Hannah McNeely
How did your yoga journey begin?
My initial experience with yoga was like that of many. I had tried a few classes and liked it, but didn’t know how to make it a daily practice. Also, I didn’t think it could possibly be my only form of exercise. Then my friends, Michelle (@bananablondie108) and Jay (@801010athlete), started a website where I could do unlimited yoga through the videos they offered for a ridiculously low price. The site is called www.thrivingplantbased.com and I LOVE it. I immediately started a daily practice and simply could not stop. More than two years later, I still practice daily and it’s one of my favorite parts of my day.
What physical, mental, and emotional changes have you noticed since beginning yoga?
I have a video about this and I seriously have so much to say. So I’ll just list out some of the changes I’ve noticed. First, I am stronger than I have ever been before. I have definition in my arms and abs, which is a brand new experience for me! Second, I’ve learned to love my body unconditionally and am so much more comfortable with letting “it all hang out” so to speak. I’m truly in love with my body instead of feeling insecure or ashamed of it. I used to be ashamed for just having womanly things (ahem, boobs.) Third, I have a much more even temper. I used to be much more volatile with my emotions. My husband and sister can attest to that. Fourth, I got rid of my writer’s block and completely opened up creatively. Fifth, I have found a deep spiritual practice of connection every day. My spiritual practices before used to be so weak and flimsy. I never used to think moving my body could connect me to God and every other living being on this planet. It’s sci-fi stuff, man. Sixth, I have a place to go to unload all my crap. When I’m grieving or going through something heavy, if I don’t want to put my burden on someone else, I go to my mat. It’s the most supportive place in the world. Seventh, I don’t pee when I jump on the trampoline anymore. Yeah. It’s a thing. #pelvicfloormuscles
One misconception of yoga is that it is boring. What would be your response to people who think that way?
Oh, how sad! Yoga is sexy and surprising and beautiful and hard af. I used to think yoga was too easy and that I needed to run at least five miles in order to get a good workout in. Now that I’ve dedicated myself to this daily practice thing, I know that yoga has me sweating and grasping for water and extremely sore the next day. It’s the farthest thing from boring and I wish I could do it three hours a day. Really.
What is it like being married to someone who is non-vegan?
I have learned so much being married to someone who doesn’t hold the same beliefs as me. As much as I care passionately about the vegan movement and preventing animals from a life of torture and early death, I have had to learn how to let go of the idea that it’s my job to convert the world. It’s absolutely not my job to convince anyone to believe what I believe. This has, surprisingly, taught me to have even more compassion and empathy. It’s like that next level. Yes, I believe we should love all creatures and not eat them. But what if my husband doesn’t think that? I’ve learned to accept everyone where they’re at. We are all so incredibly human that it’s never our place to judge someone for what they’ve done.
If you were to have kids, would you raise them to be vegan?
Absolutely.
On your channel, you make an active effort to show people how you reduce waste. What are some of your favorite ways to minimize waste?
This is a new thing for my platforms! It’s so fun to see everyone jumping on board with me and trying to make both big and small changes. The easiest ways to reduce waste: 1) Bring reusable bags everywhere just in case you need to buy something from a shop. 2) Bring your reusable water bottle everywhere and refill it. Stop purchasing plastic bottles. 3) Say no to straws and even bring your own. I love stainless steel straws.
Now that both you and your sister are vegan, do you think you’ve opened the eyes of other family members to veganism?
Definitely. If anything, just being vegan and bringing your own food to gatherings inspires people to reduce the amount of animal products on their plates.
When writing, where do you get your inspiration from? What topics do you like to write about?
I love writing fiction mostly. I’m working on a novel at the moment. I get inspired by anything and everything. Something I hear on the radio. Something I overhear at a coffee shop. The way a blanket smells. A conversation that makes me embarrassed for the other person. My own personal relationship struggles. My childhood. The way a stranger is walking down a hill. Anything. And characters and storylines build from that.
What made you decide to use humor and honesty in your youtube videos and Instagram posts while portraying the various aspects of your lifestyle?
Authenticity is so important to me. If someone’s not being authentic, I find them unwatchable. It’s like watching a terrible actor. If they aren’t being authentic in that moment, we say they’re a bad actor. So I try my best to just be myself even though I’m putting a camera in my face. And most of the time, me being myself is making stupid jokes about everything. You’re very lucky because I cut out about 4 minutes of horrible jokes that don’t land every time I edit a vlog. I try really hard to make my videos watchable because to be honest, I find so much of what’s on YouTube these days quite boring. Being boring is my biggest fear.
You’ve been very vocal about the fact that there is no one definition of being a woman. Was there a specific moment that sparked your need to start the conversation?
I’ve always felt like I wasn’t as much of a woman because I wasn’t “sexy” or “feminine.” But those are constructs created over generations in our culture. Growing up, I was the girl who guys would constantly talk to…because they were interested in my best friend or my sister. Never because they were interested in me. It took me a long time to realize that I was just as womanly as the “pretty girls” and that I didn’t have to fit into anyone else’s ideas of what it meant to be that way. It took me forever realize that I’m sexy and female and happy about it. And to be honest, I have no idea why I started talking about it on social media. When I care about a topic, I tend to write it out. I have no filter.
Find more about Hannah McNeely on her Instagram and Youtube channel!
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