can imagine.

You will experience true letting go. When we first went down on the street, we were indirectly protective. I remember I shouted at a local guy who poured the very first color on my shirt. And as we walked the next 15 minutes, I noticed that I left all my rings, bracelets and necklaces on—including my Mala. But once I observed how the locals were enjoying the moment, not really minding where the colors were sprouted, I truly let go and enjoyed the moment myself. Letting go and getting immersed in the experience is what truly made it beautiful.

You will feel unity. The greatest thing about the Holi festival is seeing unity all around. Unlike how the world is currently operating, you can actually see people with the same happiness sharing the same experience. It was immense to see how colors and joy can reunite a whole country.

The streets look magical when Holi ends. If there is one thing I truly enjoyed when the Holi ended it’s the street. You will literally see the country painted and as you walk you will feel yourself walking in a Renaissance painting. As a result of washing the road with all the colors sprouted on it, it will magically take the color of purplish red.

The Cons:

The play can get really vulgar. I honestly didn’t see that coming as we were moving forward to Durbar Square. Despite the fact that running away from water bags is fun, it is as dangerous as hell. As you walk down the street, you will catch heavy bags of water being thrown by the local women from the rooftops. I literally felt I was fighting in a battlefield; I remember holding my head between my hands and hiding in building entrances every five steps.

The color black is not as friendly as you think it is. The colors which the locals will sell you are mainly yellow, purple, blue, orange, red and green. But somehow, you will see local gangs all dressed the same, with the color black and they will try their best to attack you with it. I, myself, was attacked with it many times and pouring more colors on top of it won’t help decrease it in any way. If not from the teeth, I wouldn’t be seen.

The shower that follows the Holi festival. It was the longest and hardest shower I ever took in my entire life. I spent almost two-and-a-half hours trying to remove colors off my body. And the sad news is that they won’t be removed completely. The powder on my nails stuck there for a month and even after a couple of months I was finding red and green on my hair. The second bit of sad news is how the bathroom will look like after the shower––you will be present in another Renaissance painting––and cleaning it is a great hustle.

The streets can get really slippery. I recall that I almost fell many times and I didn’t realize how dangerous that was until I read the newspaper the second day. One local girl died as a result of slipping and one boy fell off the roof of his house as he was throwing bags of water from up above.

Lethargy is what you will feel after the festival. After many hours of play and two-and-a-half hours in the shower, you will be drained of energy. I spent the next day resting in my room…actually the next two days.

Tips if you’re attending a Holi festival:

• Wear something which you won’t be wearing again.
• Wear something white as the colors will stick on it and give a fantastic piece of art later.

• Keep the clothes you wore as a memory. For more exquisite results, wash them; they will give a vintage effect and then you can wear them again.

• Close your eyes and mouth when someone is pouring powder on your face. The taste can get really nasty and your vision will go blurry.

• If you’re celebrating Holi in the East and don’t wish to be sprouted with water, just say to whoever is approaching you “no water please.”

• Do not take your phone or digital camera with you, unless they are protected and covered. The best camera to bring down is a Gopro.

• You will find the powder being sold by the locals all over the street. One bag is around 65RPS; which is equal to 0.65$ in Nepalese Rupee and 1$ in Indian Rupee.

The Holi festival in 2015 is taking place on March 6th across Nepal and India. Enjoy the experience!

Editor: Travis May

This article can also be found on Elephant Journal.

Holi Festival at Kathmandu, Nepal March 2014