Russell Brand on Spiritual Practice

I don't know about you but Russell Brand is difficult to ignore. He has certainly made most intimate aspects of his life public: short lived marriage to a pop star; addiction to drugs and alcohol followed by recovery. He has made a name for himself as a passionate advocate of yoga and meditation. I respect him for making statements on subjects that make people and corporations very uncomfortable. But let's not forget he is a comedian and it's their job to make us feel hot under the collar, but he does a particularly great job at it.

I am featuring the short video above, actually a compilation of clips, which showcase his view on spirituality, addiction, culture, etc... And I have to say I like what he says and how he says it. The intensity of the delivery reveals the zeal with which he once consumed alcohol, drugs and sex. It is to our benefit that he has found another outlet to sublimate or redirect his energy. And so is he. In fact, as any addict in recovery will tell you, he probably wouldn't be alive to tell it how it really is.

One more thing, addiction takes time, energy, money and effort. Which begs the question, what are you going to do instead of abusing alcohol and drugs? How are you going to fill the time which was once devoted to getting high and drunk? For many, as is the case for Mr. Brand, a spiritual practice fills that void.