To veg or not to veg?

So much chatter going on right now about the vegetarian "controversy," and so many valid points on both sides of the argument. Even without taking yoga into account, the vegetarian lifestyle is so often a point of contention between strangers, friends, and even family. I come from a family omnivores who on more than one occasion while I was growing up would make fun of or pass judgment on those who chose to go the vegetarian route. How ironic when one of their own decided to follow that path for herself!

Then, there are those people who have tried to go veg, and have even lasted 5, 6, or even 10 years without eating any meat. But, then, one day, they caught the aroma of a neighborhood bar-b-que and left their vegetarian ways behind them. I still encounter people on a regular basis who give me an incredulous look and ask, "Do you eat chicken or fish? How do you live without meat? I have to eat meat!" And of course, eating out is always a challenge in my skills of explanation when I have to explain to the server that no, I don't want bacon bits, or bacon or Caesar dressing on my salad, or that I want a BLT with no bacon!

But back to the point at hand here: to veg or not to veg--can you practice yoga and still eat the occasional Big Mac?

Many consider yoga to be a strictly personal endeavor, a journey to the inner depths of the soul in an effort to find peace and enlightenment. One doesn't always need to refer to any outward source to find the path to inner peace. And for many people, this is exactly what yoga is. A way for them to find peace and balance in their own minds and daily lives, with no need to reference ancient or foreign texts or teachings. The physical practice brings flexibility and physical wellbeing, while the meditative practice helps to bring clarity and understanding. Whether one chooses to eat meat or not, then, is an entirely personal decision based on one's personal journey. All that's needed is to listen to your own conscience.

If you're approach to yoga is more, perhaps, universal or buddhist in nature, then it might make the consumption of meat a little more difficult. In following closely both the Buddhist and Hindu influences on yoga, one will find that both histories are closely linked to the vegetarian lifestyle. Commitment to the first Yama of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is itself a commitment to vegetarianism. How can one be committed to non-violence and non-harming and continue to eat meat? I must say, you cannot have both. The belief in the Oneness of the Universe is the belief that all things are connected, everything impacts and is impacted by everything else. No one, no thing is an island. One can interpret this to mean that we should respect and honor all things, and not cause harm to others as to do so would be to cause harm to ourselves. (This could also be interpreted to mean, in everyday lingo, that it all washes out in the end, and that eating a cow now will be balanced by being eaten by worms later.)

So, go with whatever is your personal decision (and it is personal, whatever you decide). Next to the teaching of non-violence, yoga teaches compassion, understanding and tolerance. And so it is most important that we respect others' decisions, regardless of whether or not they fall in line with our own. My personal decision to not eat meat is entirely my own, not influenced by others, and I try not to push my opinion where it is not invited. For me, it makes sense, and I enjoy such an enormous variety of food that I have not once "missed" meat. But to each, his/her own. We certainly do not need such a controversy to muddy the (relatively) clear waters of the yoga community.