In this bonus conversation, Mariann and Andrea go deeper into Andrea’s personal story — from growing up on a farm in South Phoenix surrounded by animals she loved, to going vegan overnight at 27 after stumbling across a slaughterhouse video on Facebook, to how a burnout-induced meditation practice led a self-described lifelong atheist all the way to Buddhism and the executive directorship of Dharma Voices for Animals. Andrea also reflects on colonization’s role in shifting traditional diets across Asia, and shares what she believes anyone — Buddhist or not — can take from these ancient teachings to become a better advocate and a better human.
Thank you so much to our Flock for making our content possible. Your support means everything to us and to the animals — we truly could not do this without you.