I came from fruitarianism (and after a little time in 811) and now I enjoy a lot meat.
Hi Louna - good to hear from you. I have seen some of your posts since you started on the raw paleo diet, and seen your challenges to find a balance between fruitarianism and carnivorism!! Glad to see you posted yesterday that you are feeling good now on less fruit, more vegetables and lots of meat. I have also had a lot of confusion since I started. I know too much fruit makes me more anxious and tense and I don't sleep well (active mind), but didn't know where to find the balance between fruit, veg and meat. None of it gives me any particularly major health problems, tho raw veg other than greens give me bloating and often a sore stomach the next day. For now I have found the balance between fruit in the morning, and greens and meat in the afternoon. Will see how it goes.
I also do Yoga as a great passion and will start studies to become professor.
I am interested to know about if you observe some changements in your practice since you eat some meat.
At differents levels : Physical (flexibility, force...), psychological, spiritual...
I have only been eating meat since the beginning of the year, and eating less fruit, and definitely I have noticed that:
- I feel much stronger (a deep inner physical strength) in my yoga practice
- I have more energy physically and have added an extra class to my teaching schedule, and haven't had the feeling I sometimes used to get of not having enough mental or physical energy to teach a class
- I feel more flexible, but I suspect this is because muscle tension has lessened from eating less fruit and generally feeling less anxious
- a definite lessening in habitual neck and shoulder tension
- psychologically feel more confident and positive, and I seem to be attracting lots more students to my classes (don't know whether this coincidence or not, but I feel that it is related to a change in diet)
- difficult to assess true psychological/spiritual effects at this stage, because I have been quite stressed at changing the diet and figuring out what will work for me, finding sources of meat etc. So my mind has been very busy with those worries, but my meditation and yoga practice has been stabilising in terms of helping me always to see the broader perspective and helping me access my own truth about what I should be doing (I have read SOOO much conflicting stuff out there, all very confusing
My thoughts now about ehtic, is that it is not easy to be in peace with eating animals in this time of society but I'm not sure that the very ancients yogis were vegetarians.
Also cereals destroy the planet (for vegetarians) more than eating animals does (grass fedded) and eating fruits destroy our self...
We can just have the attitude of animals who eat because they need and we can added consciousness of respect and by the path of tantra take pleasure.
Yes, I battled with this initially. I'm not sure about the ancient yogis, but in Ayurveda animal foodstuffs are used if necessary for health. I think a lot of one's personal choice depends on the reasons for choosing a particular diet. It is said that to reach the highest levels of consciousness, one has to be vegan. But I think we have to consider our path in this life and whether that is what we are called to do or not. It may be that health should be first priority to enable one to fulfill one's chosen path, and fulfilling one's chosen path is a spiritual practice in itself anyway. I feel that I am called to teach and pass on the wisdom of yoga, and in order to do that I have to keep myself healthy physically as well as spiritually. So if eating meat helps me physically, then I need to find a way of seeing that as a spiritual practice as well. Nothing in this universe is separated from 'Source' or "truth' or 'God', whatever you choose to call it, so we need to find that essence in everything we do. As long as it is done with respect for all life, with honesty, moderation and non-greed.
Part of the mystery of life is that death needs to happen in order for life to continue, on every level. Agriculture for grains and fruit destroys plenty of life in the process, so vegans are not exempt from killing (it is just done with no awareness). The same goes for factory farming of animals – mindless killing for greed, and mindlessness on the part of people who eat from such places.
But I think if we can respect the sacredness of life, ensure that we only take sufficient for our needs and not for greed, and ensure the animals have lived a natural, happy and contented life, and express our gratitude for the life of that animal, then we are on our way to a more ethical approach.
I think it is a topic that has vast scope for discussion and debate. But I feel Ok about it now, and my Vipassana meditation helps a lot –helping me maintain eqanimity and a state of balance and seeing the whole perspective, the basic truth being that nothing is permanent (things are constantly rising up and falling away) and therefore it is pointless either become attached to or repelling anything. But within that state, always maintaining basic moral principles of respect for all life.
Here is a post from earlier in this thread which was useful:
Bronwen, hi. You might try the pages of beyondveg.com. They have or had an 'enlightening' article describing just how many animals are killed when tractors farm with discs, or with orchards and the killing of ground animals that would otherwise descimate the fruit tree's roots. The examples are many. Bottom line is that when you eat beef, you may eat one cow a year. When you eat carrots and beans, and fruits, you actually are killing hundreds of animals (albeit, small ones) each year. We tend to value a larger animal more than say a rabbit or snake or ground squirrel. The other point is, all well cared for and humanely killed large animals live a glorious life that they never would have had the chance to live if not for you. And they aren't left in the wake of a tractors harrow or discs bleeding to death from being cut in half or dismembered. Maybe this might help. Oh, and you might try eating your beef separate from your salads. Salads tend to diminish the acid level needed to handle meat, especially if coming from a veg. orientated diet. All the best, Van
Bye for now,
Bronwen
Topic: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa (Read 14746 times)