Much like the common misconception that you have to be flexible to practice yoga, there is also a question of whether or not you have to be a vegetarian as well. This comes from the idea of not harming animals, a practice called Ahimsa discussed in previous blogs. You can go very deeply into this topic and talk to people on every plane of the spectrum from those who eat a very specific plant based diet to those who occassionaly eat meat.
I wrestle with this concept too. I was a vegetarian for about four years before switching back to eating meat. For me it was a very personal decision and mainly one based on wanting to feel better. When I was a vegetarian, I just didn't feel like I had a lot of energy and the massive amounts of soy I was consuming was actually exacerbating other health conditions. This was my experience with it at the time.
It was then that I decided that I really just wanted to be a healthy eater and having a nice balance to my diet. I eat mostly a plant based diet and incorporate fish, lean poultry and Gasp....the occassional steak. Is it wrong? Is it right? I believe it's neither wrong nor right, it just is, what it is. It's right for me. Does that make me a "bad" yogi or care less for animals? Should I stop practicing yoga altogether because I ate a turkey burger? It's absurd isn't?
As yogis we have to honor our own individual bodies and what that means to keep us healthy. We also have to honor other people's choices and try not to impose our own personal belief systems on others just because it's written down somewhere in a book. Afterall, isn't that "harming?" Yoga teaches us compassion; compassion for ourselves, for others and for every being we share the planet with.
The great thing about yoga is that as you continue to practice, you will intuitively begin to know what types of foods will feed your body in healthful ways and which foods will make you feel sick. And then you can begin to make conscious choices for your diet, vegetarian or somewhere in between.
Love and light,
Susan
ps A nice reminder for feeling healthy in the new year...Lotus Yoga. Space is limited, so register now!! http://www.radiantfitness.com/lotusyoga.html
1 comment:
I think that's the best explanation I've heard from the "not-anti-meat" camp, ever. I am very concerned when I work with raw foodists, for example, about their overall health--we have molars and incisors for evolutionary reasons.
From a spiritual perspective, I've always pointed out that we are to love our neighbors AS we love ourselves, not INSTEAD of loving ourselves. I think Ahimsa works the same way--harming yourself is not a sacrifice that serves the universe, or any point at all.
Thanks for this one! Look for a box in the mail next week.
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