#28: SoiL Thornton
"Finding the consistent foundational practices that can be managed in the most diverse range of contexts is essentially health to me."
SoiL is an artist and the mastermind behind Choosing Suitor Intervention.
At a glanceā¦
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Big 3: Capricorn/Taurus/Leo
What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
I try to be healthy as simply and efficiently as possible, and see health as something that allows me to play and experience life more deeply. Ā This also means that if I eat healthy generally, then itās okay to sometimes eat lots of fries and a cheeseburger and a whole pint of ice cream. Thatās the fun reward.
I think a lot of my health lately has been overshadowed by my financial situation, so more and more I think about the privilege of knowledge one must have in order to know how to be healthy with very little money. Ā Of course, outside circumstances also come into this discussion; I have lots of medical stuff that I need to take care of that people don't know about, or canāt experience with me daily, but I don't have the means to handle currently. Those things affect my overall health, whether it be in my mental or physical functioning or grounding. So I guess thereās the idea of where I want to be and what I wish I had the ability to do, versus doing what I can under the current circumstances and trying to find consistency within that. Ā
Finding the consistent foundational practices that can be managed in the most diverse range of contexts is essentially health to me.
How would you describe your current lifestyle?
I just asked myself what does lifestyle mean... I think many things I do have just been this way forever. Ā
What new people notice about me is that I don't drink or take drugs. That spawned from being straightedge in high school and moved to being mostly apathetic to using substances, and also being very interested in alternative ways of living in society. I guess the alternative ways of living thing is very much a part of my whole being and not in the sense of doing things just to be different, but instead asking myself lots of questions and trying to understand what it is that I want to do or experience, and how does that effect x,y,z. This could be how I choose to eat, exercise, dressā¦ but more importantly, how do I speak to people and carry myself in the world?
How do you start and end your days?
Moss is my doggy, and she's usually what I think about very shortly after I open my eyes. Iāve been trying to not look at phone for the first 20 minutes or so after eyes open, just lay there and stare at the wall or ceiling. I walk Moss then usually make an English Breakfast tea with oat milk and honey and sit on the couch and stare out the window or read some things or check my phone. Ā
I really want to start doing breathwork and yoga before I check my phone but haven't gotten there. Ā Newly, I try to go sit in the park and stare at people for about an hour, mostly not on my phone, dog at home, solo time to be in the world without duties, look at the trees and people. Ā
At the end of the day, itās similar ā walking the dog, and then I usually watch a movie and eat ice cream. Ā I find it very hard to read in the evening as my eyes and brain are too moosh and I don't like rereading things over and over because Iām falling asleep and losing my place.
Whatās your relationship to self-healing?
Hmmm, I don't want to be silly with these things, but again due to financial precarity, I don't go to the doctor much at all. It has to be very bad and confusing for me to consider. I haven't had health insurance for years, so... I do lots of research and try to understand my body in various ways to help heal independently. I will say, though, Iām fortunate. I have a few issues that need to be fixed long term, and some other things, but Iām mostly in good health from day to day.
Where do you look to for information or advice?
Itās basic maybe, but the internet is a great resource and also an endless hole. As much as people wanna knock it, Instant-graham cracker is an amazing tool. Outside of physical exercise, things for dietary science and muscle building, I don't look into much wellness stuff. Iām very simple overall. I am thankful that I have a community around me where things fall onto me very easily. Info is always circulating and I store whatever seems useful for now or later.
Do you have any guiding principles?
I was laughing to myself recently thinking about how simply the golden rule functions in a basic sense. āTreat others the way you want to be treatedā sure sounds simple and direct overall, but then I remembered that many people hate themselves and harm themselves daily.
I do say, though, that in order to be there for others, I first have to be there for myself. This means being in tact, healthy and lucid, but also setting boundaries and being clear when I don't have the capacity to engage with certain material or energy at a given time.
What interventions have changed your health for the better? For the worse?
Figuring out oneās sleep situation is highly undervalued and generally thatās where a lot of health stuff replenishes and/or falls apart. I started taking magnesium glycinate very regularly at times for moving everything through more timely, but I sometimes don't take it just because I like to understand my body differently, or tweaking my diet a bit can do similar things to.
Again, Iām very into minimal action, like how can I be very healthy the easiest way possible, which often also means relying on what I eat to do a lot of work. Ā Making smoothies almost daily has been a game changer because I can make sure to get lots of nutrients in easy.
Whatās your perfect meal? What foods do you find yourself returning to?
I enjoy cooking for others more than myself. Ā Iām on a particular food situation thatās very high protein, but my perfect meal is some sort of bowl situation, maybe with brown or black rice, sweet potato, smoked fish, some greens (maybe kale or broccoli), some boiled eggs, turmeric kraut, beets and some beans or chickpeas I bet, preferably partially warm and seasoned properly. Ā
Iām very interested in simple food that does good for you and tastes yum. Iām not that up for very extravagant cooking for myself, I want swift yummy and healthy. I mainly eat what gives me suitable protein (eggs, chicken, fish, I love this smoked trout thatās around sometimes omg) in diverse ways, and veggies (spinach, kale, leafy greens, particularly arugula and bib or butter lettuce) that go with many things. Also lately, lots of smoothies to get more fruits and greens in. Sweet potatoes are so special and like candy sometimes. Lots of nuts and salami for quick snacks that boost energy. I keep lots of ice cram in fridge, too.
Do you remember your last dream?
Last night I had a really wild dream, but the main part that stuck with me was when one of my besties was tying my partner down to the bed consensually while also saying we should all make out, and I was the only one to say that I wasn't down with the dynamic. I know exactly why this dream came to play and itās funny to actually look at. Ā The mind is a wild place. Ā
Usually, my dreams are very hard to recount because my mind is so layered and complicated. As soon as I try to speak or write about the dreams, they are too unusual for our words and thought patterns on this side.
What advice would you give to your past self?
SoiL, you have no clue how hard itās going to get and I don't wanna tell you this to deter you from questioning things and being curiously and authentically you, but what you go through now will help you enjoy what you will experience later on, even amongst the many deeply upsetting struggles that await you.
What advice would you give to the person reading this?
There are so many ways to live and be, itās extremely disorienting and the more you know, the more you wanna know, usuallyā¦but I think simply look around and be curious, wonder but also lead with softness as much as possible and speak from your position and how you feel, versus blaming and judging. In doing this, lots will flow differently. It is tough, though. Ā
A big truth is that some people, even ones that you may want to be closer with, don't deserve your time and you just have to accept that if they canāt meet you where you are then to feel safe, respected and regulated, maybe you have to take some steps back. Additionally, try to set yourself up to live in ways that you can sustain. Ā This may mean that your ideal lifestyle canāt be met consistently, and so this failing of meeting it becomes a burden, but maybe thereās a less strenuous approach thatās still reasonable for you?
What would you like to see or create more of in the world?
I would love to see more acceptance of different choices on how to live, more alternative ways of being around each other, less hive-mind and more complex setups that suit individuals on a personal level. This would allow people to be themselves, spending less time holding onto traditions for the sake of tradition, or because our parents did it like that. Itās about deeply examining and structuring oneās life for oneself, rather than for the appeasement of others.
Of course, we want support from friends and communities, but I think that if everyone was authentic to themselves without judging others for their authentic explorations of self, then we would get what we are looking for. Ā But alas, also many people just want the easy way out which is to follow and judge and keep everyone stunted with them. back again here we are, capitalism disease in all facets of our lives. As Iāve more recently arrived at being polyamorous by orientation, this really really has highlighted the insecurities and shaming that surrounds lifestyles (for lack of better words) that people don't understand and/or are afraid to.
Note: This Q&A was originally published via Mailchimp. Read the full issue here.