Soul People | Rosie Parton

What role does the ocean play in your work and life? 

Since living in Sri Lanka I can't imagine not living by the sea. I find it very cleansing. If I'm feeling overwhelmed my favourite thing to do is take a dip either by myself or with my beautiful friend Judith - the cove being the best place for this of course. My teacher also shared with me that the ocean is also a beautiful representation of our consciousness. The ocean being Brahman, the infinite field of consciousness, the Ātman - the waves, a temporary form but not separate, and the water droplet is Ahaṁkāra or the identification with the ego that makes us feel separate. The challenge is to not allow ourselves to identify in a dualistic and isolated way like the water droplet, when really we never separate from the ocean itself.

What creative inspiration have you drawn from your time in Sri Lanka? 

The biggest creative inspiration for me comes from living an aligned life. Here, I feel connected to nature, have an unshakeable Sadhana, a beautiful small circle of like-minded friends and a partner with the same dreams and vision for life as me. I have the privilege of living a life aligned with my values, which then gives my mind the space to be creative with the infinite potential of this life.

What are your thoughts on traveling/living here and the impact on the planet? How do you handle it?

 I try to live by the idea of slow travel. I go to the UK once a year for 1-2 months and offset my carbon emissions. It's not perfect, but there is consideration behind it.

What do you think the benefits of travelling and exploring the world are? 

The benefits are infinite, but one thing I'm passionate about is that it can open your mind. We need to be exposed to other cultures so we don't live in an echo chamber of our own opinions and life circumstances. I think this can help us develop more compassion for other people and beings. It's hard seeing people so disconnected from each other.

Do you have any sustainability goals, projects, tips or routines?

 I saw somewhere that we need 100% of people to eat 10% less meat, not 10% of people to eat 100% less (no) meat to have the biggest impact. So I guess if we could all do a meat-free day every week then that would make a huge difference. Travelling slower, and voting for people within your Government who care about the planet.

Any books/music/films/podcasts you’d recommend? 

Book - Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, Podcast - A Really Good Cry with Radhi Devlukia, Music - Spirit 2.0, (just the whole Lahai album by Sampha really) and Chantress Seba!

S&S is all about Now / Soul / Risk / Balance. Do any of those strike a chord with you. 

All of them do. I'm quite risk-averse as a person, so even when I planned to move here I took 6 months to prepare. At the same time, all of the best things that have happened to me have happened by me taking a risk.