Dana

Focusing primarily on delaying death can create a constant, low-grade, subclinical fight-or-flight state. The reality is that we all die. Many clinics and websites promote the idea of “longevity” — extending lifespan — and this pursuit is deeply embedded across cultures, philosophies, religions, and even scientific endeavours. At its core, the instinct to live longer is closely tied to our biological drive for survival. However, living in a continual state of striving to extend life can place...

One of my earliest memories is linked to a smell. I was very young, in the basement of one of the first homes we lived, digging through old toys. The smell was pungent and unmistakable — so distinct that decades later I can still recognise it almost instantly. It is familiar because, in one form or another, it has been present in nearly every place I have lived since. I remember being rushed to hospital in the middle of the night with severe asthma flares at the age of three. My mother later...