Slowing down to save the planet: A manifesto for mindful living

With themes such as slow food, slow health, slow fashion, slow work, and slow democracy, this book offer practical actions for a more mindful daily life

Slow Living: What You Can Do About Climate Change

By Vandana Shiva and Shreya Jani

Published by Roli Books

312 pages  ₹895

  Most of us go through life feeling stretched for time. This quiet exhaustion seems to shape how we work, relate to each other and treat the earth. Environmental thinker, activist, feminist and philosopher of science Vandana Shiva comes together with peace educator and cultural practitioner Shreya Jani to put together this book about the art of slowing down. With themes such as slow food, slow health, slow fashion, slow work, slow relationships, slow recreation and slow democracy, the book brings together facts, reflections and practical actions for daily life.

 

At the outset, the authors review 10 major differences between fast and slow living. “Understanding the interconnectivity of life and existence by reflective rather than reactive existence is the cornerstone of slow living,” they explain. Further, inclusive approach, care and compassion for all as well as being accountable to the earth is embedded in the slow life. “We measure success by how much can be done, rather than by what can be sustained,” the authors point out. Slowing down, on the other hand, offers us the chance to mend, realign and make life workable again, they add.

 

The authors write that the purpose of simple living is conscious consumption — decluttering one’s mind and space, and understanding what is important and what is not. It also extends to eating simple, home-cooked meals made with unprocessed, local and organic foods; spending more on local and fair trade products; and growing one’s own fruits and vegetables. When talking about slow clothing, the authors discuss fast fashion, which is pushing farmers to suicide, exploiting workers and creating huge piles of waste and landfills. “Slow clothing is wearing clothes as an expression of mindfulness of our relationship with all beings, an expression of our culture, and an expression of who we are,” write the authors, referring to Mahatma Gandhi, who took up the spinning wheel as a symbol for self-reliance, slow meditation, reflective action and dignity of labour.

 

Similarly, when talking about slow health, the authors mention the hidden pandemic in today’s world, known as “lifestyle diseases.” Slow culture, the authors explain, asks us to become more mindful and reflective in our journey in life and to think of the consequences of the way we consume, the way we relax, engage in leisure and celebrate life. “How you relax has a deep impact not only on your mental health but also on the future of the planet,” they write. The authors also talk about problems related to technology in the modern world, such as screen time. Further, the authors talk about a trend that is increasingly catching on these days — slow travel.

 

“A society based on fulfilling short-term desires, getting rid of the broken, refusal to mend things, and deep insecurity of not having enough will create relationships that mimic the same patterns,” write the authors in the chapter about slow relationships. Further, in the section on slow celebrations, the authors share tips on how one can organise sustainable celebrations. “Be conscious of your ecological impact while planning birthdays, weddings, family and friends’ reunions, or any celebration,” they write.

 

“Many of our current environmental problems arise out of seeing ourselves as separate from nature,” write the authors. In the chapter on slow health, the authors explain that our health and that of our planet are not separate from each other. A recent example of this is the Covid-19 pandemic, which was both a health and climate emergency. “Restoring our broken relationship with the earth and all its animate and inanimate beings is crucial to overcome the climate crisis,” write the authors. In this context, they also provide a companion planting and sowing chart to help readers create their own “Garden of Hope”.

 

In the chapter on slow knowledge, the authors offer a way by which we can challenge data mining. “Check your digital footprint periodically and ensure that your personal data is not being used to target you with propaganda and a consumerist lifestyle,” they advise. Similarly, the authors explain that slow economies mimic nature and are zero-waste economies. “They nourish, conserve and regenerate diversity in nature and in society,” they write. In this context, the authors also discuss the Gross National Happiness index.  

 

“Slow democracy is the practice of sharing the earth’s gifts, her ecological space, with all beings and using the earth’s resources within ecological limits and planetary boundaries,” write the authors. They explain that grandmothers and the elders are the best link and the true source of biodiversity and historical wisdom of human culture. “When we choose ‘slow’, we choose quality over quantity,” conclude the authors.

 

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The reviewer is a New Delhi-based freelance writer