I thought I knew all of the low fat raw vegan teachers out there, but Swayze was kind enough to introduce me to a few new ones in this post.

Chris Kendall, what a ball of joy. I aspire to enjoy my bananas as much as he does, and his precious little niece made me laugh harder than I've laughed in a long time.

I loved reading Ellen Livingston's account of fasting in Costa Rica with Doug Graham, and I had a big a-ha moment when I read this passage...

"I begin to turn further inward today, and become uncomfortably aware of how much in my life I have identified with the emotion of sadness, and the experience of suffering. This has become a part of me that does not want to leave easily. It's been my companion, however self-destructive; sadness and suffering have become experiences that I can deeply connect with, and their depth has often given me a welcome experience of aliveness. What I want now is to feel that aliveness, that depth of emotion, through joy instead of through sorrow. I want joy, happiness, peace, easefulness, restfulness, vibrancy, and health to be my constant companions now. I am not afraid of sorrow and suffering, I just want to release my lingering identity with them and make more room for joy to be dominant."

Ellen Livingston

Yes, exactly! Somehow this inner part of me that clings to the identity of suffering does not believe I can survive without her. "It's a cruel world," she warns. "You'll get your heart broken."

I think it's worth the risk.