Today we are launching a different kind of blog post. We are asking people whom we find inspirational to share with us their “rewilding” experiences and tell us how they put the eight rewilding steps in practice (or not) towards a healthier, wilder, and freer lifestyle. If you haven’t downloaded the “Return to Your Natural State in Eight Rewilding Steps” guide, do it now. Your wild(er) self will be grateful.
We kick off this new direction with a person who has been inspiring us for many years. She is an open-minded visionary, an energetic, hard worker, very generous and creative, writer of many simple but practical books filled with plenty of good advice on vegetarian cooking.
Let’s find out more about Ana Moreno
Ana Moreno is Director of the Master in Vegetarian Cuisine and Nutrition at Escuela de Cocina Vegetariana www.escueladecocinavegetariana.com in Madrid. She is also Director of the radio program Café Morenini www.cafemorenini.com.
Her passion is to serve and teach those who like to give more meaning to their actual lifestyle by becoming a vegetarian nutrition expert, whether that be for proper health issues or for becoming a nutrition professional to inspire others. She is the author of more than 30 books, her most recent one, Liquidarianos, available on Amazon.
Ana’s wild side and the 8 Steps to Rewilding
- Eating as a hunter-gatherer: Look for food in its purest and most natural and unprocessed state; forget about wrapped and labelled food and go local and seasonal. Be reasonable when it comes to portions and cherish the food and the company. Don’t forget about the water, look for a close by spring.
Ana: I have my own ecological garden, and I follow the “diet of joy.” I learned that if you don’t to eat with pleasure and joy it is better not to eat! Eating with joy means doing it seated – slowly, tasting the food, and being grateful for the sources.
- Moving like a hunter-gatherer: Reintroduce movements that are characteristic of the human body. Walk, run, sprint (barefoot when you can), jump, balance, move on all four, lift heavy weights, and swim. Try to sit as little as possible.
Ana: I don’t work out, but the least you can say is that I am active. I am always moving around. I walk a lot, and when at home – in the garden or patio and wherever possible – I walk barefoot. I adore going for a walk in the beautiful woods only five minutes from my house.
- Sleeping like a hunter-gatherer: Sleep at the beat of the circadian rhythm whenever possible. Wake up at dawn, and wind down in the evening. Put out the lights, start disconnecting all the electronic devices, and avoid sleeping while surrounded by them. Your sleeping place should inspire you to relax and induce sleep.
Ana: I used to be a night person, but I managed to change my habits. Today my rhythm is led by the sun. I love to wake up at 7 a.m., and I start preparing for a good night’s sleep at about 10 p.m.
- Relaxing and playing like a hunter-gatherer: Leave stress behind and dedicate enough time to relax (this does not include watching TV or playing PlayStation). Spend time reading, do a light physical workout, meet up with friends, or enjoy nature. Don’t forget to play (with your kids whenever possible). And last but not least, humour is a great way of relaxing.
Ana: I play a lot while working, because I love joking and doing funny things in the middle of the work day. For relaxation, I love massages, lying on my sofa or bed to read a book or hugging the people I love.
- Disconnecting and reconnecting: Refuse to be bombarded by all the kinds of electronic devices surrounding you. Reduce your time watching TV, and take off your watch. Make time to disconnect, and don’t give in to the many possible excuses. Once disconnected, make time to reconnect with your (wilder) self, and listen to your inner voice. Start to really know yourself. Discover what your real desires and goals in life are. Find out what your mission is on this planet.
Ana: Yessss! I like that! Three or four times a year, I do a detox retreat of 7-15 days, mostly outside Spain, somewhere close to nature, connecting with the elements. During the weekends that I don’t work, I love to dedicate my time fully, 100% to someone else. Sunday is me time. I usually take my “spiritual reflections notebook” and make adjustments in my life.
- Going outdoors: Spend as much time as possible outdoors.
Ana: Whenever I can, I like to spend time outside, and when possible, at the beach. In Madrid, I love to have breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors in my garden.
- Observing: Stop thinking that all that surrounds you is evident and logical. Start listening once again to the singing of the birds. Try to learn and recognize the different species by their song. Learn about the plants and trees in your area. Observe animals and learn from them. Discover your totem animal – the animal that inspires you, gives you strength and teaches you things. Don’t forget to observe other people to better understand your own feelings thoughts and perceptions. What you see in them, you see in yourself.
Ana: I do observe my garden, and learn from the plants. I also love to observe and learn from my cats; they are authentic and confident.
- Learning bushcraft and survival skills: Returning to our natural state requires relearning a minimum of technical bushcraft and survival skills in order to be able to enjoy more time in nature in the most comfortable way. The ancestral techniques of bushcraft and survival are meant to cover our basic needs such as food, water and shelter. Even more important, they teach us the difference between the essential and the superficial.
Ana: This sounds great, but I have no experience in that field at all. I would love to learn some of that stuff.
Thank you so much Ana for showing us your wilder side. We extend to you a warm invitation to join us on our next rewilding adventure! You seem to have the basic ideas behind bush crafting down already, and you will be a quick learner.
A hug!
Where to find Ana:
Email: ana@anamoreno.com
Web: www.escueladecocinavegetariana.com
Radio: www.cafemorenini.com
Blog: www.flexivegetarianos.com
Twitter: @AnaMorenini