Yoga And Veganism

In Yoga and Veganism, Sharon Gannon—co-creator of the renowned Jivamukti Yoga method—weaves together a compelling exploration of the intersection between the spiritual practice of yoga, physical health, care for the planet, and a peaceful coexistence with other animals and nature. Through clear and accessible language, Gannon unpacks the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the oldest and most revered texts focused on the philosophy of yoga, and draws a fascinating course to greater enlightenment for the contemporary practitioner. With yama, or restraint, the Yoga Sutras outline the first step on the path to spiritual liberation through five ethical principles that help guide our relationships with the world around us: Ahimsa teaches us how to avoid personal suffering through not harming others, while satya reveals how telling the truth allows us to be better listened to. Through asteya, or nonstealing, we learn the secret of wealth. Brahmacharya reveals how refraining from sexual misconduct leads to health and vitality, and finally, aparigraha opens our eyes to the ways in which greed holds us back from true happiness and is destroying the planet. Yoga and Veganism shines a light on these five guiding principles, demonstrating how the practice of yoga is tied to an ethical vegan lifestyle, which opens the path to both physical wellness and spiritual enlightenment. Featuring a selection of delicious recipes from the author along with personal essays from individuals whose lives have been transformed by veganism—including filmmaker Kip Andersen (Cowspiracy) and activist Ingrid Newkirk (president of PETA)— Yoga and Veganism provides a framework for yoga students and teachers looking to bring their asana practice into alignment with the philosophy at the heart of the discipline, as well as with the Earth around them and all of the beings within it.

According to Sharon Gannon, the single most important part of your yoga practice is the strict adherence to a vegetarian diet - a diet free of needless cruelty, harm, and injustice. Gannon offers truth and wisdom from a tradition of spiritual practice thousands of years old and explains how to apply these practices to our modern lifestyles. Drawing upon her studies of Vedic traditions, Gannon explores how the practices of yoga are historically and structurally tied to an ethical vegetarian lifestyle. Integral to each another, both yoga and vegetarianism form a framework for physical and spiritual attunement, and when practiced as a whole provide the path not only to physical health, but to spiritual enlightenment.

Author Paul Rodney Turner the "food yogi" takes you on a journey of rediscovering food and its importance in our spiritual evolution. FOOD YOGA not only offers practical guidance on how to live a healthy and happy life by reconnecting with nature, but also introduces the reader to the power of food as a uniter and a medium for expressing our love for the divine. Food yoga springs from the belief that the kind of food we eat affects our consciousness and subsequent behaviours. All the world's great spiritual traditions have elaborate food offering rituals carefully designed to expand consciousness and all use food as a means to represent or please the Divine and to expand the consciousness of their followers. Food yoga is, in essence, a discipline that honors all spiritual paths by embracing their core teaching - that food in its most pure form is divine and therefore an excellent medium for spiritual purification.

This revealing compilation of essays by prominent practitioners and well-informed scholars lays to bear one simple truth: One must be a vegetarian to properly practice Yoga. Bringing together the work of nine distinguished scholars and practitioners of Yoga and Eastern thought, Food for the Soul: Vegetarianism and Yoga Traditions is organized around the fact that, although vegetarianism is a natural and inescapable part of the Yogic tradition, many Yogis and Yoginis today remain blissfully unaware of that fact. The essays gathered here explore the important and much-debated subject of vegetarianism in the major Yoga traditions, looking at what diet has to do with the practice of Yoga and whether ahimsa (harmlessness) is a prerequisite for achieving Yoga's goals. The contributors draw on history, philosophy, ancient Yoga texts, Hindu scriptures, comparative religion, contemporary practitioners, the words of sages, and the teachings of Yogic masters to forge illuminating insights into the subject. Readers, whether students of Hinduism, practitioners of Yoga, vegetarian or animal rights advocates, or simply people with an interest, will find both the questions and the answers provocative—and edifying.

The long-awaited, complete guide to the popular, vigorous American method of yoga that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom and scriptures “In this day and age of health and fitness trends, it is assuring to know that Sharon and David encourage their students to draw inspiration from the classical texts of Yoga and timeless scriptural sources. ”—Sri Swami Satchidananda Creators of the extremely popular Jivamukti Yoga method and cofounders of the New York City studios where it is taught, Sharon Gannon and David Life present their unique style of yoga for the first time in book form. As they explain their intensely physical and spiritual system of flowing postures, they provide inspiring expert instruction to guide you in your practice. Unlike many books about yoga, Jivamukti Yoga focuses not only on the physical postures but also on how they evolved—the origins of the practices in yoga’s ancient sacred texts and five-thousand-year-old traditions—the psychotherapeutic benefits that accrue with a steady practice, and the spiritual power that is set free when energy flows throughout the mind and body. Jivamukti Yoga, which means “soul liberation,” guides your body and soul into spiritual freedom, physical strength, peace of mind, better health, and Self-realization–the ultimate goal of any practice. Gannon and Life help you understand each of the practices that comprise the yoga path to enlightenment: AHIMSA–The Way of Compassion: choosing nonviolence, respecting all life, practicing vegetarianism, living free of prejudice ASANA–The Way of Connection to the Earth: postures and sequences, breathing, transforming energy, understanding the bandhas KARMA–The Way of Action: creating good karma, giving thanks NADAM–The Way of Sacred Music: appreciating the sacred sounds of yoga MEDITATION–The Way of the Witness: how to sit still and move inward BHAKTI–The Way of Devotion to God: living with love, grace, and peace Whatever yoga you practice, Jivamukti Yoga will help you to strengthen and deepen that practice and lead you onto a path of spiritual clarity and self-discovery. “If there is only one book you read about the practice of Yoga, this should be the one. . . . This book is for anyone who wishes to find transformation through Yoga. I’m grateful for their work and teaching.”—Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, Co-founder & CEO, Omega Institute

From the co-founder of the yoga method that launched yoga into the mega-popular mind-body practice that it is today (the Jivamukti method), here is a simple guide to developing your own individualized daily spiritual practice for greater peace and well-being. This powerful little book from legendary yoga teacher Sharon Gannon shows readers how to design their very own daily spiritual practice, incorporating yoga poses and practices, meditation, blessings, and other spiritual practices, to begin one's day in a positive and life-affirming place. While many people experience yoga only in yoga studios, Gannon explains that it is highly beneficial to have a private spiritual practice that can be done at home. Replete with how-to instructions on the ten simple yoga poses Gannon recommends readers do for health and flexibility, as well as guidance on meditation, blessings, and awareness exercises that can be added to the mix, this book will help readers infuse their day with greater focus, compassion, and joyfulness.

Hollywood celebrities are doing it. Corporate moguls are doing it. But what about those of us living in the real world—and on a real budget? Author and holistic health practitioner Victoria Moran started eating only plants nearly thirty years ago, raised her daughter, Adair, vegan from birth, and maintains a sixty-pound weight loss. In Main Street Vegan, Moran offers a complete guide to making this dietary and lifestyle shift with an emphasis on practical "baby steps," proving that you don’t have to have a personal chef or lifestyle coach on speed dial to experience the physical and spiritual benefits of being a vegan. This book provides practical advice and inspiration for everyone—from Main Street to Wall Street, and everywhere between. "Finally, a book that isn't preaching to the vegan choir, but to the people in the pews—and the ones who can’t fit in those pews. This is a book for the Main Street majority who aren’t vegans. Once you read this, you'll know it's possible to get healthy and enjoy doing it—even if you live in Paramus or Peoria."—Michael Moore "A great read for vegans and aspiring vegans."—Russell Simmons "Yet another divine gift from Victoria Moran. Main Street Vegan covers it all—inspiration, information, and out of this world recipes. This book is a gem."—Rory Freedman, co-author Skinny Bitch "Main Street Vegan is exactly the guide you need to make changing the menu effortless. Victoria Moran covers every aspect of plant-based eating and cruelty-free living, with everything you need to make healthy changes stick."—Neal Barnard, MD, president, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and NY Times bestselling author of 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart "A great book for anyone who's curious about veganism. It shows that not all vegans are weirdos like me."—Moby

When someone goes vegan on Park Avenue or Beverly Drive, they have a private chef and a personal assistant to do the troubleshooting. When we make the shift on Main Street, we could use some help, too. For nearly six years, acclaimed author, speaker, podcaster, and Main Street Vegan Academy director, Victoria Moran, has trained individuals to become vegan lifestyle coaches and educators. Now, Victoria has teamed up with one her Academy alums turned faculty member, cookbook author, culinary instructor, and radio host, JL Fields, to bring that very same coaching to you. In The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook, Victoria and JL, along with over a hundred certified vegan lifestyle coaches, join you in the kitchen as you discover more than 100 of their favorite plant-sourced recipes. Whether you're new to the diet or a seasoned plant-based eater, vegan or just veg-curious, their tips, tricks, shortcuts, and strategies will transform your cooking, your eating, and your life. Inside, you'll find wholesome, delectable, and accessible recipes like: • PB&J Sammie Smoothie • Sweet Red Chili Potato Skins • Pepperoni Pizza Puffs • Avocado-Cucumber Soup • Cranberry-Kale Pilaf • Crisp Mocha Peanut Butter Bars Anchored in compassion, The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook is more than a cookbook; it's a complete guide to going vegan, from FAQs, troubleshooting, and menu plans to inspiration and innovations for navigating the culinary, nutritional, and social landscape of plant-based eating. Embrace a healthier, more compassionate you, with Victoria, JL, and the rest of the Main Street Vegan Academy coaches by your side.

We are in the midst of a monumental transformation in human civilization, akin to a metamorphosis. Just as in Nature where the caterpillar gorges excessively before forcibly undergoing a metamorphosis in the chrysalis, we over-consuming humans are reaching a point of being forcibly transformed within the cocoon of our finite planet into compassionate, life-affirming butterflies. Vegan life-affirming butterflies. Carbon Yoga weaves a narrative through the events of the past to show that such a vegan metamorphosis is inexorable and that this system change will occur within the next decade, both from a scientific perspective and from a religious and spiritual perspective. The narrative proposes an evolutionary purpose for humanity and for Western civilization. During the Caterpillar phase, humans unintentionally built all the tools and technologies needed to regulate the Earth's climate and organize an equitable global human society. But as a consequence, the Earth is marinating in ever accumulating toxic pollution even as ecosystems are degraded and the climate is changing. Now, we have no choice but to treat all Life as sacred in order to preserve that on which we depend for our own survival. Such a revolutionary change in human outlook has the added benefit of inducing spiritual awakening, resolving social justice issues, elevating our connection with all Life and improving human health and well being. It is only such a quest for "moral singularity" that will heal the Earth, regenerate Life and lead us to true global sustainability. Carbon Yoga is the second in a series that began with the 2011 book, Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies. While Carbon Dharma was mainly about what we need to do, as a species, to reach sustainability, Carbon Yoga takes this understanding of ethical and environmental righteousness (Dharma) and suggests how we can go about doing it (Yoga).