Hi, Erica,
I've been vegetarian for about three years and vegan for almost a year. I have been practicing yoga for about five years. When I went vegetarian it was around the time when mad cow disease broke out in the U.S., so I stopped eating meat because of it, and I was also inspired by my father, who had gone vegan a bit before then. I decided to go vegan this past year for health and ethical reasons. Since I have been vegan, I feel so much healthier and I find I have much more energy throughout the day. It wasn't difficult for me to live without the meat, of course, because I had previously been vegetarian for a while. The eggs and dairy were not too hard for me because I know how unhealthy they are and after almost a year of being vegan I find that even looking at those sorts of foods disgusts me. If you're concerned about giving up those foods, let me tell you that there are much healthier substitutes for all of them. Even vegan cookies, as you mentioned! Also, I've found that since I've been on a plant-based diet my taste buds have opened up to all kinds of vegtables I thought I never would have liked. As long as you're eating a variety of foods, veganism is the way to go. If you find it hard to give up certain foods, take baby steps; for one week replace your milk with soymilk or ricemilk; the next week try fruit shakes instead of youghurt; the next week see if you can replace meat with tofu, beans, and vegtables; etc. etc. After you've transitioned, it may still be difficult for at least a few days, but after a while you come to find you really don't need these cruelty-causing foods, and better yet, you feel much healthier without them! And yoga can also definately help with this transition.
Anyways, I wish you loads luck with everything, and take care!
-Lindsay

Hi Erica,

I'm a yoga teacher and have chosen not to become a vegetarian. This was a fairly easy decision for me, as I am deathly allergic to peanuts, soy, most beans and many other nuts and legumes. I cannot eat a well balanced diet and get all the nutrients I need without meat. However, there are many ways to be more ahimsic in eating practices while still eating meat, such as buying meats from local farms that have more humane practices such as keeping the animals out at pasture and decreasing the process rate to allow for more humane killing of the animals. You can also decrease your consumption of meat - 3 ounces per day is all the body needs to stay healthy.

Also, there are many ways to be more ahimsic that have nothing to do with diet. Becoming vegan doesn't automatically make you a nice, caring person. Living in a non-violent manner, in thoughts and deeds, every day, does. And it's a lot harder than not eating meat.

Hi Erica!
Hope the training is going well!
I am also a teacher in training. I have been a vegetarian for five years now. I have to say that in my experience, our dietary choices are just that. A personal choice. Like Keri said, becoming a vegan doesn't mean you live in a non-violent manner. It also doesn't mean it is the healthiest choice for you. You can be a vegetarian/vegan and NOT be healthy, not make healthy decisions. And in order to follow the niyamas of yoga, we also must take care of ourselves. It's not just about eating meat or not eating meat. It's about being healthy, observing the yamas and niyamas and practicing non-violence to the best of your ability. Like the yoga journal stated in CARING CARNIVORE, sometimes eating meat is less harmful at the moment than fighting with a loved one. There are no absolutes. Each of us is on our own journey. Each journey will be different. But the destination is the same.

I, too, have found that practicing yoga has influenced my day-to-day choices in food and other activities. When I began practicing yoga, I felt more *in* my body, and as I learned to tune in to that and use it in my daily life, I began to better sense what my body needed. I do still eat meat, though less of it now, and I attempt to buy organic as much as possible, though that's difficult from the standpoint of a college/graduate student. Still, just being more aware and mindful of how I am connected to the world through everyday choices like meals has helped me to improve my health and my practice.

Hi Erica .. it's funny .. I've been practicing yoga for about 9 years - but I only became veggie about three months ago. I have never been a violent person, and I am sure neither have you. Otherwise you probably would never have taken up yoga as a way of life. If your true dilemma is about feeling guilty for eating at good old McDonalds - although quite hard if your veggie since their only veggie option is a grilled cheese made out of two buns - I say don't guilt yourself for one little treat every once in a while. As long as you live a good, possitive, 99%healthy life I am sure things will be okay. Remember part of yoga is also self acceptance - we cannnot all do those fancy poses - some of us suffer ailments we cannot conquer - like diabetes.
Keep up the good work - and treat yourself sometimes - I certainly do - a movie just isn't a movie without popcorn for me!

Wow, those were some of the most refreshing, kind comments about eating that I've read in a long time. Thank you!

Also, Erica, I am enjoying reading your blog!