Do I have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga? This is a question that has elicited mixed reactions with heated debates on what exactly yoga and your food preferences have to do with each other. Traditional yogis will tell you that slaughtering animals is ungodly and an obstruction on the path to heaven. Today, the choice on what to eat may seem like a personal one, but when you look at history, you will find that this was more of a spiritual and ethical choice. History of the Vegetarian Diet and Yoga The core of the yoga and vegetarianism debate can be linked to the doctrine of non-violence known as the ahimsa. Ahimsa preaches peace and not only encourages peaceful co-existence between humans but also preaches against non-violence toward all living creatures. Many yogis have interpreted this as a directive against killing animals for food. According to many, this is a form of cruelty. The fact that yoga is a practice with Hindu origins also helps further fuel the vegetarian fire as Hindu religions link animals to their gods and reincarnation. The case of whether you need to be a vegan to be a yogi is therefore more complex and boils down to spirituality in many cases. How Many Yogis are Vegetarians? The Facts The Yoga Journal magazine conducted a survey a few years back to determine the number of yogis who are actually vegetarian, and the results were astounding to say the say the least. Surprisingly, only 12 percent of yogis were actually vegetarians. The number of meat eating yogis is definitely massive and also outlines a factor that not many consider which is just how healthy is the vegan diet. You will find that many yogis actually tried to be vegetarians at some point but this lifestyle also sucked lots of important nutrients from their diets and led to health related issues. If you are interested in the practice of yoga, you need to ask yourself what is yoga all about? The fact is this, yoga is all about enlightenment. The choice of whether or not to eat meat is therefore a personal one and has nothing to do with whether or not you are a genuine yogi. The question you may want to ponder on the most is what is the source of your food? Not all vegetables are grown in the most conducive environments and these plants also undergo harsh treatments with pesticides and chemicals that destroy the environment. On the same note, not all animals are reared in the most appropriate conditions. You therefore may want to consider where your food comes from as a yogi. Yoga is all about being mindful of your actions. At the end of the day, you need to be self-aware. As we mentioned, yoga is all about enlightenment and there is no point in letting your body suffer due to lack of nutrients as this is a form of self inflicted harm. Know your body and go for a diet that meets your nutritional needs. Fore more information about Hot yoga, please visit http://www.yogafy.com.
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