What a great topic! I'm a vegetarian and have been for 3-4 years. While I totally believe that a veg lifestyle is right for me I usually get offended when I witness other yogis trying to force this belief on others. I was a meateater for 25+ years before becoming veg and it actually took many failed attempts at vegetarianism before arriving here. I understand that for most people going veg isn't like flipping a switch but is more like a journey. I'm a true believer in listening to our own bodies' signals that tell us what is right for us to eat. If someone feels compelled to eat a juicy steak what right do I have to dispute what their own body tells them?

Thank you for posting this subject. This is a topic that seems to be the "purple elephant in the room" where I teach yoga. I am open about my NON-vegetarianism and I make no apologies to those who turn their noses up at me in judgement. Our personal eating choices are just that, personal. The interpretation of yogic writing is also just that - interpretation. Telling someone they are not yogic because they eat meat is akin to Christians saying "you are non christian if you..x, y,z (eg. don't believe in the literal truth of the bible) or Muslims saying "you are not Muslim if you..x,y,z (eg. don't wear a full burka or a headscarf is female). There are always dogmatists, traditionalists and fundamentalists within any belief system be it religious, philosophical, feminist, etc. We are free to make up our own minds about how to live as a yogi, Christian, marxist, hindu,etc, etc. My suggestion is to ignore the judgemental types and go about your life.

Being that plants are sentient beings and, according to some yogic traditions, part of the Divine, even being vegetarian can be considered a violent act. However, until we can absorb prana consistently without eating or drinking, we'll have to get energy from a food source.

IMHO ahimsa includes non-violence to others as well as to yourself. So the question becomes where does each person draw the line. Like all ethical choices, I believe this is a very personal decision. My solution may not be applicable to anyone else. Similarly, a teacher's solution may not be applicable to me. Just because the Dalai Lama eats meat, it doesn't mean that I should eat meat as well.

If your body needs meat to thrive, then have meat. If your body does not need meat, then consider going veggie. It's easier than ever to be veggie.

In the end, what really matters is that we approach our food choices consciously and with awareness. And that's the true yogic path: approaching life and all life matters consciously.

I am a vegetarian, but for me ahimsa and using animal products (leather) means being informed about where they come from and then grateful when you partake in an animal product. There is never an excuse for cruelty, however.

I am celiac and am limited on what food choices I have. Personally, I believe that God placed animals and plants for humans to eat. I need to eat meat to get the appropriate bioavailable protein my body needs. Plant protein is not a complete amino acid sequence anyway. With Wheat, Oats(that aren't pure), rye, barley, spelt, kamut and any other grain related to wheat being off limits, I am limited to getting nutrition in other places. Judging others and thinking I am better than them is not what I need to be doing if I truly care about the students in my class and others in different settings. With most of my life being focused on food, that is not what I want to talk about in my classes.

ahisma as an idea requires veganism. just as brahmacharya as an idea requires celibacy. there is no need for judgement towards the degree of following these ideas. there are factual realities of the meat farming industry that are horrendously detrimental for our planet, even if one takes the animal out of the equation. personal choices are personal choices but at the same time have an impact on the macrocosm that we call earth. if this a question for the "yogic community" then it becomes a question of where the boundary is set which would seem ,in america, to be much different than in india. if it is a question for the individual, then one may call oneself whatever one may choose. my vote would be for a call to veganism.

Sadie,

Your comments are a much needed antidote to the increasingly incipient air of intolerance that increaingly surrounds yoga in the West. As yoga becomes more popular, it would be a shame to see people feel judged by the passive-aggression that one can't help feel in so many studios. When I first began to practice, it took a while for me to to find a place that had teachers whom I could respect; many other people in my shoes would have simply dismissed the practice. Many of my early instructors disapproved not only of meat, but also of any use of alcohol. (I don't drink at all, and I still find this offensive.) Is the next step celibacy? Speaking as a 21st century Western yogi, I would hate to see yoga get a bad name by this kind of intolerance.

Best

Brad Roberts

I am vegan and personally believe that eating animal products is destructive to the environment, our bodies, and of course the animals. Sounds like I'm primed to judge others, right? But whatdya know, my husband and daughter eat meat, most of my friends eat meat, and until two years ago, I ate meat too -- so who am I to judge? How we eat is a personal decision, and I am not interested in judging others' journeys.

I am an omnivore and I'm proud of it. No need to hide it at alll. All bodies are different and mine likes meat and plants. I tried the vegetarian thing a few years back and it wrecked havoc on my body. I needed animal protein for me.

And whether people believe you shouldn't eat meat because it was a live being and that's not being yogic, I don't agree with. I don't agree that it doesn't get me close with nature as someone that is a vegetarian. I see in the wild, predators eating other animals for survival. Omnivores choosing meat along with the plants. This is nature! We are naturally omnivores and I'm just continuing what my body wants, so I eat meat and plants like I'm intended to. I'm completely natural! That's yogic to me.

Yoga, to me, is all about loving my body. That's what it means to me. I'm new to it, but that's what I've realized. If my body wants animal protein, I will give it that.

What a juicy topic!!! I had a great talk with my yogi friend yesterday, he was vego for 20 years and then began to eat meat again. Why? Seeing ourselves as meat eaters or vegetarians feeds our ego of who we are...a good yogi would not want themselves labelled - being present and not hanging onto what's in the past. So in his view, eating meat in that moment and not another is just fine - change is constant.

I've been vego for ten years by the way, and its great for me... I'm strict in the sense I never eat meat but I'm casual in that I encourgage my friends to enjoy their food.

Each to their own..

Namaste

Meat Stinks!!

As a person who loves yoga, and a psychotherapist who has treated eating disorders for more than 15 years, my hope is that people in our culture will develop more peaceful relationships with food, weight, and body image! I look forward to a time when people can eat without fear and anxiety, and enjoy moderately whatever appeals to them, and be comfortable in their bodies, whatever their natural shape may be. Of course, this requires some self awareness and willingness to be present to emotions and thoughts in a healthy way, so food behaviors like overeating or restrictive eating are not being used to self-medicate. Yoga instructors can mentor self care in all these areas!

As a student of Ayurveda at Kripalu (now a certified Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist) I have learned that there is a huge difference between an Ayurvedic diet and a yogic one. Ayurveda may prescribe meat for one who need grounding as meat is tamasic (not necessarily a bad thing, without tamas there is no night, no gravity, etc) while prescribing a more vegetarian diet for one who need "lightening".

We as yogis strive for ahimsa, but as Sri Pattabhi Jois once said, perfect ahimsa is impossible. Every time we bathe we kill bacteria (life forms), if we swat a mosquito, accidentally hit a bug with our car, even clearing a field to plant our vegetables we cause some degree of harm. And in our efforts to avoid harming others we must also try to avoid harming ourselves in the process.

I became seriously ill while going through menopause and was told by my acupuncturist that I must eat meat to build my strength. Under protest I followed her advice and five years later i am healthy again. I am learning through my studies of Ayurveda to listen more carefully to what my body needs at any given time; in summer I eat more fruit and vegetables, in winter I eat more meat. When I feel "heavy" or sluggish I eat more veggie, when i feel agitated I eat more animal foods.

I teach in a university setting (Yoga for PE credit!), and go over the 8 limbs for my students including what might constitute a "clean diet". I do not advocate vegetarianism or meat eating, but offer the thought that processed food in general is not "clean" while eating fresh, local where possible, and humanely raised animal products is "cleaner".

We are all somewhere on a wide spectrum - what is healthy for one may make another ill. We must not allow our Yoga practice to make us egotistical and judgmental of others. Patanjali warned us in the Yoga Sutras that improper practice will cause us leave the true path towards liberation.

I was a vegetarian for 19 years, and decided to start eating meat again for love; my spouse is a chef and has a great love for food, and I wanted to be able to enjoy the whole menu with her. However, when we purchase meat, we buy only sustainably and locally raised meats, being mindful not to buy into the destructive unethically mass-produced meats. We are under no allusions that we live perfectly, but we do our best to live with awareness of how our actions impact the environment and the local economy.

Having said all of that, I also acknowledge that all of this is a personal choice. My day-to-day choices are informed by my yoga practice and my spiritual life. That includes looking for inner light in each person, assuming the best of everyone, and not judging others about their day-to-day choices.

Personally, I do yoga because it makes me feel good and adds to my physical and spiritual well-being. I think we can all make our own choices as to which foods we ingest for our physical and spiritual well-being as well. There's no need to judge. My path is not yours and yours is not mine.

What an incredibly interesting topic! And what a wonderful, wide range of responses! Thank-you for the chance to share my personal position on this subject. I'm a meat eater, who was a 10 year vegitarian, who is wants to go veggie again. I have been eating meat for 7 or 8 years now, and I have longed to return to vegitarianism for about 1 year now, but have found it much harder to do. I'm an adult now, I have a husband and daughter, and I suppose I'm more settled in my ways and resist changes more than I used to as well. So, with all of these obstacles my journey back to meatlessness has been much more difficult than I expected. And much, much SLOWER! At first I was disapointed in myself for "failing" at my pursuit, but I have since come up with some good ways to help keep a clean consience (and karma) along the way . First, I have been very succesful at limiting our intake. Second, I choose what I buy very carefully. We are lucky enough to have a small local organic dairy, where I can buy meat, milk, cheese, even ice cream! It's nice to be able to actually see where it's coming from! This way I know that I'm doing as little harm as possible, short of giving it up completely. It's better for the Earth and for the animals this way. Last, I have started to use some of my Mom's old rituals which come from native American tradition. Before we take, we ask permission from the guiding spirit for it to be given. Then we give thanks! Basicly, if we cannot do NO harm, we'll try to do as little as possble now and strive for less everyday!

Hi all,

Sadie Nardini here, author of the article that's mentioned here.

I'm happy to see the dialogue that's happening around my post. Whether you agree with my views or not, I think it's healthy that we can get this issue out in the open, shed light on it together, and reveal to one another who we are around it. This was my main hope in sharing this personal story.

This conversation between us embodies the practice of Satya, a deep, sometimes risky honesty that designates us to ourselves, and therefore, gives everyone around us a chance to see us, and decide if they want to be part of our tribe, or not.

My tribe includes vegans, vegetarians, fish-etarians, and steak-etarians, like me. Though we don't all order the same thing when we're out to dinner, we share one thing in common: a commitment to non-judgement when it comes to the choices our friends make consciously, towards their idea of Ahimsa.

As a teacher, I want my students to feel welcomed, as they are. After all, we're all divine, and perfectly imperfect humans, too. And I don't presume to know all the complex and intertwining meanings to all these words: Ahimsa, Karma, Non-Violence, or even Yoga. So I default to the lessons I learned from my teachers, and their teachers before them about walking the middle path.

The path seems to be all or nothing to some, but to me, the middle is more inclusive than that. And all I can do is speak my truth as I walk it...my way.

Namaste!
Sadie

ONE MORE THOUGHT ON THIS SUBJECT:

As I said in my last comment, I have so enjoyed this post and the many responses, and I have thought of it lots! I just have one more little tid bit for you all to chew on. It is this: Here we have discussed how we directly negatively effect animals with our actions. But there are so many other ways which we can do harm in our daily lives that we have not discussed. In our modern lives we tend to be disconnected, even the most consientious of us. It's just a result of our modern lifestyle. Instead of working directly for what we need to survive, we work for money to purchase our needs, which (I think) is the root of this disconnect. In the particular area of food it can really blind us! Here is what I mean. We may think that we are eating as conciously as possible, but do we really know what the effects of our food actually are? How far are my potatoes shipped? What are the environmental practices of my veggie burger company? What are the farming practices of my mango supplier? What are the trade and labor practices of any of these growers, shippers and processers? These factors could easily have as much harmful impact (and more) on animal life as eating the animals directly. Not to mention the human species. We are right there in the trenches with our four legged brethren when it comes to habitat destruction, soil and air contamination, genetic mutation, and the coutless other terrifying effects of BIG, BAD BUSINESS. So, whatever your personal food choices may be,I say we all take a minute to consider everything we eat and everything we purchase. And we should definately pause before we criticise our brothers choices!

Is the law of karma judgement?

I've been a yogi for many years, and I was a vegetarian for almost 20 years. And while I don't eat a lot of meat, I do now eat *some* meat. Certainly not every meal, but its a part of my diet.

And actually, it was my guru who brought about this change. Not because he forced me to, but through discussions on the topic.

Note - I was vegetarian first, before I was ever into yoga and it started because my friends were all doing it. Then, I discovered it made my body feel better and so I stayed that way. However, over the years I began to wonder if this was just another habit I'd acquired.

Then, when I started studying with my guru, he talked about the difference (or no difference) between eating meat and eating anything else. Pretty much,*everything* in the world has some level of conciousness. Our bodies need fuel, and we must eat. What we eat shouldn't be the point of definition in regards to ahimsa.

Its how we eat it, whether we offer thanks and appreciation for every single meal and the energy and conciousness it took to grow our food. Whether we prepare food with love, eat it in the right spirit and share what we have.

The turning point for me was a retreat two or three years back now, where there was a little bit of meat in pretty much every meal. The reason for that? The type of meditation practice we were doing required us to be grounded afterwards.

And there I was, looking at either spending the whole retreat feeling miserable and resentful about the food, or I could just surrender my patterns and habits. It was an adjustment, but I found there are certain meat dishes I enjoy.

Finally, I'm grateful to retain a level of flexible thinking that unchallenged, may have calcified over time.

There is a food chain. humans are predators. humans are at the top of the food chain, therefor eating meat is natural and healthy for the survival of species, though not a necessity.

everyone is against torture, and unnecessary suffering.

principled vegetarianism is a noble pursuit, though by no ways the only logical ideal.

further, as far as ahimsa is concerned. it seems that principled pacifism and nonviolent means is a logical entailment.

In a nonviolent world, maybe ahimsa could be seen as a primary living principle for humans. However. we live in a competative. survival of the fittest, Darwinian adaptation of species, so humans can be the primary predator. Let's keep it that way.

eat meat, be aware of the consequences. and don't let moralizing anit-meat crusaders bother you.

This is a thought provoking post.....and it tells of my most recent dilemma! "what should I say to those judgemental pretend-yogis who are brainwashed into thinking that there is only one way to be?"
I realize that a lot of people feel the way I do. I guess it all boils down to total and complete self-acceptance because then it wont matter who says what.

It never fails to amaze me how much the opinions of others, and our own unnecessary guilt issues cause people such distress over factors that are none of anybody's business! Personally, if I could afford a raw, vegan diet, I'd do it in a heartbeat, FOR MY SELF. But that isn't available to me, so I won't whine about how lucky other people are. These things have little to do with our best inner qualities and really aren't necessary for us to feel okay with ourselves. As a matter of fact, I've yet to ever meet a yoga teacher or classmate who would venture to even give me that kind of judgement to my face because conversations of that nature aren't what I'm there for. And when I get into my car to leave, I smoke a cigarette knowing that nobody really cares about that, either! Hiding anything about yourself in order to maintain an image for others so we won't be judged is a terrible thing to do to yourself.

I thought that being yogic meant listening to your body. I've been eating less meat than I used to, but I don't feel right if I don't eat it at all. If not harming animals is an issue, that's going to happen whether we choose to eat meat or not eat meat.