Modern humans have drifted far away
from their roots, in terms of lifestyle. Humans developed tools, systems,
culture, and rules unique to different societies. However, some of them cause
more harm than good.
We live our lives, bound by rules
dictated by the law or culture of the society we live in. We sit in chairs with
backrests for long periods of time, hurting our postures, causing us chronic
back pain problems. Some of us lead sedentary lives. We set the alarm clock to
wake us up for work instead of allowing our bodies to wake up naturally. We
turn on electrical lights at night so that we can work or play longer, instead
of getting much-needed sleep. We cook animal-based foods that release harmful
carcinogens. We enslave animals and subject them to immense cruelty for the
sake of our taste buds. We manufacture processed foods in the name of
convenience and cost-saving, at the expense of our health.
Societies begin accepting what is
wrong as right eventually. In some societies, squatting in public is looked
upon as uncouth, when squatting is the natural resting state of humans, and
sitting on man-made chairs with backrests that give rise to a multitude of back
problems is not. Raw vegan or fruit-based diets are looked upon as crazy or
extreme. There should be nothing extreme about choosing to eat a natural diet,
free from processing or cooking. No other animals in the natural world cook
their food. We acquire and hoard things that provide little or no value to our
lives in our homes. We get bogged down and distracted by these clutter, and
yet, clutter would almost always find their way into our homes and lives. The
materialistic pursue high-end possessions for the sake of their egos or in an
attempt to fill up some void in their lives. No animals of the same species in
a natural setting would look vastly different from one another, in terms of
physiques, yet, it is extremely common for humans, due to unnatural diets and
lifestyles. I am not referring to people with medical issues, like thyroid
abnormality, but the mass majority of otherwise healthy people.
To make a change towards natural
living means to be a rebel. Being a minimalist, a raw vegan or a fruitarian, a
naturalist who goes without clothes, someone who wishes to live in a natural
environment, away from big cities and towns, or someone who opts to squat
rather than sit to eliminate, means to go against the norm of most societies.
There will be obstacles set in place by society to stop one from pursuing these
freely. Vegan restaurants are not aplenty, and some restaurants do not have
vegan alternatives for the budding vegan. A nudist would get arrested in most
countries in the world. There are few places on Earth left suited to humans to
live fully or mostly natural lives. Difficulty in traveling and borders and
rules set by countries make it even more difficult. One cannot simply get a
plane ticket to somewhere remote to lead a reclusive life if one desires that,
as there are rules regarding traveling and staying set by countries. In some
countries, sitting toilets are the norm. One would not be able to have the
option of eliminating naturally, in the squatting position, unless he chooses
to squat on the toilet bowl, which frankly, is extremely inconsiderate for
other people.
All these obstacles make it
difficult for a modern human to seek a fully-natural lifestyle for oneself. One
would have to seek natural living to the best of his or her ability, within the
constraints of his or her immediate environment.
