Living your Ahimsa
Enhancing your Yoga practice with a vegan diet.
Gentle Yoga Practice Benefits
There are many benefits to a daily gentle yoga practice. First and foremost, practicing yoga every day makes you feel good. It raises your vibration and brings you into the present moment. Yoga is a practice that unites the mind, body, and spirit. Find a style, level, and length that you enjoy to reap all of the wonderful things yoga has to offer. When we practice Yoga, we can experience increased mindfulness, improved flexibility, weight maintenance, enhanced strength, mood elevation, and so much more!
How Does Veganism Relate to Yoga?
The simple answer is one word: ahimsa. Ahimsa means non-harming; it is the
respect for all living things. From an ethical stance, this is the basis of veganism. A vegan lifestyle is non-harming to ourselves, to other beings, to the land, the skies, the seas, and the planet as a whole.
There are 8 limbs of yoga: Yamas (attitudes toward the external), Niyamas (attitudes toward the internal), Asana (physical practice), Pranayama (breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment). Ahimsa is the very first of the Yamas; therefore, it is the first principle discussed through the limbs of yoga. We come to yoga to better our mind, body, and spirit. When you look at yoga through the lens of ahimsa, you are bringing peace and protection to all aspects of your life. That is why it is so vital and the first principle of yoga.
How can eating vegan enhance your yoga practice?
There are many potential benefits of following a plant-based diet. Yoga is a great practice to strengthen and heal our bodies. Eating vegan and practicing yoga can help us to maintain our weight, elevate our mood, release stress, and improve our overall health status. Let’s dive deeper into some of the effects of following a whole food, plant-based diet. 1
Increased Energy
Faster Recovery
Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
Lower Blood Pressure
Lower Rates of Type 2 Diabetes
Lower BMI
Lower Rates of Cancers
I mention the terms whole foods and plant-based because this is when we are receiving the full benefits of the diet. We can be vegan and only eat processed vegan foods and not receive any of the health benefits. All of the research on vegan diets show that the effects are maximized when the individual is following a whole food, plant-based diet.
Addressing Diet Culture
Don’t let the term “diet” scare you when I am talking about veganism. Although I am referring to it as a diet, it should not feel restrictive. Outside of rejecting meat, fish, and animal products, you should not aim further to restrict yourself. Try to eat mostly whole foods such as whole grains, beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. This should be a majority of your diet, but it does not have to be all you eat. Don’t fear meat alternatives, vegan desserts, or snacks. These foods can all be included in your diet in a healthy way. For more information on how to do this, check out my blog post on intuitive eating as a vegan!
References
Fuhrman, J., & Ferreri, D. M. (2010). Fueling the vegetarian (vegan) athlete. Current sports medicine reports, 9(4), 233–241. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181e93a6f
