A New Day

It is the beginning of another year but even more importantly, today is a new day as will tomorrow be a new day.  Do not put off being who you need to be until a special day of the year, be who you need to be today.

Do you need more love?  Be more loving, now.  Do you need greater financial stability?  Be more stable with the finances you currently have, now.  Whatever it is that you find you truly need in life, be that thing now with what you already have.  If you are unhappy now, unsatisfied now then no matter how your situation changes, you will remain unhappy, unsatisfied because, although your situation has changed, you have not.  If, instead, you are happy and satisfied now, then regardless of how your situation changes you will remain happy and sastified.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Is It or Isn't It?

There is one question that recurs time and again regarding Yoga:  Is Yoga a religion?  Without hesitation, I can say that Yoga is not a religion.  Saying Yoga is a religion is like saying a hummingbird is an eagle.  It is true that both are birds and have feathers, wings and beaks; however, they are clearly not the same.  Religion teaches one how to live right and Yoga teaches one right living; again, similar but not the same.  Religion is about man's relation to God and Yoga is about man's relation to Self.  Is there overlap?  Naturally there is and that being the case, religion can enhance what Yoga has to offer and Yoga can enhance what religion has to offer but Yoga does not require one to be religious nor does religion require one to study Yoga.

Why does this matter, why even address the subject?  Personally, it doesn't.  There are some, however, who are troubled by this question in one form or another and so it creates distraction either for the student or for those around the student.  Here are some quotes from some well known and respected authorities on Yoga:

Swami Sivananda Saraswati: “Yoga is not a religion, but an aid to the practice of the basic spiritual truths in all religions. Yoga is for all, and is universal.”

Georg Feuerstein: [To practice yoga] “You need not believe in anything other than the possibility that you can transform yourself.” “...some Yoga practitioners are more religious than others. But Yoga itself is simply a tool for exploring the depth of our human nature, of plumbing the mysteries of the body and the mind.”

T.K.V. Desikachar: “Yoga was rejected by Hinduism... because yoga would not insist that God exists. It didn't say there was no God but just wouldn't insist there was.... Yoga is not a religion and should not [affiliate] with any religion”"

Swami Rama: “Yoga is a systematic science; its teachings are an integral part of most religions, but yoga itself is not a religion. Most religions teach one what to do, but yoga teaches one how to be. Yoga practices, however, described in symbolic language, may be found in the sacred scriptures of most religions.”

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Is It or Isn't It? Follow-up

While I answered the question, I did not address the more basic question:  If Yoga is not a religion, what is it?  To put it simply, Yoga is a way of life.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Yoga on the Mat and Off

Yoga is practiced on a mat, correct?  In reality, no.  Time spent on the mat is time spent studying Yoga.  Time spent off the mat is time to practice what has been studied.

On of my mentors, Chandrakant, put it this way:  “There is no on or off the mat, there is only now and you practice Yoga now.”  He went on to say that if we think of practicing Yoga on only our mats, then we should cut up our mats and make them into shoe inserts so we will always be on our mats.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

An Empty Cup

A would be student approached a learned master and, seeking to win the master's favor, the prospective student began expounding to the master all that he knew.  The master offered the student tea and continued to pour into the cup while listening to the student speak.  Soon the cup was filled and yet the master continued to pour, the tea spilling over the rim and onto the table.  Finally, the aspiring student could endure this waste no longer and protested, “The cup is full!  No more will go in!”  The master said, “The mind is a cup, it holds what we put into it.  It is impossible to fill a cup that is already full.”

It is a curious thing, the more I have learned and experienced, the emptier my cup has become.  This is not because I have failed to learn nor because I have forgotten what I have learned before; rather, as I have learned, my capacity for further learning has expanded.  This last week, however, I have found that my capacity has increased such that I find myself possessed of a vastly empty cup.

Be always a seeker, always a learner.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Then the Teacher Shall Appear

I have the unique distinction of being Utah's first Amrit Yoga Teacher.  I am, currently, also Utah's only Amrit Yoga Teacher.  I had anticipated this while I was at the Amrit Yoga Institute this last Fall and I bought a CD and posture chart so I could start practicing Stage 2^* at some point.  Something interesting happened:  I lost the CD, simply could not find it.  I let it go and focused on my current sadhana.  Due to a number of events in the last two weeks, I knew it was finally time.  Yesterday I finished teaching an Introduction to Yoga class and then went upstairs at the center for my own sadhana.  Again, I was reminded that it was time.  As I drove home, I decided I would make arrangements to get a new CD shipped to me post haste—of course, all the people I would need to contact left for India on the 6^th; so, there would be a delay.

I came home and found Shanna, my wife, cleaning the kitchen.  I went downstairs to our room to put my things away and realized, after a moment of confusion, that she had slightly rearanged our bedroom.  I normally am not a fan of this happening but today, the room seemed to say, “This is the way this should be.”  Due to some shoulder pain, we've switched which side of the bed we each sleep on and there, next to my side of the bed, sat the trunk/chest from our bedroom set.  She had arranged a number of my things on top of it along with a plain paper CD sleeve in the center.  There was another moment of confusion and then I recognized what I was seeing:  It was the CD I had lost last fall, the CD I was going to call about.

When the student is ready . . . .

Jai Bhagwan!

^*Amrit Yoga uses three distinct Stages.  Stage 1 is Willful Practice.  This is essentially making things happen.  Stage 2 is Will and Surrender.  This is allowing the intuition of the body, Prana, to begin directing the practice.  Stage 3 is Surrender.  This practice is referred to as an automatic or spontaneous posture flow.

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

I'll Do Better Next Time

How many of us have said this and how often have we said it?  On the face of it, this simple phrase seems to be an acknowledgment that what is done is done and also indicates a desire to improve.  In reality, this phrase means much more and is not nearly as positive as it first sounds.

Firstly, it is a self-accusation that whatever was done was not good enough, was not acceptable.  Worse, it indicates that the the ability to actually “do it right” was there but the effort was lacking.  Finally, it codemns one to live with failure until “next time.”

How then to stop waiting for “next time?”  Is the answer to get it right the first time?  No as that simply sets one up to eventually say, “I'll do better next time.”  First, give a full effort.  No matter what is to be done, give everything and hold nothing back.  Second, accept the outcome no matter what it is.  If one gives full effort, then it is simply impossible to do better than what was done at the time.  Doing these two things will bring freedom from waiting for next time.  The first guarantees that you have done your best at that time.  The second allows you to appreciate what you have done.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Headaches

Jai Bhagwan!

As many have heard me say in class, the physical benefits of Yoga are merely side effects of the greater inner impact of Yoga; however, this is not to say one should not make use of Yoga specifically for it's physical benefits.  With that in mind, allow me to share some thoughts on headaches that I gave in response to the following question:

Is there a self-massage technique or yoga pose I can do to shake off a headache?

If this is a tension headache, massaging the temples gently may help.  The same is true of gently massaging the back of the neck.  Do either lying on your back, taking all the tension off of your neck.  Also, vigorously rubbing the hands together until they become hot and covering your closed eyes and face with the entire palm of each hand is very calming and will help reduce a tension headache.

Here is what I do to relieve a headache—this works best if someone is asking you to do each of these:
Close the eyes
Now feel the headache and become interested in it, do not fight it.
Describe where the headache is, like "Behind the eyes."
Next, describe how big it is.  I simply hold my hands up and move them further or closer together to show the size.
Now say what color the headache is.
Repeat (eyes remain closed the entire time).

Tension headaches will be relieved by this technique very quickly (usually less than 5 minutes).  Migraines will usually lessen but not be relieved entirely.  Migraines also tend to return as their cause is more complicated than simple tension.

PREVENTION

Tension headaches can be readily prevented by daily sadhana.  Sadhana means not only practicing yoga postures but also giving time for pranayama and meditation.  Also practice pranayam, specifically Complete Breath as often as you can through the day.  This is will dramatically lessen the tension you experience from daily stresses and, in turn, lessen tension headaches.

If you suffer from frequent headaches over a prolonged period of time and you are drinking plenty of water (dehydration does cause headache), this may be a symptom of some other issue in the body and should consider consulting a physician.

While the same advice applies generally to migraines, the impact will not be the same.  Reduction of tension from stress will likely lessen the frequency of migraines and may even lessen the severity, only rarely will yoga alone prevent migraines as migraines seem to have multiple causes which are not tension related.  Some find that altering their diets is very beneficial and others find that no matter what they do, the migraines continue.  Regardless, if you are suffering migraines, I would strongly recommend consulting with your physician.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Love

Jai Bhagwan!

As I contemplate this subject, Tina Turner's song, “What's Love Got To Do With It,” comes quickly to mind.  Indeed, what does love have to do with Yoga?  Might I submit that love has everything to do with Yoga?  If one is filled with love, can that one be violent?  Will that one lie or steal or be excessive or greedy?  Can one love oneself and be impure, discontent, slothful?  Self-study and devotion are both acts of love.  Why practice asana if we do not love these bodies?  Indeed, Yoga is woven from love!

Where are we to find this pure love?  Bapuji said this about love:

You need not find love outside yourself.  That love is already hidden in your heart.  You have to awaken it and radiate its light outward.

From the Heart of the Lotus, Compiled by John Mundahl

What is it that is growing, stirring within the silent stillness?  It is love.  Be still and know love.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

A Fair Day

Saturday was the Pleasant Grove Community Center Health & Fitness Fair.  This was the center's first Health & Fitness Fair and the turnout was quite good considering that there was another well established fair happening that day and it was a long weekend.  Another instructor and myself demonstrated various postures and answered the few questions that were sent our way.  During one of the slow moments, all three of the center's yoga teachers came together for a little question and answer session of our own.  This gave rise to two very interesting experiences.

Our conversation quickly turned to questions about different postures:  why we do or do not use them, how to move into this or that posture, how to compensate for this or that physical limitation.  While we talked, arm balances became the focus of the discussion and demonstration.  Suddenly kakasana and bakasana were the poses of the moment.  In a moment of lost balance, I found myself on my head and hands with my knees somewhere between shoulders and elbows.  Without a second thought, my feet traveled toward the ceiling and I found myself in a very stable variation of salamba sirsasana.  One of the other instructors asked if that was really the way I normally do that pose.  It was then that I realized that rather than using my forearms for balance, I was on head and hands only.  Frankly, this has always scared me senseless and is the reason I never tried headstands before I started practicing Yoga and the reason why any variation of a headstand has always given me some trouble.  There was no fear, there wasn't even thought, just the need to move the feet up and the balance.  After the question was posed, I answered “No” and came down out of the pose . . . landing my spine right on top of a 3 lbs. hand weight.  Here is a testament to the physical benefits of Yoga:  While I am still stiff from landing on the weight and the area did swell a bit, I have full range of motion with no pain and have had no motion related pain right from the beginning.

A short time later, I was asked to demonstrated salamba sirsasana the “right way.”  Again my feet seemed to rise of their own accord and the posture was easy and steady.  Fear has always cut short my time in this pose, always.  There was no fear and before I knew what was happening, the feet slowly separated bringing the legs to a wide V and then the hips revolved slowly leaving one leg forward and one back.  Ego woke up at this point and hollered “WOW!” and balance started to waver.  With quiet determination, long inhale, slow exhale, return the hips and feet to neutral and slowly lower to the floor.  Not only was this “unscripted” but this was also the first time I have ever even attempted such a thing.

Why post these two experiences here?  First, it is good to be reminded that we ALL make mistakes.  I should have checked around my mat for hazards before doing any balance postures.  Second, it is good to know that as the body is well nourished and strengthened then we are more likely to walk away from our mistakes with bumps and bruises rather than injuries and wounds.  Third, trusting Prana will lead you to very interesting places but do not become proud of this nor attached to such events as even surrendering to Prana can create distraction if allowed.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Inhibition or Self-Discipline?

Listening to Gurudev lead a Yoga Nidra session—Yoga Nidra is a technique involving deep relaxation and inner awareness—I hear him say, “Let go of all inhibitions.”  I see the stiff motion and hear timid sounds from some of my students and think, “Let go of all your inhibitions.”  The next thing I know, the little demon appears and shouts, “Do you really want them all running through the streets naked?”

I am sure that it was this same little demon that helped spawn the idea that liberation means anything goes and that Tantra is all about sex.  When I say leave your inhibitions behind, I do not mean go live an illicit life; similarly, when I say be discriminating, I do not mean be a racist.  Inhibition says, “Don't do that, it will be embarrassing.”  Inhibition is born out of fear.  Self-discipline, which is frequently mistaken for inhibition, comes from awareness.  I am aware that stealing is unjust and so I do not steal.

Dancing has struck utter terror into my heart for years.  That fear has inhibited me.  Last Fall while in Florida, I had an opportunity to engage in some Rasa Dancing.  “Breathe.  Relax.  Let go.” was all I could say to myself for the first fifteen minutes or so.  Finally, the fear in my heart vanished and I discovered a great sense of ease.  Let go of all inhibitions, let go of all fears.  Be discriminating, be aware of what will bring you peace and stillness and what will not.

Now, my dear readers, are you covering the fears of your inhibitions by claiming self-discipline?  Are you hiding your lack of self-discipline by claiming to be uninhibited?  These are questions only you can answer.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Free Yoga Classes

If I could find a way to pay my bills and teach Yoga all day for free, I would do it in a heart beat.  That is, at this time, simply not possible but you can help me live that dream just a little.  I am offering free private classes this week.  All you have to do is find me and ask about them.  Now, if you are interested, your best chance of finding me is at the Pleasant Grove Community Center tonight, Wednesday night, Thursday night or Saturday morning.  Check the calendar via the link at the left for times.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Don't Worry.  Be Happy.

The mind is a silly thing.  The moment something pleasurable happens, the mind wakes up and shouts, “I like that!  I want more!”  The mind says that if a little bit is good and makes me happy, then more will be better and make me even happier!  That is a silly mind and yet most of us follow that silly mind without question.  Eat something tasty and the impulse is to have a second helping; sure, the first serving was enough to satisfy hunger but not enough to sastify the mind's desire for pleasure.  Substitute anything for eating—shopping, games, sex, exercise, music, drugs, reading, sleep, money, fame, literally anything—and you have found the cause of all suffering.  The moment we indulge in pleasure, we become the victim of pleasure and the victim of fear.

Indulgence quickly leads to excess which is its own punishment:  Obesity, bankruptcy, sloth, debauchery, pride, arrogance, vanity, escapism.  Most of us recognize this even as we are held captive by it.  What is even more destructive though, is the fear driving us to excess.  You might ask, “What fear?”  It is fear that drives the mind to want more pleasure, fear that when this action that brings pleasure ends so will the pleasure.  Is it hard to imagine sitting on a peaceful beach, enjoying a beautiful sunset with someone special and, at that moment, thinking to yourself, “This is so wonderful, I wish it would never end.  I am so happy.”  Is it hard to imagine such a scene?  At that moment, the seed of fear has been planted.  Fear that when this moment ends, so will the happiness it created.  Fear that eventually the vacation will end, work will return and life will again be dull.

Why?  Why do we do this, let ourselves be ruled by our silly mind, why?  It is because we believe that the moment or food or sex or book or drug or whatever created the happiness.  This is crazy thinking.  Food does not create happiness.  Shopping does not create happiness.  Vacations do not create happiness.  None of these things have the power to create happiness.

Pleasures that come from sense contacts, Arjuna, actually are the womb of pain.  A wise person does not delight in pleasure that comes and goes.

The Living Gita, The Complete Bhagavad Gita 5.22

Krishna is teaching Arjuna this very idea.  If happiness is not created by what we do, then why do these things appear to make us happy?  It is because they reflect happiness but what is the source of that happiness?  Swami Satchidananda says the following about this as he explains sloka 5.22 of the Bhagavad Gita:

A wise person will never expect joy from the outside world or by contact with outside objects.  The truth is, joy can never come from outside.  That's the truth.  Happiness can never come from outside.  Even if it seems to be coming from outside, it's only a reflection of your own inner happiness.

The Living Gita, The Complete Bhagavad Gita by Swami Satchidanada, pg 76

Bobby McFerrin sang, “In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double.  Don't worry, be happy.”  He had the right of it, just be happy and when that song was first played, it seemed to make people feel happy.  Soon that song was playing everwhere—if a little is good . . . —it was played so much that he has said this about it:  “It's not that I don't love the song.  My songs are like my children.  Some you want around and some you want to send off to college as soon as possible."”

Why then, if our happiness is already right there within us, are so many so unhappy?  Because we refuse to allow ourselves to be happy, we do not believe it is our right to be happy unless something makes us happy.  Some will protest saying, “It's easy to say ‘Just be happy’ but doing it is much harder” but that is simply refusing to allow yourself to be happy.  Look for happiness within yourself, you will find it, it is there.

Be happy.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Capacity for Anger?

As I taught last night, something very curious occurred:  I hesitated, twice.  Hesitation is fear made manifest and whenever fear arises, there is a great opportunity to examine oneself.  As I said, “Let go of everything,” the phrase continued in my consciousness, “Let go of the bad things and let go of the good things, let everything go.”  This kept pressing on me but I continued to hesitate for most of the class until I finally told the class to let go of everything, the good and the bad.

We create blockages in the body physically, mentally or emotionally when we hold on to past emotion.  If you ever had a tension headache, then you experienced this firsthand.  Even positive emotions can create such blockages, if we cling to them.  Fully experience the emotion, whatever it is, and then let it go.  Doing this increases our capacity to experience emotion.  As I ended class, I explained this and then hesitated because there was more.  “Freeing up these blockages increases our capacity to be happy,” I said and then paused, “increases our capacity to experience emotion.”  I knew what needed to be said, “Even our capacity to feel anger but as our capacity increases, our ability to remain uncontrolled by our emotion also increases.”  This was clumsily said, I understood what was meant but could not convey it.

Whenever I hesitate like this, I know there is more to be learned and even more important, I know that I should ignore the hesitation.  What does it mean to have a greater capacity for anger or any “negative” emotion for that matter?  When I say that I have a greater capacity for love, it means that I love more.  Does having a greater capacity for anger mean I have stronger or more frequent anger?  No, rather it means that my capacity to experience and move through my anger undisturbed is greater.  It also means that I can more fully realize the anger I do experience.

Here's the secret though:  As my capacity for love and peace and happiness grows, the reasons for anger diminish; not because I cannot experience anger, but simply because I am able to see things for what they really are.  The person dribbling a basketball directly beneath a sign that reads, “Do not dribble basketballs in this area.” is not doing this to annoy me; so, why become angry?  Instead, I realize this person must have missed the sign and I simply say, "You must have missed the sign," and point to it.  My child is not whining to annoy me but because she, mistakenly, thinks whining will win me over like it did when she was an infant.

Does this mean that I am never angry, never raise my voice?  No but it does mean that this happens much less frequently and that when it does, it is brief.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Mostly Meatless

There are a number of topics in the realm of Yoga which can cause controversy of one degree or another.  One of the strongest is vegetarianism.  As I attended Level I teacher training last year, one of the senior instructors talked about stillness and how one person might find a certain stillness in watching a horror film while another might find the same film entirely dis-integrating.  He went on to say the same thing in relation to a steak dinner.  Afterward, I heard a fellow student remark with some vehemence that this teacher should not have used the steak example.  “Aren't we all supposed to be vegetarians around here?”  It was clear that this individual felt scandalized by the steak example.

One can easily find other such examples through a simple search:

Although you do not need to be a vegetarian to practice Yoga, a Yoga teacher must conform to different standards. Someone who is taking responsibility for teaching others how to use Yoga meditation techniques must have the steadiness and nonviolent attitude that can only be attained through a vegetarian diet.

American Yoga Association, How to Choose a Qualified Teacher

One of my jobs for this publication is to interview yoga instructors (very respectable people in my humble opinion). I’ve been shocked to find that about half of those interviewed are not strict vegetarians.

While I am not judging them, I am curious as to how carnivorous yoga teachers justify breaking the number one rule in this ancient tradition.

Elephant Journal, Non-vegetarian Yoga Instructors? by Ryan Nadlonek

There are many beliefs and myths about what one should do to become a Yoga teacher. Some Yoga teacher organizations do make official statements in regard to Yoga teacher ethics; and diet is included, sometimes

However, if you teach Yoga, should you be a vegan? Are dairy foods and eggs okay? What about goats, chicken, or fish? Yes, some Yoga teachers do eat goat, but not beef. Some people still claim that fish feel no pain, but I never heard that from a Yogi. Are you confused? What is right and what is wrong?

Editorial at Streetdirectory.com, Teaching Hatha Yoga: Should a Yoga Teacher be a Vegetarian? by JACKIE

The one writing on this matter that I find most interesting is below:

For many, ahimsa means doing no harm of any kind under any circumstances and as such many yogis are vegetarian or vegan.  This is understandable from a certain point of view, especially if one believes in reincarnation.  Is doing harm acceptable under certain circumstances?  Normally cutting a person's arm off would be prohibited by ahimsa but what if cutting the arm off is the only way to save that person's life?  It is important to remember that not all circumstances are equal.  My own belief does not encompass reincarnation and is that God has placed all life, animals and plants, under the stewardship of man and that all life has been placed here for our use, including using meat for food.  That stewardship requires that I use these things wisely and with gratitude.  I am grateful for each life, plant or animal, which makes my life possible whether it be the trees which were felled to build my home or the vegetables and fish which will make my meal tonight.

Everyday Yoga, Ahimsa by Tyran Ormond

It may seem somewhat self-serving for me to write that I find my own statement on Ahimsa and its application to vegetarianism to be the most interesting.  Be that as it may, here is the reason I find it intriguing:  “Is doing harm acceptable under certain circumstances?  Normally cutting a person's arm off would be prohibited by ahimsa but what if cutting the arm off is the only way to save that person's life?  It is important to remember that not all circumstances are equal.”  When I originally wrote that article back in 2005, I was firmly rooted in a meat eating lifestyle and had no intention of ever changing that lifestyle.  I still embody the reasoning behind that decision:  All life should be treated with respect and gratitude.

I went to the Amrit Yoga Institute twice last year for formal teacher certification.  Imagine my surprise on returning the first time when I discovered that eating a hamburger left me feeling unwell for three days.  My body adjusted and soon meat was back on my menu but in small portions.  After returning the second time, that feeling of unwellness intensified and so it was that I silently started swearing off meat.  Please note, however, that I did not simply write off all meat as being unfit for maintaining my own stillness.  I took this litterally one bite at a time:  Beef, no.  Chicken, no.  What about chicken stock?  Stock also became a no.

What have I discovered as I mindfully try this or that meat and listen for my body's experience with it?  Meat on the hoof—beef, pork, venison and the likes—along with fowl simply do not agree with my body any longer.    Eggs, fish and shellfish, however, still agree with me.  I now enjoy the occasional bowl of clam chowder, plate of fish or boiled egg and I leave the other meats for others to eat.  Who knows, perhaps I will discover one day that eggs or fish or shellfish also begin to create disquiet in my body as I eat.

So, what should you do?  My dear reader, I cannot tell you that you must or must not choose a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian or vegan or omniverous diet.  What I can tell you, however, is that you must listen to your body as it will not lie to you.  If, as you listen, you discover that you are eating something that you “shouldn't” because it creates disquiet in the body, then stop eating it.  What is the key to this?  Be mindful, be fully aware of what you experience and do not simply eat mindlessly.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.