A Yogis Journey to a Plant-Based Diet
If you don't know me personally you probably don't know that about two years ago I decided to stop eating animals and animal products. A lot of people ask me why I've made the shift to veganism and I think what I have to say is relevant to everyone, especially those interested in creating a healthy, yogic lifestyle.
The seed of Compassion
The seed to eat more compassionately was actually planted many years ago. Though I cannot remember whether it was something I learned from my first yoga teacher or someone else, I started to find out about the brutality that exists in the American food system back in my high school years. It must have really impacted me, because I recently found a ten page essay I wrote for my high school biology class comparing the diet of an omnivore to the diet of a vegetarian. In reading it I saw the conflict that was already forming in me between my desire to be physically healthy, kind to animals and the standard American diet I was raised on and continued to eat.
Later, in college, my education of the environmental harmfulness of industrial animal husbandry and new ideas about sustainability continued. After reading and watching very honest and graphic documentaries about how animals get treated in our conventional food system, how the planet suffers, the effects on the health of people through exposure to environmental pollution and eating the meat of animals I started to make my first transition towards a more healthy and sustainable diet. This took the form of only eating certified organic meat and seafood. In a society that teaches it's citizens to eat conventionally raised animals this was a big step. One that lasted for the next ten years.
After graduating from college my study of yoga came to the forefront of my activities. Here I got to learn a lot more about the underlaying ethic principles of yoga, described in ancient text The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. This book put into writing for the first time the most essential practices of yoga, including the postures, breath practices and meditation that most westerns are familiar with. But, even before describing those it lays out the Yamas and Niyamas, the guidelines yogis use to move towards that state of bliss that is revealed when we create harmony within mind, body and spirit.
Don't do nothing, because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything
The first two Yamas, translated as self-restraints, provide strong guidance for how we are to eat. I started to apply them more and more to every area of my life. They require time to understand and integrate; a process I will continue to refine for my lifetime. They are there to lead the way, and are not intended to be an all or nothing requirement. My favorite vegan educator and activist, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau say, “Don't do nothing, because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything.”
The first and most important Yama is Ahimsa, translated to non-violence. It is truly the main ethical teaching in yoga. There's no way of getting around the fact that to be a meat eater is to be the cause of the suffering and death of animals, plus the distress that occurs in the people that do the raising and killing of the animals. The harm that comes to the ecology of the planet - it's rivers, oceans, soils and the other animals that make their home on it is also created by people who pay for and consume animals and animal secretion. It's a hard pill to swallow and most people choose to avoid the thought, either living in ignorance or trying to cover up the evidence with excuses.
The idea of our inter-connection to the rest of the world gets reinforced in virtually every yoga class taught in the west. The word namaste, that is spoken at the end of the typical yoga class, acknowledges the interconnected, universal energy that exists within all beings - human and non-human - everywhere. So, when we hurt another being, whether it is our romantic partner or a cow, we are hurting a part of ourselves, because we are all part of the web of life. Sharon Gannon, famous yoga teacher, animal advocate and author says, “Through the practices of yoga, we discover that concern for the happiness and well being of others, including animals, must be an essential part of our own quest for happiness and well being. The fork can be a powerful weapon of mass destruction or a tool to create peace on Earth.”
The second of the Yamas is satya – truthfulness. It is living an honest and truthful life in all ways. Being present to many important truths brought me into my journey with joyful veganism. By my thirties, I already had a solid foundation of understanding regarding the harm meat-eating creates. A new layer was added on when I had suffered a major injury and had been experiencing pain caused by chronic inflammation for many months. As I searched for a way to ease my pain and inflammation I learned about the health problems that are either caused by or made worse from eating animal products, which includes, but is in no way limited to, chronic and acute inflammation.
I read about the China–Cornell–Oxford Project, a 20-year study considered by many to be the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted. The study compared the health consequences of diets rich in animal-based foods to diets rich in plant-based foods among people who were genetically similar (Rural Chinese people in this case). The authors conclude that people who eat a predominantly whole-food, vegan diet - avoiding animal products as a main source of nutrition, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates - will escape, reduce, or reverse the development of numerous diseases. I was convinced I should try an anti-inflammatory, vegan diet for six weeks to see it if helped my pain and inflammation.
I did the six weeks and I felt less pain and inflammation resulting from my injury. Unexpectedly, I was able to get off the daily allergy medication I'd been taking since I was 16; half of my life. But, the true reward came with the end of the internal conflict I had experienced for almost two decades. No longer were my values as a compassionate person and lover of the planet clashing up against the way I ate. The fragmented parts of me could be mended and I became one step closer to yoga – the harmonizing all parts of my being into unification. Two years later I have no interest in going back. Won't you join me in the journey?
The 30-Day Vegan Challenge Starts August 3rd
During the warmer months of summer it is great time to lighten-up your eating habits and try something new.
Starting August 3rd we will come together as a community on a weekly basis for 30 days to explore what it would be like to eat more in alignment with the yogic principles or ahimsa (non-harming), svadyaya (self-study) and compassion.
Though I have been vegan for two years, I am no nutritional expert. This is why we will be following the leadership of a recognized expert in the culinary, social, ethical, and practical aspects of living compassionately and healthfully, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. She is a speaker, cultural commentator, podcaster, and award-winning author of seven books who has put together a online vegan challenge we will all participate in together.
ONCE YOU SIGN UP, OVER THE COURSE OF 30 DAYS, YOU WILL RECEIVE
Daily Emails
Recipes
Meal Suggestions
Videos
Audio Messages
...all of which are packed with motivation, inspiration and information that will empower you as you go through this transition. A bevy of resources are included throughout the 30 days, all of which may be conveniently accessed online and printed.
Whether you want to improve your overall health, shed a few pounds, demonstrate your compassion for animals, or help the environment, expert Colleen Patrick-Goudreau gives you the tools and resources you need to make the vegan transition healthfully, confidently, joyfully, and deliciously.
I have been through her program once already and found it amazingly informative and fun. She is an articulate and intelligence teacher for our journey.
MORE DETAILS
Since our first meeting is the 3rd of August, please wait until the 2nd to purchase her program. Then, we will meet weekly via zoom to discuss our individual experiences, listen, and support each other.
The meetings are free of charge, so the entire program is only $19.99 (via Colleen's website). It's a total deal!
Dates: Monday, August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th from 6-7pm and Thursday, September 3rd from 8-9pm
EMAIL ME TO REGISTER FOR THE GROUP