tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post1574181115383009735..comments2024-03-21T00:30:14.738-07:00Comments on Yoga in the Dragon's Den: To eat meat or not to eat meat? Or, Confessions of an Egotistical VegetarianNobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-80987497715678400982011-11-21T15:17:28.304-08:002011-11-21T15:17:28.304-08:00Yes, Bindy, I agree with you about the fuzziness t...Yes, Bindy, I agree with you about the fuzziness that surrounds the idea of non-killing. Very good point. <br /><br />"if you are a world traveller, it's impossible to maintain a vegan/vegetarian diet. if you are served food from someone whose heart & soul has gone into the meal & you refuse to eat it, that is not ahimsa."<br /><br />This is a good observation. Fortunately for me (or unfortunately, depending on how you see it), I have not traveled outside the U.S. for years, and most places within this country are relatively vegetarian-friendly (although maybe not so vegan-friendly). So I have not have had to face the dilemma of somebody offering me his or her heart-felt food with meat in it. Having grown up in a culture where eating (and eating a lot, at that) is seen as a sign of good fortune and goodwill, I can certainly empathize with that. <br /><br />It would be interesting to wonder if vegetarianism would have been such a big part of yoga (or even a part of it) if yoga had not originated within the Hindu/Brahmin cultural milieu. I don't have any answers to this. Much *food* for thought, though :-)Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-19689478706629258562011-11-20T08:27:19.772-08:002011-11-20T08:27:19.772-08:00ahimsa is a very slippery slope. we kill thousand...ahimsa is a very slippery slope. we kill thousands of organisms just walking down the street, stepping on them, inhaling them. tires & film have animal products in them. you would be surprised how much the death of animals is an every day encounter whether you choose to believe it or not. and if you are a world traveller, it's impossible to maintain a vegan/vegetarian diet. if you are served food from someone whose heart & soul has gone into the meal & you refuse to eat it, that is not ahimsa. ahimsa does NOT mean being a vegetarian by any stretch. it's just what certain yogis choose to describe it. one big reason for the vegetarian thing is hinduism & brahmans. think about it. anyhow, good post & lots of "food" for thought, whatever it is that you eat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-750195135043378142011-11-19T03:48:10.655-08:002011-11-19T03:48:10.655-08:00Agreed:) Thanks Nobel:)Agreed:) Thanks Nobel:)JayaKrishnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06706180494799838667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-74731839477430375422011-11-18T12:43:57.523-08:002011-11-18T12:43:57.523-08:00Yes, JayaKrishna, ahimsa is key. Actually, Kino me...Yes, JayaKrishna, ahimsa is key. Actually, Kino mentioned during my interview with her this past April at her Richmond workshop that being the first of the yamas, ahimsa is the bowl or container that contains and makes all the other yamas possible. <br /><br />But how exactly to actualize ahimsa is a matter that is highly individual. In the end, only the individual can decide for himself or herself whether he or she can square eating meat with ahimsa.Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-91223342736951346242011-11-18T12:18:02.281-08:002011-11-18T12:18:02.281-08:00Good subject:) Touchy subject:) No judgement here,...Good subject:) Touchy subject:) No judgement here, however if we are Ashtangis practicing according to the lineage of Krishnamacharya, then he clearly states that asana is only 1 component of a spiritually transformative practice. He recommends that students practice the 8 limbs including Yama & Niyama, so my point is that the very first Yama is Ahimsa..non-violence, not causing suffering or committing any cruelty towards others and ourselves. I know of some ashtangis who sit down to a nice fat ham sandwich and have an awesome physical practice. personally, I cannot eat animals, the thought turns my stomach and makes me sad. I too feel much lighter eating a vegetarian diet, it's also easier on my budget:)JayaKrishnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06706180494799838667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-6484470631936329202011-11-17T14:51:40.124-08:002011-11-17T14:51:40.124-08:00Hello RV, thanks for thinking that my reason is no...Hello RV, thanks for thinking that my reason is not egotistical. Yes, it is great that you are doing what your body (and probably mind as well) needs. This is probably the best kind of ahimsa. <br /><br />Hello Tom, learning and experimenting with different ways of getting enough nutrients to nourish the body is indeed fun and educational. Mental note to self: Need to experiment and research more, and rely less on prepackaged foods.Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-25469915964264133692011-11-17T14:41:45.579-08:002011-11-17T14:41:45.579-08:00I don't like to eat meat, makes me feel heavy ...I don't like to eat meat, makes me feel heavy and slow. And I cannot do dairy, blocks me up. <br /><br />This kind of diet suits me well tho I do notice that between morning Ashtanga, a full days of work, which is often quite physical, and the joys and expended effort of raising a precocious and precious 4 year old, my body needs good deal of protein.<br /><br />And since I refuse to eat prepackaged, processed foods, especially of the "fake meat" variety, I've had to learn an awful lot about seeds and nuts and sprouted grains and other wholesome sources of protein and fat. <br /><br />And as it turns out, this has been quite a fun learning adventure. Sourcing, preparing, and eating sustainable, nourishing, organic food has become a spiritual practice in and of itself for me.<br /><br />Much respect to all those yogis and yoginis who tune in and and listen to their bodies needs and eat whatever they need to eat to be healthy and strong. And much respect to those yogis and yoginis that tune in and cut out eating the things their bodies don't need.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-9993107730716710322011-11-17T13:54:37.827-08:002011-11-17T13:54:37.827-08:00Hi Nobel!
YESSSSSS was my reaction on this entire...Hi Nobel!<br /><br />YESSSSSS was my reaction on this entire post!! I recently went back to eating meat after 1+ years of being Vegetarian; The reasons same as Bindy, the changes in my spiritual body were AMAZING~ but my physical body, was depleted... no matter how much I tried supplementing. <br /><br />So i'm glad to read this and see I'm in good company in the yogi world. ;)<br /><br />BTW>I do not see your reason as egotistical at all. After all, Ashtanga Practice begins with Asana and then "all is coming"...Your Asana achievements are what subtly build the higher self, the mind and the soul along with the body.<br /><br />RVAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com