About Calvin Lee
My self-development journey started in my early 20’s, it was a gradual process of waking up to the fact that all of my thoughts were based on what other people around me would say. It was an experience that broke me, and continued to for a while. To admit to myself that I didn’t have a single original thought was a tough pill to swallow.
The following 2 years were spent mostly in an introspective state, discovering methods of seated meditation, breath work, calisthenics, and reading up on Eastern and Western psychology.
To me, nothing was certain and I still believe that. What was certain to me at the time was that I had a lot of trouble with finding direction in the classical sense – what my career was going to be, where I saw myself in 5 years. Most of what I did was reactionary, poking around in the dark, comparing myself to my immediate circle.
However, I knew as clear as day there was one thing I needed to do. I wanted to test myself, to see if I had the mental fortitude to relocate geographically and thrive as an individual without a safety network. Vietnam was the country that I found my way to, and it captured my heart. There was a whole universe of being that I discovered there, that will stay with me for a long time coming. My cross-cultural experience laid a new foundation for my life’s point of view.
In retrospect, the time I had spent during my undergraduate years strongly influenced who I have become today. Neuroscience, Natural Sciences, Psychology, Religion, Anthropology and Sociology – those were the courses of interest to me. It may not have set me up for a solid career path immediately after graduation, and I’m okay with that. Instead, it laid the foundation for my ever widening curiosity towards the world.
At some point during this journey, improving my own health and wellness became the interest that consumed me. It led me to wanting to know how the brain and body function together. How can our states of mental and physical health be improved upon? What practices have been done historically that persist today across cultures and religions? Who are the people today that are leading the way to a more integrated approach to physical and mental wellness? These are the questions that guide me on this continued exploration of becoming better everyday.
Calvin Lee is a Registered Massage Therapist and Writer.
Calvin is based in Toronto, Canada.
