Slow Talks: starting Slow Living, challenges, & what makes it worth the while

Episode #3: Chesica & fellow Substack author, Emily Male, exchange questions & answers regarding Slow Living.

Slow Talks is a new(ish) series I’m incorporating as a way to highlight other great minds in the slow living and natural health community. This week I corresponded with

Emily Male

of Generousity of Spirit on aspects of Slow Living in each of our lives. I hope our exchange will bring you inspiration on your own slow journey!

From Emily:

My name is Emily, and I am 36 and I live in Norwich with my Husband, Bear, in a small 130+ year old Victorian City home. I am a writer and Slow and Gentle Living advocate - I write Generosity of Spirit - a place dedicated to exploring all things slow and gentle, alongside some cosy bookish/reading content as well as insights into ‘a writer’s life’. Please do come over and say hi, look around a little - you are very welcome.

I love living in the city, but I love nature too– so any chance we get, my Husband and I can be found escaping the city for a cottage in the countryside as often as we can! I am a Philosophy graduate, and I have worked for seventeen years in Theatre and the Arts (not on stage!). I value peace, kindness and balance. I live with anxiety -which has really shaped most of my adult life. I am an introvert, and I love being at home.

I have been vegan for about five years, and I absolutely love being in the kitchen, and cooking plant-based food. I also have a Diploma in Plant Based Nutrition. And my writing started there, with food content!

At this moment, in my life I am embracing my writing with more confidence, stepping into my light, and creating a gentle space for people to explore Slow Living. I LOVE Substack, it is a real source of inspiration, encouragement and joy for me ... and I am so excited to be here and connect with as any like-minded and curious souls as possible just like Chesica! I am thrilled to have this opportunity to chat with Chesica and share more about how Slow Living found and changed our lives!

Thank you for having me Chesica!

Emily’s questions for Chesica

1. Can you explain what brought you to Slow Living, and how you first came across the idea?

Growing up on a small farm in a rural part of the Pacific Northwest, many aspects of slow living were naturally a part of everyday, though we never called our lifestyle by any name. Also, it wasn’t always intentional - in many ways rustic living forces you into a slower pace, because much of the work is outdoors, in cooperation with animals and the elements. This was also before the days of high speed internet, so there wasn’t much outside “rat race” influence. We had modern luxuries, such as a computer and television, but they were enjoyed sparingly for entertainment mostly. I think this made a lifelong impression on me of what the pace and dominating thoughts and emotions in life ought to be. Now, as an adult, I’m most at peace when my life mirrors that of my childhood: plenty of time outside in nature and among animals, meaningful (often physical) work, taking and enjoying rest on a regular basis.

I first came across the idea of slow living while in California, where self-care and connection to nature are celebrated. From there, I’ve shared on how my move to Germany and life as a new mother have evolved my own version of slow living and I’m happy to say that it continues to organically unfold.

One of my last hikes in California before moving to Germany

2. Do you believe Slow Living is for everyone?

Yes, I do - for those who really want it, anyway. Some have suggested that slow living is only for the privileged and I can see why, however, as I explain in this reflection, I think of slow living as a philosophy and a guide, rather than a specific set of circumstances or the participation in certain practices. I truly believe it can and should be moulded to each individual.

3. What are your favourite Slow Living Hobbies?

I love to observe the outdoors and especially animals - whether a mountainside vantage point, just laying in the grass in my own garden watching the birds, or being out in the pasture with horses.

I also love to cook and make art:

Experimenting with culinary flavours from around the globe, feeding my family, and converting traditional recipes into healthy whole-food versions, especially when it comes to sweet and treats, is something that enjoy as a slow and mindful process. I especially love working with fresh foods and wild foraged herbs - it really gets all my senses involved and makes me feel in tune with the season.

Summer strawberry salad & my homemade raw vegan cheezcake.

As for art: My longest-standing creative passions have been watercolour and paper collage. I often make cards for friends and loved ones.

4. Can you share some challenges you face when trying to live slowly?

It’s difficult to live in a place that subscribes to hectic modern culture - while I was fortunate to grow up on a farm and experience a more natural, tranquil pace, I currently live near a city of over a million inhabitants and that buzz of hustle culture is constantly there. While walking in the woods, I can still hear the noise of the Autobahn and sirens from the city and I notice in conversations with locals that their focus and experience is largely shaped by the city too. While it’s not feasible or even ideal for all, I find living in a rural place beckons more of a sense of time a plenty and freedom from expectations - it changes the way people act, think, and do.

5. If there was one element of Slow Living you could wave a wand and give to everyone what would it be?

The peace that comes from a true connection with nature and feeling to be a part of it. I truly believe that we were created to live in commune with nature and while some years ago I probably wouldn’t have understood what exactly “being connected to nature” really meant for my life, I’m now so grateful for the meaning and small joys it brings to everyday life.

Chesica’s questions for Emily:

1. Can you tell a bit about your personal journey towards adopting a slow living lifestyle? What inspired you to make this change? (Were there any pivotal moments in your life that you want to share)?

   I first came across slow living a couple of years ago, when doing some research for one of my blogs – the more I read and explored, the more I realised it could be everything I had been looking for as a philosophy and foundation for how I wanted to live my life. My own journey towards adopting a slow living lifestyle has been long, hard but ultimately deeply transformative and life-affirming. It is punctuated by four significant moments or experiences. Firstly, meeting Bear (my Husband) and creating a wonderful life together. Secondly, living with and learning to manage my anxiety. Thirdly, the sudden loss of my mother, when I was twenty-seven and she was just fifty-two. And lastly, the discovery of slow living and choosing to adopt it as a guiding philosophy. All of these experiences changed my life in almost every conceivable way, but adopting slow living has been the biggest blessing I could have hoped for.

2. What inspired you to make this change? (Were there any pivotal moments in your life that you want to share)?

   After the loss of my mother and struggling with my anxiety and mental health for a really long time, I finally asked for help in November 2019. I took some time out from life and work. I really went to ground and had to figure out how to build myself back up again. I knew there was no short cut, and I made a promise to myself to do the work. To take my time, get to know myself and rebuild my life in a way that really supported and nourished me. Slow and gentle living as a guiding philosophy was born out of that desire. I came across it slowly, and I really gravitated towards it as a way of life. In a lot of ways, I think it found me, and I felt immediately like I was in the right place. The more I leaned into slow living, the better I felt. It has taken time, but I know my life has changed for the better since I made these changes.

3. Slow living goes by many definitions and is unique to each person. How do you define and practice it?

   I use slow and gentle living as a guiding philosophy. I focus on four main principles- mindfulness, gratitude, simplicity, and generosity. This has given me the opportunity to disconnect from the noise of the world and find a deeper sense of contentment and gratitude. I found when I slowed down, and practiced being gentler with myself, I felt safer and so became calmer, and more motivated and productive than ever before. Over time, my confidence has grown, and I have found a way to encourage and protect peace and calm in my life. It helps me live more mindfully, and connect more meaningfully and authentically with who I really am. I feel lighter, happier and more open. There are so many ways I practice slow living – I guess my biggest channels for living slowly can be found in a lot of my interests…reading, writing, connecting with nature, cooking, embracing creativity and in getting to know myself and allowing myself to live a life that feels authentic to me (embracing my introversion!).

4. Tell me more about how cooking is a part of your slow routine? You mentioned being vegan?

   I have been vegan for about five years now, and one of my favourites ‘slow hobbies’ is cooking – I love being in the kitchen and enjoying the process of creating and sharing meals. I used to feel really intimidated by cooking and was really fearful of getting things wrong and making a mess – but again, through slow living – I have found my confidence and now, I love nothing more than a slow afternoon experimenting with beautiful food in my kitchen.

5. Do you feel that it requires extra effort to live this way and if so, what makes it worth while to you?

   One of the many reasons I am so attracted to slow living is that it is impossible to truly live slowly without becoming aware of your emotional, psychological, and physical wellbeing. Slow and gentle living asks us to slow down and notice – look at what you are doing and why. This can lead to more challenging periods of time and a great deal of effort, in which you are adjusting how you live, in order to support yourself better. There is no short cut towards self-discovery, and it is completely unique for everyone. It is essentially, taking the time to learn about yourself, connect with your authentic self – your values, beliefs, motivations and more. It is the peeling back of your layers, your memories, what makes you, you. It is the process of understanding and loving yourself. It goes deep, it is long, and requires a lot of work and vulnerability. However, it is some of the most important work you can do. I believe slow living asks this of us, and this isn't easy. For me I have always looked at as a guiding philosophy and as such, I feel like I learn and grown and move alongside it. The work is so worth it, to uncover this gentle, slow and calm way of life.

   

   Emily of Generosity of Spirit

---

Thank you for reading!

If you enjoyed this, please let us know by liking & sharing it! 💖