A bit of non-yoga workout to get fit after Xmas

I guess we can all feel it. Most people got fat during Christmas, and if you are not one of them, lucky you, just skip this post :P If you come to my classes and want to add a bit of exercise into your weekly routine, here it is.... Let me know if you like it or not :P

Monday

Perform each set of two exercises back-to-back, with no rest between each exercise. Rest 30 to 60 seconds before repeating the set one more time. SET 1 Lift-off Lunge, Hundred on the BallSET 2 Scissors Jump, Pushup and Leg RaiseSET 3 Mermaid, Boat Curl and PressSET 4 Triangle Lat Raise, Dip and Knee Raise 

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling .(B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Scissors Jump

Tones: Butt and thighs; raises heart rate to burn extra calories

Stand with your right leg forward and your left leg extended behind you, toes on the floor. Bend your right knee and dip your left knee toward the floor, so you’re in a lunge position. Place your arms straight out in front of you or out to the sides.(A) Swiftly jump up and switch legs in midair, in a motion like a scissor. (B) When your back knee grazes (or nearly grazes) the ground, jump again. Keep jumping continuously, without resting, for a full set. To prevent injury, try to land as softly as possible. 10 to 20 jumps

Pushup and Leg Raise

Tones: Shoulders, triceps, chest, and core

Lie facedown on a fitness ball, with both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until it is under your shins. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, so it looks like you’re ready to do a pushup. Keeping your torso straight and your abs contracted, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. (A) Return to start, and immediately contract your glutes as you lift your right leg off the ball. (B) Lower your right leg to the ball, then lift the left leg. That’s one rep. 8 to 12 reps

Make the move harder by placing the ball under the tops of your feet. Make it easier by keeping the ball under your knees.

Hundred on the Ball

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and place your calves on a fitness ball. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, making sure to keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. (Put your head down at any time if you feel stress in the upper body.) (A) Take 5 short, consecutive inhales, followed by 5 short, consecutive exhales. Do this 10 times for 1 rep. At the same time, lift arms off mat and pulse them up and down palms facing down, in unison with the breath. (B) 10 reps, 100 breaths per rep

Mermaid

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and shoulders

Assume a side plank position, with your right elbow on the floor directly beneath your shoulder. Stagger your feet so your left foot is in front of your right foot. (A) Raise your left arm directly overhead—bicep next to your ear, arm extended, and with your palm facing the floor—so your arm is in line with your body. Arch your left arm towards the floor as you raise your hips up in the air. (B) Return to start. Repeat for a full set; then switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Boat Curl and Press

Tones: Core, biceps, and shoulders

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms extended at your sides and your palms facing forward. Sit on a bench and lean back slightly, pulling your knees to chest height, so you’re balancing on your tailbone. Curl the weights to your shoulders; (A) then immediately rotate your wrists so your palms face forward and press the weights straight overhead. (B) Return to start. Each dumbbell extension is one rep. Balance on the bench during the entire set if you can. 8 to 10 reps

Triangle Lat Raise

Tones: Butt, thighs, back, and shoulders

Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lunge forward with your right leg. Taking a cue from the triangle pose in yoga, turn your left foot out—so it's perpendicular to your leg—and rest your right forearm on your right thigh, palm up. Extend your left arm straight down, with your palm facing your right leg. (A) Keeping your left arm extended, squeeze your shoulder blades together and raise your left arm straight out to the side until it reaches shoulder height. (B) Return to start. Complete a full set, then switch sides.10 to 12 reps per side

Dip and Knee Raise

Tones: Triceps, shoulders, and upper back

Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees. Grasp the seat on either side of your butt; make sure your fingers are facing forward. Walk your feet out slightly and inch yourself off the seat. (A) Bend your arms, keeping your elbows pointed straight back as you dip your butt toward the ground. Simultaneously contract your abs and pull your right knee toward your chest. (B) Return to start. Concentrate on using your arms to raise your body, rather than pushing up with your legs. Complete a set, alternating legs. 10 to 12 reps

Make the move more challenging by performing it with your legs extended

Wednesday

For each exercise shown, do 1 set of the prescribed repetitions, rest 30 seconds, then do another set of that same exercise. 

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling .(B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Mermaid

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and shoulders

Assume a side plank position, with your right elbow on the floor directly beneath your shoulder. Stagger your feet so your left foot is in front of your right foot. (A) Raise your left arm directly overhead—bicep next to your ear, arm extended, and with your palm facing the floor—so your arm is in line with your body. Arch your left arm towards the floor as you raise your hips up in the air. (B) Return to start. Repeat for a full set; then switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Pushup and Leg Raise

Tones: Shoulders, triceps, chest, and core

Lie facedown on a fitness ball, with both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until it is under your shins. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, so it looks like you’re ready to do a pushup. Keeping your torso straight and your abs contracted, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. (A) Return to start, and immediately contract your glutes as you lift your right leg off the ball. (B) Lower your right leg to the ball, then lift the left leg. That’s one rep. 8 to 12 reps

Make the move harder by placing the ball under the tops of your feet. Make it easier by keeping the ball under your knees.

Hundred on the Ball

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and place your calves on a fitness ball. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, making sure to keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. (Put your head down at any time if you feel stress in the upper body.) (A) Take 5 short, consecutive inhales, followed by 5 short, consecutive exhales. Do this 10 times for 1 rep. At the same time, lift arms off mat and pulse them up and down palms facing down, in unison with the breath. (B) 10 reps, 100 breaths per rep

Tai Chi Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms extended straight out in front of you, with your palms facing down. Take a giant step to the right, bending your right knee until it’s bent 45 to 90 degrees (make sure to keep your knee from extending over your toes). (A) Pause in this side-lunge position and rotate your torso and outstretched arms to the left, rotating at the waist. (B) Rotate back to the center and return to the starting position. Repeat the move to the opposite side. Continue alternating for a full set. 10 to 12 reps per side

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Glute Bridge with Triceps Extension

Tones: Butt, core, and triceps

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie on your back, with your knees bent. Bend your elbows so the weights are positioned at either side of your head, palms facing your ears and elbows pointed up toward the ceiling. (A) Simultaneously contract your glutes and raise your hips—so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees—while you extend your arms, so the weights are lined up with your chest. (B) Return to start. 10 to 12 reps

Lateral Step-Ups

Tones: Butt and thighs, plus raises heart rate to burn extra calories

Stand to the right of a 12 to 18 inch step or bench. Plant your left foot on the step and place your hands on your hips.(A) Press into your left foot, extend right leg, and spring up and over the step, (B) planting the right foot on the step and extending the left leg out into a side lunge. Immediately reverse the move, springing up and over to the right. Think of this move as your feet exchanging places on the step. Continue alternating for a full set. 10 to 12 reps per side

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Side Plank with Moving Knee

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and butt

Lie facedown on the floor so your upper body is propped on your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. (A) Lift your body off the floor so your body is suspended in a straight line supported by your forearms and toes. Roll to the left, rotating your left arm, so your upper body is propped up on your leftt forearm, elbow directly beneath shoulder and forearm running perpendicular to your body. Stack your feet and place your left hand on your hip, elbow pointed up. (B) Raise your right leg and bring your rightt knee to your rightt elbow.(C) Return to start. Switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Friday

Perform the moves circuit style: Do the prescribed number of repetitions for each exercise, with no rest between exercises. After you’ve done all of the exercises once, rest two minutes. Perform the entire circuit 3 times, resting two minutes between each circuit. 

Curtsy Lunge with Front Raise

Tones: Butt, thighs, and shoulders

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in your left hand and resting your right hand on your hip. Take a giant step back and to the right with your left leg, so if you were standing on a clock facing 12, your left toes would end up at the 5 o’clock position. (A) Bend your knees and lower your hips toward the floor until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, raise your left arm (the one with the dumbbell in it) straight out in front of you to shoulder height. (B) Return to start. Complete a full set; then switch sides. 10 to 12 reps per side

Swivel Squat

Tones: Butt, thighs, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and extend your arms straight out in front of you. Bend your knees and sit back until your legs are bent 45 to 90 degrees; make sure to keep your knees from extending over your toes. (A) Press back to a standing position as you rotate your torso and outstretched arms to the right. (B) Rotate back to the center and immediately perform another squat, this time rotating to the left as you stand. Both sides makes one rep. The sequence is this: Squat, stand—while simultaneously twisting to the side—then twist back to the center. 10 to 12 reps

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Tip and Row

Tones: Butt and back

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides holding weights. Lift your right leg straight up behind you as you bend from the hips to lower your upper body forward. Your torso and right leg should be parallel to the floor and your arms hanging straight down, palms facing each other. (A) Bend your elbows and pull the weights straight up to either side of your chest. (B) Lower the weights and return to a standing position. Repeat, this time lifting the left leg behind you as you tip forward. Alternate for a full set. 8 to 10 reps per side

Alternating Side Lunge

Tones: Thighs, butt, and core

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding dumbbells down at your sides.(A) Take a giant step to the right, dropping your butt back (keeping your knee from extending over your toes) and pretending to place the weights on either side of your foot. (B) Press back to start. Then immediately repeat the move to the left. 10 to 12 reps per side

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling. (B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Crossover Crunch

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched so your body forms an X. (A) Contract your abs and raise your head, arms, and legs a few inches off the floor. Keeping them extended, simultaneously bring your left arm and right leg together over your abdomen. (B) Lower your limbs back to start. Repeat to the opposite side. That’s one rep. Alternate for a full set. 10 to 12 reps

To make the move more challenging, keep your head, arms, and legs raised throughout the exercise. To make it a little easier, bring only your arm and leg off the floor each time.

Stacked Pushup

Tones: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and core

Assume a pushup position (resting either your knees or your toes on the floor), with your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders, left hand placed on a thick book, yoga block, or aerobic step with no risers. (A) Bend your arms and lower your chest until your arms are bent 90 degrees. (B) Straighten your arms and press up. Do 4 to 6 reps, then switch sides, bringing your right hand up onto the book or step and your left hand down to the floor on the left side of the book. Repeat, this time crossing up and over to the right. Alternate throughout the set. 8 to 12 reps

Squat and Overhead Press

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent in front of your torso, weights in front of your shoulders, palms facing in. Stand with your feet in a wide straddle stance, toes turned out. (A) Bend your knees and squat back, keeping your knees from extending over your toes. (B) Press back to the start position, turning your right palm forward and pressing the weight directly overhead. (C) Immediately lower into another squat, pulling your right arm back to the starting position. Stand again, this time pressing the left weight overhead. Alternate for a full set. 12 to 14 reps

1st Aloe DETOX

After months and months of thinking about it... Twice I even wanted to really start, but... You know how I am... I don´t rest... I do too much maybe sometimes... And I haven´t been eating properly before :(

I am teaching many, many classes per week from January, and since then (4 months) I gained 6kg - with exercising A LOT and eating NOT ENOUGH. Well, I really thought that not eating and exercising will ensure me a slimmer body, but it DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT! - unfortunatelly.

So what was I doing wrong? Hmm... I could go hours and hours without eating and with teaching and THEN I would start to eat in the evening and eat through half of the night... NOT GOOD!!!

But now I know. For few weeks now, I am trying to eat regularly. Healthy food. I spent 2 hours planning my food diary so I would eat in between the classes, but I have a BIG problem with that - it is not good to eat before yoga... And what do I do? I teach - and I love teaching - YOGA! Oh yes, when I first started to eat in the morning before the class - all wrong! My belly hurt, I felt like I am going to throw up... - not nice, plus when you teach you cannot really feel this way. But I guess I slowly got used to eating a little bit before/in between the classes and I feel much better.

And my decision to do the Detox right now? Simple... I went shopping to Primark and you know how stupid fattening mirrors they´ve got... I looked at myself and I said: NO!!! I really don´t want to look like this. And I started next morning without even having everything for the Detox - only one kind of capsules and an Aloe Vera Juice. That was it. This was the trigger.

So here I am going to write how did I feel and survived these 9 days (if I´ll make it) - day by day.


DAY 1 - I´m not liking this day, but, hey, it is only the beginning... I haven´t eaten anything just the Aloe things I can drink and water - lots of water and few teas. I was fine in the morning. I was hungry around 2pm, but the ´lunch stuff´ was good enough to get me through the day. I even felt ok in the evening. BUT - I woke up at 2am - really, really hungry :( :( :( so I drunk lots of water and tried to read Game of Thrones and eventually I fell asleep. And in the morning...

DAY 2 -...I didn´t feel so hungry when I woke up, but I felt a bit dizzy and I had a headache - just a little, and when I was teaching I didn´t feel it, but I did not feel the best. Never mind. Later I was hungrier and hungrier. Yesterday I had a relaxing day and I had only one Pilates class, but today it was different. For lunch I had a salad (lettuce, sweetcorn, olives, artichokes and cheese) instead of the Shake, because I felt like I really needed something in my stomach. And I tell you, the salad tasted so delicious! Even it was only a salad... So I survived the whole day. I know I shouldn´t weight myself, but I had to check it and I was shocked - more than a kilo down and I didn´t feel like it, probably because of all the water I drank those two days. And it´s evening and I am really hungry, but I haven´t have my last Alue Juice, yet. I´ll drink it before I will go to bed and I will hope I won´t wake up hungry in the middle of the night!

DAY 3 - Hmm - I wasn't so hungry in the morning, and I had everything according the book till lunch and after that I had half of a tiny pizza. And few hrs later a bit of veggies - not too bad - I was really hungry and then I had 2 classes, and had my last ' meal' of today... I hope I will survive the night :)

DAY 4 -

Yoga & Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease, an autoimmune disorder of unknown origin, causes inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, blood in the stool, ulcers, reduced appetite and weight loss, fatigue, fever and skin disorders. Depending of the severity of symptoms, Crohn's disease can limit daily activities and, in some cases, threaten life.

Considerations

While stress does not cause Crohn's disease, it can worsen signs and symptoms. Stress has a physiological impact on the digestive system and can alter normal processes with excessive production of stomach acid, slowed digestion and constipation. Activities including relaxation and breathing exercises can help a Crohn's patient manage stress, which may help prevent flare-ups.

Benefits of Yoga

The practice of yoga combines physical exercises, known as postures, with meditation that focuses on breathing. Yoga postures relieve stress while they strengthen and tone muscles, promote flexibility and massage internal organs. You can practice the meditation aspect of yoga by combining it with postures in a form of moving contemplation or as a separate technique on its own to relax and quiet the mind.

Yoga Postures

Because yoga increases blood flow and stimulates internal organs, a folding posture, such as Standing Forward Bend, or "uttanasana," improves digestion, reduces fatigue, calms the brain and relieves stress. To perform "uttanasana," start with your big toes touching and your heels slightly separated. Slowly fold forward, reaching your hands toward the floor as you lift your sit bones upward. You may find gentle twisting postures, such as "Bharadvaja's twist," useful in combatting symptoms linked to Crohn's disease because they stimulate the digestive organs and improve digestion while relieving stress. Yoga poses help to detoxify your body and can help to speed up the removal of toxins and bacteria in the body. Twisting poses, such as the Triangle Pose with Spinal Twist or Half Spinal Twist give a deep and gentle massage to the internal organs of your body and help to energize the gastrointestinal system. Yoga poses help to improve flexibility, tones and strengthens muscles. For example, the Bow Pose and Cobra Pose helps to tone and strengthen your back muscles and maintains the elasticity of the spine. A strong spine is essential to support and hold you upright. The Fish Pose relieves stiffness in the neck and shoulders and helps to strengthen the arm muscles. On an emotional level, the Fish Pose opens and expands your rib cage which energetically helps to release sadness and sorrow in your heart centre, which leaves you feeling calmer and more expansive. 

 

Meditation

As we know, many physical conditions are aggravated by stress, anxiety and worry. Digestive tract ailments are even more sensitive to these mental states. In addition, suffering with a chronic illness can wreak havoc on our thoughts and emotions. We can begin to start falling into unhealthy and unrealistic thoughts such as worrying that we will never feel better, fearing the unknown future, and even sinking into a woe-is-me pattern. In addition, we can sometimes lose focus on what's positive in our lives- our blessings, and sometime we might not notice that we are taking out our frustrations and fears on those around us- maybe being critical, snippy or jealous. Practicing meditation can help us increase our awareness of our own thoughts and behavior at any given moment, and train ourselves to think logically and positively. We can also help ourselves to avoid thinking about our illness constantly- and to be aware of all the beauty and joy around us.

Frequency

Practice yoga regularly, two to three times per week, to feel the effects of yoga on countering the discomfort associated with chronic illness such as Crohn's disease.

Guided Meditation

Just like learning any new skill (like how to play piano), meditation takes practice. Be prepared to to practice regularly and to have trouble at the beginning. That said, meditating is very easy- especially if you don't put any pressure on yourself. Try to dedicate a minimum of 15 minutes per day. If you can't find that much time, even every-other day or just whatever time you can find, will be helpful.

Find a comfortable place to sit. Some people may find sitting cross-legged on the floor or on a cushion to be hard on their back or knees, so try sitting either on the floor with your back against the couch, on the couch with your legs crossed, or on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. The key is to be comfortable so that you are not waging a war against physical aches and pains- but not so comfortable that you feel sleepy. The goal of meditation is to remain alert and aware- so sit up straight with your back and neck aligned vertically- use back support if you need to, but do not sink your whole weight back into a sofa-chair or you may get sleepy. If you feel sleepy during meditation, try meditating during a more alert time of day, or this may be a sign that you need more sleep.

For the purposes of this tutorial we will use one of the most common objects to meditate on. Your breathing. The in and out of your breath is a natural and rhythmic thing to focus on. Don't try to control your breathing or to breathe in any kind of purposeful or special way. Just breathe naturally and follow it with your mind. As your breath goes in and out you might focus on various aspects of it- the sound, the feeling in your chest, the breeze at your nose- it doesn't matter- focus on what ever aspect of the breath is most noticeable for you. Beginners might also find it easier to stay focused if you count the breaths. Count to 10 then start back over at 1. We aren't keeping score here.

Here's how it goes. Turn off all sources of noise like TV or radio. Find a quiet room. You take your seat, close your eyes, and say to yourself (silently if you want) that you are going to meditate now. Mentally put all other worries, thoughts and tasks aside for later. Take a few deep calming breaths and physically relax your body - especially points of tension like neck, jaw, back, shoulders and stomach. But don't get so relaxed that you aren't sitting up straight.

Now that you're ready, allow your breathing to return to it's normal pattern. Place your mind gently but firmly onto the breath. This means you are focusing on the breathing and not thinking about anything else. You aren't even thinking about meditating or wondering if you are doing it right. Your only thought is the in and out of your breath. Completely clear of all other thoughts or emotions. Keep your mind there firmly but without force. This isn't a wrestling match with your mind.

Since you're a beginner, the first thing you'll notice is that your mind is a spoiled child. It absolutely does not want to remain in one spot. Other thoughts are going to sneak in as subtle thoughts behind the breath, or even full blown distractions where you totally forget about the breath. What am I going to make for dinner? Did I check the mail? Am I doing this right? My leg is itchy, my butt is sore, my throat is dry. Tomorrow I'm going to the movies and that will be fun. Did I pay the phone bill? Remember that time we went to the beach? I like the beach. etc, etc, etc.

Your child-like mind will try to convince you that all these thoughts are suddenly so very important. Your mind is tricky. It will do anything to avoid sitting still. It will even try to snooze if all else fails. The untrained mind does not like to be held in one place on one single mundane, uninteresting thought. But that is the whole point!! Shouldn't we be able to expect our mind to do what we tell it to do? Aren't we in control? What's with all this spoiled-brat chatter? Part of Mindfulness Meditation is training our mind to do what we tell it to do.

Each time you realize your mind has wondered, don't chastise yourself or be disappointed. You haven't failed. The mere act of catching your mind wandering is what we are going for here. Catching your mind wandering means that some tiny corner of your mind was disciplined enough to notice the wandering. That corner is what we want to build on. So when you catch yourself wandering- be happy that you have succeeded in noticing the chatter. Then, gently let go of the current thought, put it on a shelf for later, then place the mind back on the breath. In and out. Clear. Focused. Wandering...... hey! Let go of the chatter. Re-focus. In and out. And so on!

Each time we catch our minds wandering, we make that tiny mindful corner of our mind stronger and more aware of what's going on. Over time, with regular meditation practice we get better and better at staying on the breath. The length of time that we are distracted shortens. The amount of subtle background thoughts lessens. We learn that holding too tight or too loose to the breath causes the mind to slip out like a wet bar of soap. Our ability to remain focused and mindful strengthens.

As we continue to practice we see benefits in our daily lives. We can remain more focused on a task, activity or project. We become less easily distracted. We are more mindful of what's going on around us and what we are thinking. We catch ourselves being too critical or depressed. We notice when we have been thinking about our Crohn's Disease too much and need to let go of those thoughts and have some fun. We develop a more realistic outlook on life and our stress is reduced as we find solutions to our problems or realize that our troubles are not as insurmountable as we thought. We become more compassionate because we realize that just like us, all of our fellow human beings are suffering with their own troubles and worries that we probably can't even see.

Meditation is used by millions of people around the world. Us westerners are late to the realization of what a powerful tool it can be. Even science has begun quantifying proof of the benefits of meditation. Practice your meditation regularly for the best results, and be patient with yourself. Just like learning piano, it will take time to see results- but it's more than worth it!

The Roots of Vegetarianism

Ask any number of yogis to describe their diets and you'll likely get responses as varied as the styles they practice. Many traditionalists see yoga as being inextricably linked with the meatless path, citing numerous ancient Indian texts to prove their conviction. Others put less stock in centuries-old warnings like "the slaughter of animals obstructs the way to heaven" (from the Dharma Sutras) than in what their bodies have to say. If eating flesh begets health and energy, they argue, it must be the right choice for them--and their yoga.

Today's range of dietary habits might seem like a recent development, but delve back into the historical record and you'll find a long tradition of ethical wrangling with respect to animals. Indeed, the different stances yogis now take on vegetarianism reflect just the latest turn in a debate that started thousands of years ago.

 

The Past-Life Argument

The history of vegetarianism in India began in the Vedic period, an era that dawned sometime between 4000 and 1500 b.c.e., depending on whom you ask. Four sacred texts known as the Vedas were the bedrock of early Hindu spiritual thought. Among those texts' hymns and songs that described with reverence the wondrous power of the natural world, we find a nascent idea that sets the stage for vegetarianism in later centuries. "The concept of the transmigration of souls... first dimly appears in the Rig Veda," explains Colin Spencer in Vegetarianism: A History (Four Walls, Eight Windows, 2002). "In the totemistic culture of the pre-Indus civilization, there was already a sense of oneness with creation." A fervent belief in this idea, he contends, would give rise to vegetarianism later on.

In subsequent ancient texts, including the Upanishads, the idea of rebirth emerged as a central point. In these writings, according to Kerry Walters and Lisa Portmess, editors of Religious Vegetarianism (State University of New York Press, 2001), "gods take animal form, human beings have had past animal lives, [and] animals have had past human lives." All creatures harbored the Divine, so that rather than being fixed in time, life was fluid. (A cow alone, notes Spencer, held 330 million gods and goddesses. To kill one set you back 86 transmigrations of the soul.) Again, the idea that the meat on a dinner plate once lived in a different--and possibly human--form made it all the less palatable.

Dietary guidelines became explicit centuries later in the Laws of Manu, written between 200 b.c.e. and 100 c.e., say Walters and Portmess. In this text, we discover that the sage Manu doesn't find fault just with those who eat meat. "He who permits the slaughter of an animal," he wrote, "he who cuts it up, he who kills it, he who buys or sells meat, he who cooks it, he who serves it up, and he who eats it, must all be considered as the slayers of the animal."

The Bhagavad Gita, arguably the most influential text of the Hindu tradition (written sometime between the fourth and first centuries b.c.e.), added to the vegetarian argument with its practical dietary guidelines. It specifies that sattvic foods (milk, butter, fruit, vegetables, and grains) "promote vitality, health, pleasure, strength, and long life." Bitter, salty, and sour rajasic foods (including meat, fish, and alcohol) "cause pain, disease, and discomfort." At the bottom rung lies the tamasic category: "stale, overcooked, contaminated" and otherwise rotten or impure foods. These explanations have endured, becoming the guidelines by which many modern yogis eat.

 

Spiritual Contradiction

The case for vegetarianism mounted as centuries passed, while another practice--animal sacrifice--persisted alongside it. The same Vedas that extolled the virtues of the natural world also emphasized the need for animal sacrifice to the gods. The uneasy coexistence between India's emerging inclination toward vegetarianism and its history of animal sacrifice continued over hundreds of years, says Edwin Bryant, professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University. Oftentimes the conflict played out in the pages of the same text.

The sage Manu, for instance, condemned recreational meat eating, stating, "There is no greater sinner than that man who...seeks to increase the bulk of his own flesh by the flesh of other beings." But orthodox followers of Vedic culture--including Manu--were "forced to allow the performance of animal sacrifice," Bryant notes. Ultimately, the discomfort that many in ancient India felt about animal sacrifice helped fuel the demise of the practice.

Some orthodox traditionalists, for instance, felt uncomfortable challenging the ancient texts on the issue out of respect for what they believed were the writings' divine origins. However, they did condemn everyday meat eating, adding a number of conditions to animal sacrifice so that "the practice accrued ghastly karmic results that far outweighed any benefits gained," explains Professor Bryant in A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion and Ethics, edited by Kimberly Patton and Paul Waldau (to be published in 2004).

Others simply deemed the ancient texts outdated, and went on to form groups such as the Jainas and the Buddhists. No longer bound by Vedic authority, Bryant says, they "could scorn the whole sacrificial culture and preach an unencumbered ahimsa," or doctrine of nonviolence. This concept of ahimsa, championed by Mahavira in the sixth century, has emerged at the core of the vegetarian argument in modern times.

Some later Indian sages strengthened the case for vegetarianism. Swami Vivekananda, writing a hundred years ago, pointed out the communality we have with other animals: "The amoeba and I are the same. The difference is only one of degree; and from the standpoint of the highest life, all differences vanish." Swami Prabhupada, scholar and founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, offered a more stark pronouncement: "If you want to eat animals, then [God] will give you... the body of a tiger in your next life so that you can eat flesh very freely."

In most cultures today, the rights of animals have at least prevailed over the ritual of sacrifice, if not meat eating. Scores of yogis live and eat with the understanding, as expressed by B.K.S. Iyengar, that a vegetarian diet is "a necessity" to the practice of yoga. But other, equally dedicated yogis find flesh a necessary fuel, without which their practice suffers. Those yoga enthusiasts still on the fence when it comes to the meat question should take heart, however. It seems that a thoughtful, deliberate, and at times even challenging consideration of vegetarianism is very much in the spirit of the Indian spiritual tradition.