5 reasons why people who adopt yoga in their lifestyle are vegetarians
Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is believed to have a direct link with yoga and meditation that is the reason why yogis are vegetarian. It is a well-known fact that the origin of yoga is from ancient India, where still many people adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. It is still believed that those who want to accomplish the higher level of hierarchy in yoga and meditation should be vegetarian so that the mind, body, and intellect are purged from the negativity. It is an undeniable fact that we are what we eat; therefore, we must be chary about our diet.
Notwithstanding all the notion of being vegetarian, still whether to be vegetarian is a topic of moot, mostly among the western world people. While most yogis from the Indian subcontinent have a strong belief that yoga should be completely violence-free, which is the reason why yogis are vegetarian. whereas the westerners believe that meat is essential for the body to provide proper nutrition, mainly protein.
Therefore, yoga is not all about the sweats you drain out by spanning time in your favorite yoga mat. The main purpose of yoga is to purge your negativity and connect with the source of peace, love, oneness, and humanity. So next time you take your yoga mat to practice your best yoga asana, it is necessary to contemplate whether your diet is allowing you to call yogi? Thus, it is commonly heard that most of the yoga teachers and practitioners prefer a vegetarian diet to a non-vegetarian diet.
You are what you eat
The common notion that health and happiness lie in the food we feed is an undeniable fact. The ancient yoga and scripts clearly mention that our action on daily life is the product of body, mind, and soul acting harmoniously together. What we feed on a daily basis is absorbed by cells in our body. The cells are the fundamental of the functioning of our body.
Therefore, it is clear that we are what we eat. Many ancient scriptures have also clearly stated that eating meat or any product that arises from the violence restricts us from achieving the deep states of yoga and meditation as doing such inhibits us from generating positive effects in the body. Thus, vegetarians strictly follow non-violence also known as “ahimsa”.
Why Yogis are vegetarians?
Most of the yogis or the people who are devoted to yoga and meditation are vegetarian. So, to any newbies who have just kicked off yoga and meditation practice might think the reason being a vegetarian. Different questions might appear on the mind of the newbie practicing yoga as such: “Is it necessary to become vegetarian to do yoga and meditation?” We have enlisted major reasons why Yogis are vegetarians:
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Sattva(Pure/Clean)
Most of the Hindu scriptures focus on becoming Sattva also known as Pure and clean, this is the first reason behind why yogis are vegetarian and thay always want to pure and clean. The ancient Bhagavad Gita clearly mentions that vegetarian food is the source of vitality, health, the strength that ultimately translates to the longevity of the person who feeds on them. The ancient scriptures mainly focus on fruits and vegetables to be on the list of foods for vegetarians.
Just opposite to the Sattva comes ‘Rajasic’ and ‘Tamasic’ foods. ‘Rajasic foods are mainly considered as the non-vegetarian diet, whereas ‘Tamasic’ foods are overcooked and stale foods. Both of these diets are considered unhealthy for Yogis.
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Ahimsa (Non-violence)
Second reason on why yogis are vegetarian is Ahimsa or non-violence. The fundamental of Yogic lifestyle is practicing non-violence also known as Ahimsa. Non-violence is practiced from the level of thoughts, speaking, and action. Non-violence does not only mean not to kill and eat animals, but it also refers not to harm any other living being knowingly and unknowingly. The philosophy of Ahimsa is clearly stated in much spiritual text of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions too.
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Karma (What we sow, so we reap) is third reason for why yogis are vegetarian
Yogis believe in the philosophy of Karma. Karma is based on a simple philosophy of “What we sow, so we reap”. In a simpler term, if we do good deeds, good things will come upon us, whereas if we do bad action, it will reap in different forms. For the science enthusiast, who is familiar with Newton’s 3rd law of motion “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” It is even easier to understand the philosophy of Karma.
Therefore, the two basic yet important philosophy of ‘Ahimsa’ and ‘Karma’ Yogis choose veggies diet over meat and eggs.
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‘Veggie’ Diet Is Good For the body:
Many scientific studies have claimed that veggies diet are palatable as they are rich in fiber and comparatively low in sugar. The high fiber content diet helps in smooth digestion and makes the robust immune system and other umpteen of benefits follow that’s why yogis are vegetarian. Likewise, the antioxidants present in plants help in slowing the aging process, and vitamins aids in the proper functioning of the body. The conflation of yoga, meditation, and a healthy diet helps to decrease the risks of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and more.
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Veggie Diet is beneficial to keep mind calm is next reason why yogis are vegetarian
Besides keeping the body healthy and hearty, the main purpose of yoga and meditation is to keep the mind peaceful. The chittering mind can be made calm and peaceful by incorporating yoga and meditation along with eating a veggie diet. The importance of the sattva diet is clearly illustrated in ancient Hindu texts like Bhagavad Gita.
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